And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Mark 9:7)

How often do you journal and what do you do with it?

In the past few weeks I have journaled extensively and reflected on the past year, It was an aha moment when I realized Mark Virkler had the greatest impact on me in 2008 of all the new people I met or connected with. Yet we only spoke for one hour on June 9, 2008. How could that be? It’s because Mark taught me four simple keys to hear God’s voice and followed up with an email which I reflected upon.

The next morning (June 10), the Holy Spirit woke me up around 4 am. He immediately prompted me to go to my desk to design a new computer desktop image (“You Can Hear God’s Voice”) with an image of Jesus, a list of the 4 keys, and Habukkuk 2:1-3. (See today’s Blessings of the Day). After doing that, I began 2-way journaling for the very first time in my life.

After doing this, I emailed the desktop image to Mark along with my journal entry for that morning. He responded promptly with a very encouraging email, counseling me on how to make my prayer even more personal.

On June 17 Jerry Graham and I officially launched our 35 day course titled “UNCOMMON Journaling For Destiny.” Each day during the 35 days, students and coaches were given one question to ask Jesus and then apply two-way journaling. Everyone who took our course and completed the assignments experienced substantial breakthroughs.

On June 18, I entered Destiny course Question #1 into my journal – “Lord, why do You want me to learn to hear Your voice?” Jesus responded, “Because I love You and I have specific instructions to give You each day – not vague thoughts, but specific things I want you to know and to do. Randy, I know what works and what doesn’t. I want to take you to an entirely new level of abiding in Me. I want you to experience My love like never before. I want You to know that I’m not just here beside You, but I’m here to answer questions that You have. I’ve been waiting.”

Since then, it’s been a journey of deeper and deeper intimacy with Jesus and richer relationships with people. By visiting today’s Blessings of the Day, you can read Mark Virkler’s simple message he emailed to me on June 9 teaching the 4 keys to hear God’s voice, Enjoy and be transformed.

Prayer Power
Jesus, thank You for using Mark Virkler as Your vessel to teach me the 4 keys to consistent, powerful, life-giving conversations with You. Thank You for our daily dialogs. Guide my followers to learn to hear Your voice consistently too. Thank You Jesus. I love You. You’re my all-in-all. Amen.

Blessings of the Day
“You Can Hear God’s Voice” desktop image (see below)
You Can Hear God’s Voice! (4 keys) – by Mark Virkler (see below)
Four Keys to Hearing God’s Voice

Blessings to learn to journal 2-way to hear and obey the voice of the LORD!

 

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You Can Hear God’s Voice! (by Mark Virkler)

The age in which we live is so married to rationalism and cognitive, analytical thought that we almost mock when we hear of one actually claiming to be able to hear the voice of God. However, we do not scoff, for several reasons. First, men and women throughout the Bible heard God’s voice. Also, there are some highly effective and reputable men and women of God alive today who demonstrate that they hear God’s voice. Finally, there is a deep hunger within us all to commune with God, and hear Him speak within our hearts.

As a born-again, Bible-believing Christian, I struggled unsuccessfully for years to hear God’s voice. I prayed, fasted, studied my Bible and listened for a voice within, all to no avail. There was no inner voice that I could hear! Then God set me aside for a year to study, read, and experiment in the area of learning to hear His voice. During that time, the Lord taught me four keys that opened the door to two-way prayer. I have discovered that not only do they work for me, but they have worked for many thousands of believers who have been taught to use them, bringing tremendous intimacy to their Christian experience and transforming their very way of living. This will happen to you also as you seek God, utilizing the following four keys. They are all found in Habakkuk 2:1,2. I encourage you to read this passage before going on.

Key #1 (STILLNESS) – I must learn to still my own thoughts and emotions, so that I can sense God’s flow of thoughts and emotions within me.

Habakkuk said, “I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart…” (Hab. 2:1). Habakkuk knew that in order to hear God’s quiet, inner, spontaneous thoughts, he had to first go to a quiet place and still his own thoughts and emotions. Psalm 46:10 encourages us to be still, and know that He is God. There is a deep inner knowing (spontaneous flow) in our spirits that each of us can experience when we quiet our flesh and our minds.

