Hearing God’s Voicehear God’s voice. While worship music continues to play in the background, have the children begin filling in the boxes on your map. For the children who are

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Hearing God’s Voice

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10What Do You See?

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It’s an amazing fact that Christians today are frequently so far removed from the supernatu-ral lifestyle of God as described throughout Scrip-ture, that they no longer know what things are of God and what are not. A perfect example is the issue of seeing pictures and images in prophetic ministry. In fact, you may have already run into resistance from the parents or church leaders about some of the les-sons you have taught from this curriculum. It has been so far removed from the category of hearing from God, that is has been completely relegated to New Age cult activity. But seeing things in the spirit is very Scriptural. In this lesson we will point out several places where God uses this to speak to His people. But this is also an advanced lesson—one that you can easily take a couple of weeks to teach on, though we only have space to squeeze many concepts into one. Here we are going to give you more details to teach the children how to interpret what they see and hear with some very practi-

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What Do You See?Leader’s Sermon Overview

Children need to learn early to take the supernatural power of God outside of the church where people need to be

reached with the gospel.

What Do You See?

cal hands on methods. So, rather than even try to teach it all at once, go at the pace of your children so they absorb the ideas well. We have given you two PowerPoints in this lesson to help get your points across. Helping your children absorb the in-formation can feel like a game, of sorts, which can quickly be turned into some advanced prophetic ministry. As your children learn the principles in this lesson, and the entire curriculum, we strongly urge you to create opportunities to take your children into parks, malls, hospitals, or other public places (with plenty of adult supervision, of course) to use their new-found skills on people outside your church. From young ages, children need to know the gifts of the Spirit, and the supernatural power of God was meant to take to the streets for evange-lism, and proclaiming the gospel. We end this lesson by teaching you how to take your children on “Treasure Hunts.” These are amazing adventures where they take what they have learned out into the public to reach others.

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Advance Preparation

PowerVerse 10 What Do You See?

Jeremiah, what do you see?Jeremiah 1:11NIV

Part 1 - Props: 1. A Bible, 2. Jumbo clown glasses, 3. A watch, 4. Binoculars.

Part 2 - Props: 1. A mirror, 2. Scissors, 3. A library book, 4. Toy kangaroo, 5. A hanger, 6. A toy boat or model of a battleship. As you read these ideas, feel free to bring more of your own items you feel might be better examples. You may even want to substitute your items for these. Be led by the Spirit.

Part 3 - Props: 1. Any item made out of gold, 2. Powerpoint called “Colors and God” (This is found in your online extras on page 2 under the Bonus section).

Part 4 - Props: 1. Show PowerPoint called “Animals & God” (found in the Bonus section on page 2 of this curriculum).

Today’s Bible Story - Before class read: Ezekiel 37:1-14. Props: 1. If possible, some Halloween style plastic skeletons. They can be purchased online or in party stores. 2. A megaphone to be used when God speaks. Actors: Ezekiel, the prophet, dressed in a Bible costume. Someone covered in a white sheet to lay down and shake the bones when they come to life. Several kids dressed in Bible costumes.

Time with God - 1. A Treasure Hunt map, for each child (find the download in the Bonus section on page 2). Print as many copies as you need. 2. Pencils or pens, as well as colored markers or crayons for the younger children. Worship music about listening to God’s voice, or about God’s love for people.

Watch: Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dream

https://youtu.be/nNH0nIIw9FY

Dreams can be full of interesting things like animals, colors, numbers, buildings, vehicles, and so much more. When learning how to inter-pret their meanings, we start by asking ourselves questions like, did they appear in the Bible, and if so, what did they mean there?

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Part 1

How God Speaks

What Do You See?

