4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice Session 6

Summary

Mark Virkler presents stillness—quieting yourself inwardly—as the focus of this session on hearing God’s voice. He describes the broader “four keys” as stillness, vision, spontaneity, and journaling, and teaches that these practices can be developed through regular use.

Strategies and techniques

• Reduce outside distractions: Turn off your phone, find a quieter place, and choose a time—such as early morning—that gives you the best chance to focus. Virkler recommends starting with as little background noise as possible, then adapting as you become more practiced.
• Get physically comfortable: Sit in a posture that does not cause pain or discomfort. The aim is to let your attention settle rather than struggle with tension.
• Handle distracting thoughts gently: Instead of trying to suppress thoughts about chores or other tasks, write them down and return to prayer afterward. Virkler presents this as a practical way to acknowledge the thoughts without letting them take over.
• Respond to guilt with repentance and self-forgiveness: He encourages confessing wrongdoing, accepting forgiveness, and not continuing to punish yourself with self-criticism.
• Use simple, calming activities to settle your attention: Virkler suggests quiet music, singing or praying in tongues, imagining a peaceful biblical scene, noticing its sensory details, and smiling or relaxing. He presents these as ways to move from analytical thinking toward a more receptive state; these are his spiritual-teaching claims, not established neurological advice.
• Ask simple questions and journal: Picture yourself with Jesus, ask an open, manageable question, and write down spontaneous thoughts or images without immediately judging them. The session then invites participants to share their writing with a partner and offer encouragement.
• Practice stillness rather than force it: Virkler describes stillness as a state of being, not a task to rush through. He recommends focusing on the present moment, letting go of striving, and allowing quietness to develop.
• Try a bedtime calming routine: One suggestion is to slow your breathing while repeating “Jesus” and imagining breathing in light and breathing out darkness. He also recommends experimenting with gentle imagery, repetition, or prayer to see what helps you relax.
• Build the skill consistently: Virkler recommends practicing a new habit diligently for about six weeks. For larger personal breakthroughs, he advocates sustained focus—potentially a year or more—including study, journaling, experimentation, and learning from others.
• Set aside focused time for personal goals: He describes choosing a yearly area of focus and directing study and effort toward it. He shares health research as a personal example, not as a specific medical plan.
• Make room for prayer in everyday life: He says that quiet moments during routine activities—such as showering or driving—can also be used for prayer, if you can settle your attention.

The session closes with a guided visualization and journaling exercise, followed by small-group sharing and several participants reading their reflections aloud.

Presenters and sources

• Presenter: Mark Virkler
• Other speakers: Unnamed seminar participants who share their journaling; one participant is addressed as Jackie.
• Biblical references mentioned: Psalm 62:5; Psalm 46:10; Psalm 23; Psalm 36:5–6; Revelation 1:10; 1 John 1:9; Galatians 5:6; 1 Corinthians 14:14; and an account of Elijah asking for a musician in 2 Kings 3.