I have found several simple ways to quiet myself so that I can more readily pick up God’s spontaneous flow. Loving God through a quiet worship song is a most effective means for me (note II Kings 3:15). It is as I become still (thoughts, will, and emotions) and am poised before God that the divine flow is realized. Therefore, after I worship quietly and then become still, I open myself for that spontaneous flow. If thoughts come to me of things I have forgotten to do, I write them down and then dismiss them. If thoughts of guilt or unworthiness come to my mind, I repent thoroughly, receive the washing of the blood of the Lamb, and put on His robe of righteousness, seeing myself spotless before the presence of God (Is. 61:10; Col. 1:22).

As I fix my gaze upon Jesus (Heb. 12:2), becoming quiet in His presence, and sharing with Him what is on my heart, I find that two-way dialogue begins to flow. Spontaneous thoughts flow from the throne of God to me, and I find that I am actually conversing with the King of Kings.

It is very important that you become still and properly focused if you are going to receive the pure word of God. If you are not still, you will simply be receiving your own thoughts. If you are not properly focused on Jesus, you will receive an impure flow, because the intuitive flow comes out of that upon which you have fixed your eyes. Therefore, if you fix your eyes upon Jesus, the intuitive flow comes from Jesus. If you fix your gaze upon some desire of your heart, the intuitive flow comes out of that desire of your heart. To have a pure flow you must first of all become still, and secondly, you must carefully fix your eyes upon Jesus. Again I will say, quietly worshiping the King, and then receiving out of the stillness that follows quite easily accomplish this.

Key #2 (VISION) – as I pray, I fix the eyes of my heart upon Jesus, seeing in the Spirit the dreams and visions of Almighty God.

We have already alluded to this principle in the previous paragraphs; however, we need to develop it a bit further. Habakkuk said, “I will keep watch to see,” and God said, “Record the vision” (Hab. 2:1,2). It is very interesting that Habakkuk was going to actually start looking for vision as he prayed. He was going to open the eyes of his heart, and look into the spirit world to see what God wanted to show him. This is an intriguing idea.

I had never thought of opening the eyes of my heart and looking for vision. However, the more I thought of it, the more I realized this was exactly what God intends for me to do. He gave me eyes in my heart. They are to be used to see in the spirit world the vision and movement of Almighty God. I believe there is an active spirit world functioning all around me. This world is full of angels, demons, the Holy Spirit, the omnipresent God, and His omnipresent Son, Jesus. There is no reason for me not to see it, other than my rational culture, which tells me not to believe it is even there and provides no instruction on how to become open to seeing this spirit world.

The most obvious prerequisite to seeing is that we need to look. Daniel was seeing a vision in his mind and he said, “I was looking…I kept looking…I kept looking” (Dan. 7:2,9,13). Now as I pray, I look for Jesus present with me, and I watch Him as He speaks to me, doing and saying the things that are on His heart. Many Christians will find that if they will only look, they will see. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us (Matt. 1:23). It is as simple as that. You will see a spontaneous inner vision in a manner similar to receiving spontaneous inner thoughts. You can see Christ present with you in a comfortable setting, because Christ is present with you in a comfortable setting. Actually, you will probably discover that inner vision comes so easily you will have a tendency to reject it, thinking that it is just you. (Doubt is satan’s most effective weapon against the Church.) However, if you will persist in recording these visions, your doubt will soon be overcome by faith as you recognize that the content of them could only be birthed in Almighty God.

God continually revealed Himself to His covenant people using dream and vision. He did so from Genesis to Revelation and said that, since the Holy Spirit was poured out in Acts 2, we should expect to receive a continuing flow of dreams and visions (Acts 2:1-4,17). Jesus, our perfect Example, demonstrated this ability of living out of ongoing contact with Almighty God. He said that He did nothing on His own initiative, but only that which He saw the Father doing, and heard the Father saying (Jn. 5:19,20,30). What an incredible way to live!

