I am preaching through 1 Corinthians currently. Paul talks about being taught by the Spirit in Chapter 2. As I meditated on these verses I began to ask, “How have I learned from the Spirit? What has taught me to hear?”

1. The Word

I always beat this drum. We hear best from the Word. My desire is to be faithful in reading and studying. I want the Word consuming my life, absorbing me into the life of the Kingdom.

2. Prayer

My life of prayer is cultivated by listening. I bring my requests, but I also wait. The voice of the Spirit becomes clear through time. There is room for getting it wrong. There are times I think I hear the voice of God and find out I flat out missed it. God is gracious. He allows me to keep learning.

3. Fasting

I am not nearly as disciplined in this area as I once was in my life. This must change. Fasting is not for getting something from God. It is about God getting something from me: my attention. I do not fast to ask for something. I fast to hear FROM him. Those are incredible times of hearing the Spirit. Fasting is just a vehicle. (I also believe fasting has to do with food. Giving up TV or the internet for a time is just good discipline.) Often I will realize the fasting period wasn’t some spiritual high, but it was used like a rudder on a ship to help change direction. The results of the lesson often come long after the fast.

4. Silence and Solitude

We have two ears and one mouth. Learn the lesson.

5. Conversations

I learn from the Spirit through others. Conversations with friends in person. Blogs. Reading. Sermons. The Spirit can speak in the middle of a conversation and I need to be open.

Those are a few ways. You may have some others. How are YOU taught by the Spirit?