There were many times in the Bible where God spoke to His people through pictures. (Put on the jumbo clown glasses.) He gave His people “spirit-eyes” to see what He needed them to see so He could give them important messages. He spoke to a young prophet by the name of Jeremiah three times saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” The Bible does not tell us exactly how Jeremiah saw these things, but we can deduct from other Scriptures that Jeremiah was seeing these things in his mind’s eye, his spirit, or in his imagination, which are all connected. Each time God asked him what he saw, Jeremiah gave a description of what he was seeing.In each case, God said, in so many words, “Jer-emiah, you are right, and here’s what it means.” Then, God would interpret what He was showing him. God had important messages for Jeremiah, and He used pictures to get them across to him. God also asked the same thing to the prophets Amos and Zechariah. “Amos,”He said, “what do you see?” (Amos 7:8) “Zechariah, what do you see?” (Zechariah 4:2) In each case, God had a very important message He needed these prophets to give to someone else. So, if God used pictures and images in days gone by, we can be assured He is still go-ing to use them to speak to us today. In fact, it is

Props: 1. A Bible, 2. Jumbo clown glasses, 3. A watch, 4. Binoculars.

very common among Christians. The challenge is we have to figure out what God is trying to tell us when He shows us these things. Interpreting what we see is the same for dreams, visions, and hearing God’s voice in our daily lives. God never wastes His time when showing us things. If He speaks to us in these ways, we have to realize it’s important. Sometimes God will play with words that sound alike but have different meanings. When He showed Jeremiah the almond branch (see the Scripture) it seemed to have no connection at all to God’s explanation. It seemed to have nothing to do with the branch. That’s because we are reading it in English. But when God spoke it, He spoke in Hebrew. If we knew the Hebrew language, we would know that the word for “almond branch” sounded like the word for “watching.” (Hold up the watch.) It would be like God saying, Jeremiah, what do you see in my hand? And Jeremiah would say, “I see a watch.” And God would say, “That’s right, Jeremiah, (set the watch down and pick up the binoculars holding them up to your eyes.) and I am going to watch over my words to perform them and see that they come to pass.” Do you see how the word “watch” had two different meanings? God will do the same thing with us sometimes. He can be fun!

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Part 2

What Could This Mean?

What Do You See?

Props: 1. A mirror, 2. Scissors, 3. A library book, 4. Toy kangaroo, 5. A hanger, 6. A toy boat or model of a battleship. As you read these ideas, feel free to bring more of your own items you feel

might be better examples. You may even want to substitute your items for these. Be led by the Spirit.

Let’s pretend God is showing us things to help others. (Hold up the mirror.) If He showed us a picture of a mirror, what might He be trying to say to that person? (Allow the children to guess. Everyone interprets things uniquely.) He might be saying that person is a reflection of Jesus and he is a blessing to others. Or it might mean he is a reflection of the people he hangs around, and their bad behavior is rubbing off on him. Or it might mean He needs to see himself the way God sees him, which is valuable. There are no right or wrong meanings. If you see something, ask the Holy Spirit what it means, and he will put thoughts in your mind. What if He showed you a pair of scissors? (Hold up the scissors.) He might be saying He is going to cut things out of the person’s life that are holding him back spiritually. Or he might need to cut off a friendship with someone he is close to. Or that God is going to clean him up for greater service for the Lord. How about if you saw a picture of a library full of books. (Hold up the book.) What might God be saying to this person? (Allow for response.) It could be that the person is full of wisdom and that other people will be coming to him for advice. It might be a confirmation that God wants him to get more education.

(Hold up the toy kangaroo.) There is a true story about a little girl who prayed for a lady and got a picture of a kangaroo in her mind. When she shared it, everyone laughed at her, but the lady cried. It was because she had felt God was calling her to move to Australia, and she wanted a confir-mation from Him to do so. She felt this was God saying, “Yes, move to Australia!” What about this hanger? (Allow for discus-sion.) God could be saying “Hang on!” in whatever situation they are struggling with. Or He could be saying “Hang around with better friends.” Or “Hang up on that dream because I have a better one for you coming soon!” What message could God be sending if He showed you a picture of a battleship? (Allow for discussion.) He might be saying there is a battle coming in your life, but you need to be assured that God has everything in control. Or He could be telling you the Holy Spirit is going to be giving you battle plans to overcome the enemy in your life, so don’t be afraid of the future. Do you see how this works? There is an endless number of things He might show us. We just need to allow God to use our imaginations as we listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Remem-ber, God’s voice is not always a voice. It might be a picture.