Is it actually possible for us to live out of the divine initiative as Jesus did? A major purpose of Jesus’ death and resurrection was that the veil be torn from top to bottom, giving us access into the immediate presence of God, and we are commanded to draw near (Lk. 23:45; Heb. l0: 19-22). Therefore, even though what I am describing seems a bit unusual to a rational twentieth-century culture, it is demonstrated and described as being a central biblical teaching and experience. It is time to restore to the Church all that belongs to the Church.

Because of their intensely rational nature and existence in an overly-rational culture, some will need more assistance and understanding of these truths before they can move into them. They will find this help in the book Communion With God by the same authors.

Key #3 (SPONTANEITY) – God’s voice in our hearts sounds like a flow of spontaneous thoughts. Therefore, when I tune to God, I tune to spontaneity.

The Bible says that the Lord answered me and said…(Hab. 2:2). Habakkuk knew the sound of God’s voice. Elijah described it as a still, small voice (I Kings 19:12). I had always listened for an inner audible voice, and surely God can and does speak that way at times. However, I have found that for most of us, most of the time, God’s inner voice comes to us as spontaneous thoughts, visions, feelings, or impressions. For example, haven’t each of us had the experience of driving down the road and having a thought come to us to pray for a certain person? We generally acknowledge this to be the voice of God calling us to pray for that individual. My question to you is, “What did God’s voice sound like as you drove in your car? Was it an inner, audible voice, or was it a spontaneous thought that lit upon your mind?” Most of you would say that God’s voice came to you as a spontaneous thought.

So I thought to myself, “Maybe when I listen for God’s voice, I should be listening for a flow of spontaneous thoughts. Maybe spirit-level communication is received as spontaneous thoughts, impressions, feelings, and visions.” Through experimentation and feedback from thousands of others, I am now convinced that this is so.

The Bible confirms this in many ways. The definition of paga, the Hebrew word for intercession, is “a chance encounter or an accidental intersecting.” When God lays people on our hearts for intercession, He does it through paga, a chance-encounter thought, accidentally intersecting our thought processes. Therefore, when I tune to God, I tune to chance-encounter thoughts or spontaneous thoughts. When I am poised quietly before God in prayer, I have found that the flow of spontaneous thoughts that comes is quite definitely from God.

Key #4 (JOURNALING) – Journaling, the writing out of our prayers and God’s answers, provides a great new freedom in hearing God’s voice.
God told Habakkuk to record the vision and inscribe it on tablets…(Hab. 2:2). It had never crossed my mind to write out my prayers and God’s answers as Habakkuk did at God’s command. If you begin to search Scripture for this idea, you will find hundreds of chapters demonstrating it (Psalms, many of the prophets, Revelation). Why then hadn’t I ever thought of it?

I called the process “journaling,” and I began experimenting with it. I discovered it to be a fabulous facilitator to clearly discerning God’s inner, spontaneous flow, because as I journaled I was able to write in faith for long periods of time, simply believing it was God. I did not have to test it as I was receiving it (which jams one’s receiver), because I knew that when the flow was over I could go back and test and examine it carefully, making sure that it lined up with Scripture.

You will be amazed when you attempt journaling. Doubt may hinder you at first, but throw it off, reminding yourself that it is a biblical concept, and that God is present, speaking to His children. Don’t take yourself too seriously. When you do, you become tense and get in the way of the Holy Spirit’s movement. It is when we cease our labors and enter His rest that God is free to flow (Heb. 4:10). Therefore, put a smile on your face, sit back comfortably, get out your pen and paper, and turn your attention toward God in praise and worship, seeking His face. As you write out your question to God and become still, fixing your gaze on Jesus, Who is present with you, you will suddenly have a very good thought in response to your question. Don’t doubt it, simply write it down. Later, as you read your journaling, you, too, will be blessed to discover that you are indeed dialoguing with God.

Some final notes: No one should attempt this without having first read through at least the New Testament (preferably, the entire Bible), nor should one attempt this unless he is submitted to solid, spiritual leadership. All major directional moves that come through journaling should be submitted before being acted upon.

