Hearing the Shepherd's Voice: Why We Are Reading "How to Hear God"

If you joined us at Emmanuel this past Sunday, you would have felt a definitive theme blowing through our church family. In the morning, Robin opened up the Scriptures to explore the beautiful, sometimes daunting topic of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In the evening, we took a deep dive into the gift of prophecy—demystifying it, stripping away the sensationalism, and spending some holy, high-grace time simply practising listening to God for one another.

One of the great highlights of the day was confronting a quiet epidemic in the Western church: practical cessationism. While many of us intellectually believe that God can speak, we often live our day-to-day lives as functional cessationists, making decisions entirely on our own steam without ever stopping to ask, "Holy Spirit, what are you saying?" But as we saw through personal stories, church history, and the explicit commands of Scripture, our God is a living Father who actively pursues His children. Our primary calling isn't just to do things for Him, but to simply enjoy Him and hear His heart of love for us.

The Tools for the Journey

To help us step out of practical skepticism and into a lifestyle of conversational prayer, Robin highly recommended a fantastic book in the morning service: "How to Hear God: A Guide to Prophetic Prayer" by Pete Greig.

Pete Greig (founder of the 24-7 Prayer movement) is a trusted friend to the global church, and his writing perfectly aligns with our values at Emmanuel. He approaches the supernatural with a profound sense of humility, a deep hunger for more of God, and a thoroughly biblical grounding.

The book acts as a brilliant companion to the discernment frameworks we looked at on Sunday. If you are wondering how to distinguish between your own random thoughts and a genuine impression from the Holy Spirit, Greig offers a warm, down-to-earth, and practical guide to filtering what you hear. It perfectly complements our church’s ABC model (ensuring what we receive is Affirming, Biblical, and Christ-like) and helps us lean into our three-legged stool of discernment: Scripture, Circumstances, and Holy Spirit Impressions.

Moving Forward Together

We don't want Sunday to just be a nice memory; we want it to shape our culture as a Light for the City. In a world filled with trauma, loneliness, and noise, Plymouth desperately needs a church that knows how to listen to the whisper of God and carry His words of comfort and strength into our communities.

Whether you consider yourself a seasoned pray-er or a complete beginner who is naturally skeptical, we want to encourage you to grab a copy of How to Hear God. Let’s read it together, chat about it in our home groups, and continue to grow as disciples who know the voice of our Shepherd.

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” — John 10:27

Copies of "How to Hear God" can be ordered online, or speak to one of the leadership team on Sunday if you’d like help sourcing a copy!