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Part 3

Colors Have Meanings

What Do You See?

Props: 1. Any item made out of gold, 2. Powerpoint called “Colors and God.” (This is found in your online extras on page 2, under the Bonus section).

We often see very bright colors in our visions. All throughout the Bible colors had sig-nificant meanings to God and the people. For instance (hold up your gold item), gold is mentioned frequently. When the Bible talks about heaven, it mentions streets of gold, or gold crowns, or golden candlesticks. So gold has become a symbol for Christians for the glory of God. Gold is the color for heaven, or God Himself. So when we see gold in our dreams or visions, we can usually know it has something to do with God. Let’s look at some other colors now and see what we can learn. First, when we see colors that stand out to us, we have to ask ourselves some questions to help us find the meanings. The first question is (Slow slide 2) does this color appear in the Bible? If so, what does it mean or represent there? Does it have more than one meaning in the Bible? If it does, that makes our job a little harder. We then have to decide which meaning God wants us to use. This is where we really need to be sensi-tive to the voice of God. How do we get sensi-tive to His voice? (Review as they respond.) We need to spend time in prayer. We need to practice praying in the Spirit. We need to study God’s Word, the Bible, because it’s an important way He

speaks to us. Worship helps us get more sensitive to God’s voice. What if the color does not appear in the Bible? (Show slide 3.) How do we decide the meaning? Pink, for example, is not in there. How would we decide it’s meaning? (Allow for ideas.) We would have to think about what it means in our culture. For example, in America, pink is the color associated with little girls. But in Australia, it is also often used to identify the stores or businesses of the gay/lesbian community. If our cultural meaning does not seem to fit right in our interpretation, we could ask ourselves is “What does the color mean to me personally?” (Show slide 5.) One person might say, “It’s my favorite color.” Another person might say, “I hate pink.” How would a person’s personal opinion affect their interpretation of that color in a vision or prophetic word? (Allow for response.) It could have a dramatic affect on how they interpret it. One more thing to think about is every color can have a good meaning and a bad meaning. (Slide 6.) When we see a color, sometimes we have to ask ourselves, do I have a good feeling when I see this color, or a bad feeling when I see it? This will help us interpret it’s meaning. (Go through each color in the PowerPoint and discuss their meanings.)

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Part 4

Animals Have Meanings Too!

What Do You See?

Props: 1. Show PowerPoint called “Animals & God” (found in the Bonus section on page 2 of this curriculum).

God will also often show us animals in our visions. Just like with colors, we have to ask ourselves the same questions: (Show slide 2.) 1. Does it appear in the Bible? If so, what meaning does it have there? 2. Does it have more than one meaning? Do any of these meanings seem to fit my vision? 3. If it does not appear in the Bible, what do we know about this animal in nature? Many of you love to learn about animals, and you know a lot about them. We can often interpret what they mean by thinking about what they are well-known for. 4. What does this animal mean to me personally? In a previous lesson we talked about black cats and how to one person they might repre-sent Halloween and magic. But to another, it repre-sents a loving pet. Sometimes when giving a word to another person, it’s not what the animal means to us, but rather does it have a special meaning to them? Only the person will know that, such as in the example of the kangaroo. 5. Finally, (show slide 3) every animal has a good side and a bad side. When we see an animal in our visions, we have to interpret which side we are seeing. Like with the colors, we can ask our-selves, “Do I feel good when I see this animal?” or “Do I feel bad or uncomfortable when I see it?”