For a complete teaching on this topic, order the book “How to Hear God’s Voice” at www.CWGministries.org or call 716-681-4896. Online catalog of 60 books available by Mark & Patti Virkler as well as 100 college courses through external degree: www.cluonline.com

I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the LORD, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob. (Psalm 132:4)

How can you revolutionize your prayer time?

As mentioned in yesterday’s devotional, God lined up a sequence of devotionals and responses to them that ultimately opened the door for me and others to learn about Michael Howard and now meet him this coming weekend.

Michael is the Founder and President of Shekinah Ministries and Kalibu Ministries in Africa. The Malawian government has given Kalibu a prime piece of property for the establishment of a secondary (high) school / college (Kalibu Academy) which will cater to the middle class. The goal is to equip young men and women with the abilities and character to face and solve problems which are pertinent to Africa. At the same time, we will be exposing them to the Gospel which, at least for now, can be preached freely in the classroom.

The following is an invitation from Pitts Evans, pastor of the Church at Northern Virginia [www.cnva.org]

On the weekend of August 10, 11 & 12, the Church at Northern Virginia have the honor to host a conference on “Intercession and Prayer” taught by Rev. Michael Howard. Michael is the Founder and President of Shekinah Ministries and Kalibu Ministries in Africa. He is the author of 14 books, including two books on Intercession, “Tales of an African Intercessor” and “Proven Arrows of Intercession.”

CONFERENCE PURPOSE: This conference will lay out proven principles of intercession. Intercession is a discipline in relationship and has everything to do with knowing the heart of the Father. This will be a new look at intercession which will inspire and change your life as well as encourage you to begin to intercede. It will include inspiring accounts of how intercession changed lives, nations and world events. This teaching will revolutionize your prayer time. No longer empty words from a weary heart, but powerful, life-giving words, from a heart filled with the knowledge and intimacy of our Lord.

CONFERENCE TIMES (note: each session will begin with a period of praise & worship)
Friday, August 10 at 7:00 pm
Saturday, August 11 at 7:00 pm
Sunday, August 12 at 11:00 am
 
REGISTRATION: The  “Intercession and Prayer” conference is open to the entire Body of Christ in the Metro DC area.  There is no charge or registration fee.  A love offering will be taken at each service for Shekiniah Ministries.  Please make plans to join us and forward this note to your praying friends and those who need to become prayer warriors for Jesus.
 
Prayer Power
God of glory and majesty, we praise Your holy name. Thank You for sending Michael Howard to Virginia at this pivotal time in history to teach and impart. May many receive and act on Your Word. Bless Michael, his family, and his ministry.  Exponentially multiply this message through the web, your supernatural highway of communication. Thank You Jesus. Amen and hallelujah!

Link of the Day
Shekinah / Kalibu Ministries

Blessings to be a blessing to the people of Africa!

“BE STILL … and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10a)

What step(s) will you take in 2007 to practice solitude and silence?

Today begins day #1 of my sabbatical year – a year of rest. Each year since 2003, I have chosen a theme verse for the year. Until just two days ago, I was asking God to let me know His choice for a theme verse for 2007. After watching the “Be Still” DVD on December 30, I immediately knew my theme verse for 2007 is “Be still and know.” That is God’s message for the entire world!!!

The “Be Still” DVD came of me in a box with several other valuable goodies in mid December as a Christmas gift from my dear friend Burt Swardstrom. Burt serves as Director of Communications for Mastermedia International.

Here is what the DVD cover says:

“Be Still” is an extraordinary film that demonstrates how contemplative, or “listening” prayer can be a vital way to find peace in the midst of a frenzied, fast-paced, modern world. Featuring interviews with some of today’s most highly respected authors, pastors, and educators, “Be Still” examines the importance of silence and reflective prayer as a way to receive God’s guidance in everyday life.

“Be Still” also features a useful “how-to” section that shows how contemplative prayer can be used to return to a more simple life, and reaffirm that which is truly important.

