TAKING DICTATION: ATTUNING YOUR EAR TO THE VOICE OF GOD

Just finished reading this book written by our friend, Ralph Hale.
Really enjoyed the stories and the challenge at the end of the book to take ten minutes each day and really try to listen to God speak. Then write down what you think He said and try to follow it.

Toward the end of the book he mentioned a book by Larry Richards called Creative Bible Teaching which I am pretty sure we read at Biola University in the 1970s. Along with a structure for teaching (hook, book, look, took), Dr. Richards also pointed out that teaching is only creative if you can do more than just hook someone’s attention, or open their understanding of God’s book, or even look and see how those truths apply to their lives. According to him, teaching is only creative if you can guide someone to the “took” stage where they actually respond by taking that truth and incorporating it into their lives!

With that in mind, my desire in writing this blog today is to inspire you to take the evidence and respond by starting a daily regimen of taking dictation.
Ralph states four steps along the way:
Have faith that God wants to speak to you

Give God an opportunity to speak

Allow the Holy Spirit to work

John 6:13: When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

Desire Character more than information

So, let me leave you also with this challenge of taking ten minutes each day and really try to listen to God speak. Then write down what you think He said in a journal and try to follow it.

He also suggests that you have an accountability partner you can share your entries with.

I am up for the challenge, how about you?
Let me know how it goes.

When I first started doing this in 1983 when we joined the vineyards I was surprised that God spoke to me of his love for me very tenderly every day which helped me so much to build up my foundation of faith for my life!