Now let’s look at a variety of animals and see how we can learn to interpret their meanings in our prophetic words. (Show the remaining slides and discuss each one.) Colors and animals are not the only things God will show us in our visions. Many times He will show us vehicles, like cars, airplanes, or mo-torcycles. Each of them have unique meanings. He will also give us numbers. Numbers have very significant meanings in the Bible, such as the number seven. God created the world in six days, and on the seventh day He rested. Every-thing was completed. So seven frequently means completion. Because the eighth day was the start of a new week, it has come to represent new be-ginnings to most Christians. God will also include metals in our dreams like gold, silver, bronze, or iron. He will put types of people in our dreams such as a farmer, or a bride, or a carpenter. In all of these cases we have to ask ourselves the same questions we did for colors and animals: Do they appear in the Bible? If so, what is their meaning there? If not, what do they mean to me? It seems there is always something new popping up in what God shows us, so learning to ask the right questions about things is very impor-tant. We never learn it all. It’s an ongoing process.

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Before class read: Ezekiel 37:1-14.Props: 1. If possible, some Halloween style plastic skeletons. They can be purchased online or in party stores. 2. A megaphone to be used when God speaks.Actors: Ezekiel, the prophet, dressed in a Bible costume. Someone covered in a white sheet to lay down and shake the bones when they come to life. Several kids dressed in Bible costumes.

Narrator (Teacher): The Spirit of God had an important message for Ezekiel the prophet. He was going to give him the message through a very unusual vision. (Ezekiel enters and looks all around like he is trying to find something.) God took him by the spirit into the middle of a valley. The valley was full of dry skeleton bones. (Place the skeletons on the floor in front of him. Ezekiel jumps back, startled and stares closely at the bones.) God Speaks (megaphone): Ezekiel, can these bones live again? Ezekiel: (Looks up to Heaven towards God’s voice.) Only You know the answer to that, Lord. God Speaks: Then here’s what I want you to do. I want you to speak to the bones, and say, “Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord!” Ezekiel: (Looks and points at the bones and repeats.) Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! God Speaks: Say, “I will cause breath to come into you, and you will come to life!” (Eze-kiel repeats.) “I will put muscles on you, and I will cover you with skin. (Ezekiel repeats.) I will put breath in you, and you will come back to life! (Ezekiel repeats.) Then you will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel repeats.)

Today’s Bible Story

The Valley of Dry Bones

(White Sheet person lifts up the bones slowly and begins to shake them, representing life returning. Ezekiel yelps like he’s startled!) God Speaks: Tell the winds to blow so breath will come into the bones. Ezekiel: Wind, come from every direction and breathe air into these dead bodies! Breathe into them and they will come to life again!’ (The White Sheet carries the bones away, and the other children run in to take their places, feeling all over their bodies as though they realize they are now alive. They should act excited.) Narrator: This was the message God told Ezekiel to give to the children of Israel. These bones are like the whole family of Israel. The people of Israel say, “Our bones have dried up; our hope is gone. We have been completely de-stroyed!” Tell them this is what the Lord God says: “My people, I will open your graves and bring you up out of them! Then I will bring you to the land of Israel. I will open your graves and bring you up out of your graves, and then you will know that I am the Lord. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will come to life again. Then I will lead you back to your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord. You will know that I said this and that I made it happen.” This was a very important message God gave Ezekiel through pictures.

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In some ways, this prayer time will be like many others before. However, the one difference is we hope you will consider it preparation for taking your children outside the four walls of your church and into a public venue where they can stretch their prophetic wings. You are going to learn how to compile “Treasure Maps,” for this purpose. A “Treasure” in this case is an unknown person that God wants to send you to for ministry. By having your children fill in the blanks of the Treasure Map, you will not only be led by the Spirit to where the person is, but you will recognize him/her when you get there by following the clues on the map. It’s a good idea to already have this excursion planned out by get-ting permission from your pastor and the parents ahead of time. We don’t want the children disap-pointed after the fact. During today’s Time with God, hand out a Treasure Map to each child. Tell them what your plan is. Spend time in worship so they can get their minds and spirits free to be able to clearly hear God’s voice. While worship music continues to play in the background, have the children begin filling in the boxes on your map. For the children who are too young to write, tell them to draw or color in the boxes. When everybody is done, begin comparing the first box. This let’s you know where you are going to be going. Keep in mind, when you actu-