Prayer Power
Father, Abba, Daddy, I’m still and I’m listening. Thank You for You. Thank You for opening my eyes of understanding to who Jesus really is and what He did for me. Bless me and those who read this message with habits to practice solitude and silence to be still and know that You are God. You will exalted in the whole earth. We bless You Jesus. Amen!

Link of the Day
www.bestillprayer.net

Blessings to BE STILL and know!

Your Daily Blessing News
The devotionals this week are dedicated to the “Be Still” theme.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Have you discovered the beauty, wonder, and wisdom of the Bible?

“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” – George Washington

“Most people are bothered by those passages in Scripture which they cannot understand. The Scripture which troubles me most is the Scripture I do understand.” – Mark Twain

“The Bible is no mere book, but a Living Creature, with a power that conquers all that oppose it.” – Napolean Bonaparte

“The shortest road to an understanding of the Bible is the acceptance of the fact that God is speaking in every line.” – Donald G. Barnhouse

“I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to men. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this Book.” – Abraham Lincoln

“To what greater inspiration and counsel can we turn than to the imperishable truth to be found in this treasure house, the Bible.” – Queen Elizabeth II

“Sin will keep you from this Book or this Book will keep you from sin.” – Dwight L. Moody

“If I were the devil, one of my first aims would be to stop folks from digging into the Bible.” – James I. Packer

“What makes the difference is not how many times you have been through the Bible, but how many times and how thoroughly the Bible has been through you.” – Gipsy Smith

“If we love the Lord Jesus, we shall love the Bible because it speaks to us of Him.” – John R. W. Stott

“The Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible is the religion of Christ’s church.” – Charles H. Spurgeon

Prayer Power
Father, thank You for the power and wisdom of Your Word. Despite all the bibles in America, there is a famine of the Word of God. Only You can draw people to Yourself. Only You can create a desire and hunger in the hearts of Your children to know You through Your Word. We ask You to do that. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
Quotes about the Bible [http://www.tentmaker.org/Quotes/biblequotes.htm]

Blessings to have the Bible touch your heart, order your mind, and refresh your soul!

Your Daily Blessing News
The message above comes from page 4 of the “Walk Thru the Old Testament” booklet.
 

 ”that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:21)

Shortly before going to the cross, Jesus prayed for unity (John 17:21). Unity glorifies God, while disunity pushes people away from God.

My heart’s desire is to see cities and nations transformed by the power of God. For that to happen we must first see marriages transformed. Then and only then will we see the marketplace transformed. This requires a paradigm shift with husbands and wives both having their eyes of understanding opened to their true biblical roles in marriage.

Many Christian men demand submission from their wives, while frequently ignoring the opinions and counsel of their wives. Yet Ephesians 5:21 states that husbands and wives are to submit to one another in the fear of God. As Jack Serra explains so well, the primary role of a wife is not submission, but rather helpmate = revealer of the enemy. Since hearing and applying the messages from the Marketplace and Marriage curriculum [http://themmconnection.com/store.asp], I have seen my wife and my relationship to her blossom.

When husbands and wives fail to fulfill their proper roles, the result is loss of intimacy. On August 28, when I was at the “Workplace Ministry Leaders Roundtable,” Doug Small shared a horrifying statistic – that 40% of pastors are addicted to pornography. As founder of Project Pray, Doug should know because he speaks to pastors and church congregations around the world.

Are you desperate to see God transform your marriage, your workplace, and your city?
Do you need a coach for your marriage?
If so, send me an email so I can help you by directing you to an appropriate resource.

Prayer Power
Most gracious heavenly Father, You teach “the fear of the LORD is to hate evil” (Proverbs 8:13). My heart is broken as I witness the break up of many marriages and families and see so many dysfunctional marriages. As a physician, I see so many health problems resulting from high stress related to this. Kids are suffering. We desperately need Your help. I cry out to You for mercy and grace. Deliver pastors who are addicted to pornography. Multiply our marriage LIFE groups throughout Culpeper and then Virginia. Make Virginia a shining light for the world! Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
Project Pray [www.projectpray.org] – a community transformation prayer initiative

Blessings for God to take you to a new level of intimacy in your family!

