Day 14 - The Wisdom of Corporate Hearing
Monday August 6

In his article “The Power of Corporate Hearing”, David Demian shared on the power of corporate hearing. He gave the example of how we walk in Watchmen to corporately discern the voice of the Lord for our nation. In this season of alignment, God is challenging us that our authority to walk in corporate hearing in our nation is directly impacted by how we are walking in corporate discernment in every area of life: in our cities, in our churches and even in our families and individual lives. That is, our obedience to walk in this principle as individuals opens greater doors of authority for us to walk corporately as a nation in hearing the Lord.

We are all constantly faced with directional decisions that will have a significant effect on our lives. Should I go to school or not? Is the Lord asking me to go into ministry? Should I marry this person? Should I change jobs? If we are living our lives in submission to the lordship of Christ, we will pray and seek the Lord’s guidance in making these decisions – listening for that inner voice that tells us “this is the way, walk ye in it”.

This is excellent but it is incomplete because God never meant us to function alone in the church. When we entered into relationship with Christ, God not only became our Father but we became part of His family – a body. The mindset of our Western culture that highly values independence wars against this truth of the kingdom. We have to be aware there is a constant warfare by the enemy to separate and divide us one from another, not just through offense but through independence. And if we truly want to walk in a way that reflects the kingdom, we need to ask God to give us a greater revelation of what it means to walk corporately.

Walking as a body to hear God even for the individual decision of our lives will do three things:

1) It gives us a more complete picture. We all prophesy in part and see in part (1 Corinthians 13:9) The more we share hearts with one another, the more we are able to understand the full counsel of God. And the fuller the picture we have, the better decision we will make.

2) It protects us from our blind spots/weaknesses. Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. Proverbs11:14 Psychologists have a test where they flash a picture that is half drawn in front of people and then they ask them what they see. Most people don’t even notice the missing part of the picture because their brain automatically fills in the missing parts based on data stored in their memories from past experiences. Just as this conditioning can happen with our natural eyes, it can happen with our spiritual eyes too. Either weaknesses in our personality or character or previous bad experiences can create blind spots, places where no matter how hard we “look” we aren’t able to see. Discerning with others, provides us with tremendous safety, preventing the enemy from leading us astray through the weak areas in our lives.

3) It activates the power of agreement to establish truth in our lives. Every matter should be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses (2 Corinthians 13:1) Every time we hear a true word of God and step out in obedience, that obedience will be challenged by the enemy. “What are you doing?” “Are you sure you heard God?” “Who do you think you are?” One of the powerful ways the Lord wants to silence these voices is by us walking as part of a corporate body. Jesus said “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:19-20) Discerning with others and coming into agreement together about God’s direction for our lives helps God’s words to us to be established in a way that when the enemy comes to attack we are able to stand more firmly.

So how practically do we walk in discernment with others? When we are facing a directional decision in our lives, we first of all, those people who are going to be most affected by the decision. We need to ask them to pray and share their hearts with us before we make the decision. Another great rule of thumb is to involve those people who love us and who we know walk in the fear of the Lord and always put God’s will first in their own lives. That gives us the assurance that no matter what decision needs to be made, even if it’s hard for them personally, they will counsel according to the spirit and not their own natural desires. Counseling with those God has set in authority over us in the body (a pastor, a leader, a mentor) or those who are further down their Christian journey than us and whose lives bear testimony to their wisdom in discernment can also be very helpful.

If you want to commit to beginning to walk in corporate discernment in your own life or if you would like to re-affirm this commitment to the Lord, please pray this prayer: God, I thank you that when I came to Christ you set me in a family called the body of Christ. Father I know it is Your will that I don’t walk alone but that I walk in a multitude of counsel when making decisions in my life. Lord please show me in a practical way how I can walk in corporate discernment in every area of my life. And Father I’m asking you to give me a deeper revelation of Your body of which you have made me a member. In Jesus name, Amen!