Time With God

1. A Treasure Hunt map, for each child (find the download in the Bonus section on page 2). Print as many copies as you need. 2. Pencils or pens, as well as colored markers or crayons for

the younger children. Worship music about listening to God’s voice, or about God’s love for

ally go out, you will be breaking the kids down in groups that can fit into just one vehicle. Because the Holy Spirit is working with you, and you will begin to recognize that groups of children are identifying the same location, even though they have different clues. For instance, one person may say they saw a parking lot. Another person said they saw a pizza sign, while a third person saw a booth inside a restaurant. All this indicates a pizza restaurant, so those three people would go in the same group. Another child might see a park. Another might see a merry-go-round, or playground equip-ment. Another might see a picnic table. All of this indicates they are supposed to go to a park. Then you have to figure out which one. By the Holy Spirit, they will naturally be divided into groups. Once the groups are divided, assign an adult leader, to them, who then discusses with them what is in the other boxes which helps them identify what the person looks like. This shows them how they will recognize them when they see them at the pizza restaurant or the park, etc. Finally the most important part is the mes-sage God wants to give that person. This really needs to be prayed over, because it could be life-changing for the individual. When the children actually take their trip and find their “treasure,” they will minister to the person, then give them their treasure maps, so they can know God gave them the message.

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1. Quite often in the Bible when God wanted to give a prophet an important message, He would show him something then ask him what? What do you see?

2. God never wastes His time when He shows us things. If He is speaking to us in a picture, what can we be sure of? He has an important message for us.

3. Sometimes God will play with words to give us a message. How does this work? He will give us two words that sound alike but have different meaning.

4. We should remember that God’s voice is not always a voice. Sometimes it is what? A picture

5. Colors often had meanings in the Bible. What color often represents God or Heaven? Gold (Some may answer blue, which is also correct even though it was not discussed in this lesson.)

6. What are some questions we can ask ourselves when we first see a picture of either a color or an animal? Is this color/animal mentioned in the Bible? Does it have more than one meaning?

7. If a color or animal is not mentioned in the Bible what are some ways to figure out what they mean in a dream or vision? What do they mean in our culture, or to me personally.

8. If we want to get more sensitive to God’s voice, what are some things we should do? Read our Bibles, pray, worship, pray in the Spirit.

9. How would someone’s personal opinion about a color or animal affect their interpretation of it? If they like it or don’t like it, it will be reflected in how they interpret it.

10. Colors and animals can have two sides to their meaning. What are they? A good side and bad side.

11. How do we decide whether we are to use the good side or bad side of a color or animal when deciding on the meaning? Ask yourself do I get a good feeling or a bad feeling when I see it?

12. Explain how there could be two different interpretations to seeing a black cat. To one person it could mean magic or witchcraft. To another it is a loving pet.

13. What are some other common things God might show us in a vision that we have to figure out the meaning? Numbers, buildings, metals, types of people

14. Name some colors that appear in the Bible. Red, black, white, gold, blue, green

15. Name some animals that appear in the Bible. Dogs, horses, lions, bears, doves, pigs

Review Questions

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1. Jeremiah 1: 13 The word of the LORD came to me again: “What do you see?” “I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.”

2. Amos 7:8 And the LORD asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied. Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.”

3. Zechariah 4:2 He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a solid gold lamp stand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps.”

4. Ezekiel 37: 1 The Lord’s power came on me. The Spirit[a] of the Lord carried me out of the city and put me down in the middle of the valley.[b] The valley was full of dead men’s bones.

5. Revelation 21:21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

6. Acts 10:11-12 and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air.

7. Genesis 37:9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

8. Daniel 7:2-3 Daniel said, “I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another.”

9. Genesis 40:9-10 So the wine server told Joseph his dream. The server said, “I dreamed I saw a vine. 10 On the vine there were three branches. I watched the branches grow flowers and then become grapes.”

10. Daniel 2:18 Daniel asked his friends to pray to the God of heaven that God would be kind to them and help them understand this secret. (or the dream.)

Sword Drill

Documents

Hearing God’s Voicehear God’s voice. While worship music continues to play in the background, have the children begin filling in the boxes on your map. For the children who are