Your Daily Blessing News
Tomorrow we will look at how pastors and marketplace ministers must work together to reach their city for Jesus.

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24)

When I’m at work, I sometimes hear co-workers tell me they can’t wait till they leave because they are looking forward to a vacation the next day or week. I remind them that this is the day that the LORD has made so rejoice and be glad in it. I then ask them if they would have a different attitude if they knew Jesus was with them watching all that they did.

Knowing that your work is worship will change …
1) Who or what you are working for – Your first “work of worship” is believing in Jesus.
2) What kind of work you do
3) The quality of your work
4) The quantity of your work
5) Your primary job title (ambassador for Christ)

Are you willing to make these 3 commitments to be a marketplace minister?
1) I will pray for my co-workers and boss.
2) I will do my work with excellence to worship God.
3) I will openly and publically bring Jesus to work with me.

Prayer Power
Father, bless those who read this message to excel in their work and give glory to God wherever they are. Thank You for your promise that those who do will stand before kings (Proverbs 22:29). Bless each reader to have a ministry of paths – to be Jesus to whoever You put in their path. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
Marketplace Leaders [www.marketplaceleaders.org]

Your Daily Blessing News
Much of the content today comes from a sermon preached by my pastor, Matt Gregory, at Soul Purpose Church on September 3, 2006.

Other sites of interest: Soul Purpose Church [www.soulpurposechurch.org]

“For we are God’s fellow workers” (1 Corinthians 3:9)

Within the past year, I joined the International Coalition of Workplace Ministries (ICWM). Their slogan is “One mission – separate callings – many alliances.” Their purpose is to “to ignite leaders for workplace transformation by modeling Jesus Christ.” That’s something I can get excited about. Jesus prayed for unity in the Garden of Gethsemane shortly before his death.

The Flash animation on the home page of www.icwm.net asks these four questions:

Where did the majority of the people spend the majority of their time, interacting with the majority of unsaved people?

Where did 39 of the 40 miracles in the Book of Acts occur?

Where was Jesus in 122 of 132 public appearances in the New Testament?

Of Jesus’ 33 years on earth, where did he spend more than 50% of those years before beginning His public ministry?

The answer: The Workplace

Could you use help to be a more effective marketplace minister?
Have you ever investigated the ICWM?

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for Os Hillman and his leadership of the ICWM. Bless Os, his family, and his ministries. Bless the ICWM to fulfill it’s purpose “to ignite leaders for workplace transformation by modeling Jesus Christ.” Thank You Jesus. Amen.

Link of the Day
International Coalition of Work Place Ministries [www.icwm.net]
 
Blessings to be part of a larger network to transform your marketplace!
 

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. (Psalm 100:4)

Yesterday’s message was about holiness – being holy because God is holy and commands us to be holy. I’m convinced that we need the power of God and the presence of God to be holy.

There is a protocol for entering the palace to meet with the King! We start by thanking God for what He has done and praising Him for who He is – the great I AM. The Holy Spirit loves music. I love to start my mornings by going to my Secret Place – a place set apart for the Holy Spirit and sanctified to God. I count my blessings one by one, thanking God for them. Then I sing to God, praising Him. He always shows up when I follow His protocol. James 4:8 states “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

Most people are content being in the outer courts of the palace where they have to shout to the King, often outside of range to be heard. But not me and not other “God chasers.” It’s our desire to get close to the King, to bless Him, to honor Him, to serve Him, to ask Him what He wants us to do. It’s the presence of God that transforms us and our circumstances. Jesus says “for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Do you know and use the protocol for entering the presence of the King?

Prayer Power
One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)

Link of the Day
God Chasers [www.godchasers.net] – Encouraging the passionate pursuit of God by Tommy Tenney

Blessings to know and use the protocol to enter the presence of God!

Your Daily Blessing News
COMING TO THEATERS OCTOBER 13TH, 2006 – “One Night With the King” [http://www.8x.com/onenight] – a major motion picture based on Tommy Tenney’s best selling novel