Podcast Summary: "The Importance Of Hearing Pt. 2"

Promise of Life Church – Pastor Craig Field | April 13, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Pastor Craig Field teaches on the vital spiritual principle of "hearing"—specifically, hearing from God and being led by the Holy Spirit. Building upon last week's message, he explores how hearing God's voice is the foundation for wisdom, success, provision, and righteous living. Through biblical analysis, personal anecdotes, and testimonies from fellow ministers, Pastor Craig emphasizes that the most important skill for any believer is learning to hear from God for themselves.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Biblical Foundation of Hearing

• Wisdom and Hearing Are Intertwined (00:30–05:15)
  • Pastor Craig opens by referencing 1 Kings 3:9 (Amplified) where Solomon prays for "an understanding mind and a hearing heart."
  • Insight: “Wisdom is a two-sided coin: on our side, it’s to hear; on His side, it’s for Him to speak.”
  • Quote (A, 01:50): “Wisdom is the principal thing. So in all your getting, make sure you hear. …hearing God for yourself is the greatest thing.”
• The Importance of Hearing Above All Else (05:15–07:30)
  • The skill of hearing God supersedes every other pursuit (e.g., money, marriage, church choice): “If you can hear, you’ll get married to the right person. …Go after God, and everything else will be accomplished.”

2. Personal Application & Warnings

• Guarding Your Heart from Copying Others (07:31–14:30)

  • Don’t let others’ blessings or graces mislead your direction. Celebrate with them, but seek specific instruction for your own life.
  • Quote (A, 09:50): “Sometimes you can get an appetite for what other people have, and then you think you’ve heard, but you haven’t heard, and then it bites you.”

• Learning Your Personal Graces for Provision (14:31–21:50)

  • Anecdote: Jerry Savelle taught Pastor Craig that ministers—and all believers—have unique “graces” for financial provision beyond their primary vocation.
  • Emphasis: Don't blindly imitate others’ financial moves; seek your own direction.
  • Testimony: After five months of praying in the Holy Ghost, Pastor Craig heard what business God graced him for.
    • Quote (A, 20:54): “He said, don’t try to do what other people do. You do this. I've graced you for this.”

• Practical Encouragement for Side Businesses (21:51–27:15)

  • Example from Pastor Nancy: her staff found financial increase through side ventures birthed by prayerful hearing—never through gambling or “get rich quick” methods.
  • Quote (A, 25:32): “God has many ways to bless you. Your job is only one stream of income. It is not your limitation… The source is God. …There are so many tributaries that come out of Him.”

3. The Spiritual Dynamics of Hearing

• The Mystery and Timing of God’s Plan (27:16–34:40)
  • 1 Corinthians 2: the Holy Spirit knows God’s hidden wisdom, prepared for believers before the world was made.
  • Quote (A, 33:03): “Any mistake I’ve ever made is just simply, I didn’t hear.”
• Prayer Positions You to Receive Revelation (34:41–39:50)
  • Ephesians 1:17 underscores the importance of praying for “the spirit of wisdom and revelation.”
  • Clarifies: Prayer’s purpose is to position ourselves to receive what’s already freely given—not to earn God’s wisdom.
    • Quote (A, 38:10): “You pray to position yourself for something. …Not earning, but positioning.”

4. Divine Order and Rest: Testimonies of Hearing in Crisis

• Pastor Nancy’s Financial Miracle (39:51–52:50)

  • Hebrews 4:3 (Amplified): Even before the world’s foundation, God’s works are “completed, prepared, and waiting” for all who believe.
  • Pastor Nancy, facing a $300,000 crisis and losing a church building, received a solution directly after praying in tongues for 10 minutes.
    • Quote (A, 50:06): “I lay down for 10 minutes…my job is to hear, not to worry. …And in 10 minutes, up like a little bubble…an idea came to me.”

• Pastor Craig’s Own Story of Provision (52:51–58:40)

  • When deciding to buy a home without sufficient funds, Pastor Craig’s wife “heard,” and after a month of prayer, $25,000 was unexpectedly released from a forgotten retirement account.
  • Quote (A, 57:15): “God has prepared, arranged, completed ahead of time, millions of years ago…and all He’s waiting is for your faith.”

5. Applying Hearing to Church Vision

• Steps Towards the Glory Center (58:41–69:50)
  • Church growth (to 500 regular attendees) is tied to a prophetic word for a new building (“the Glory Center”); the condition is to obey what was previously spoken before the next step is revealed.
  • Prophetic vision: A glory cloud descending on the future church building—confirmation of God’s plans already “prepared and waiting.”
    • Quote (A, 68:17): “He said, don’t talk to me about your building until you obey what the prophet said—when you get the 500 people, I’ll then tell you what to do in the building.”

6. Key Takeaways & Final Encouragement

• Faith Comes by Hearing—The Simplicity of the Christian Life
  • The core message: “Keep it simple. Hear and believe, and God will do the work through you.”
  • Quote (A, 71:36): “Our job is just to hear and to believe. Let’s keep it simple and not overcomplicate things.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Wisdom & Hearing

  • “Wisdom is the principal thing. So in all you’re getting, make sure you hear…The most important thing in life, other than being born again and filled with the Holy Ghost, is for you to hear.” (A, 02:30)

• On Copying Others

  • “Rejoice with them, be happy, encourage them. But don’t let things get inside you…that may not be what God wants you to do.” (A, 10:15)

• On Financial Graces

  • “Don’t try to imitate me because you may not be graced to do real estate, but there is a grace for income outside the ministry…the only problem is, some ministers start to turn their attention too much outside the ministry.” (A, 17:29)

• On Prayer

  • “You pray to position yourself for something. I don’t earn it. Jesus paid for it. But I’m positioning myself for that thing.” (A, 38:10)

• On Divine Preparation

  • “...His works had been completed and prepared and waiting for all who would believe, from the foundation of the world.” (Quoting Hebrews 4:3, A, 41:45)

• On Faith and Hearing

  • “It’s prepared for those that would believe…but what we could say, it’s prepared for those that would hear and then believe.” (A, 56:13)

• On the Church Vision

  • “He said, don’t talk to me about your building until you obey what the prophet said…when you get the 500 people, I’ll then tell you what to do in the building.” (A, 68:17)

• On Simplicity & Encouragement

  • “Our job is just to hear and to believe. Let’s keep it simple and let’s not overcomplicate things.” (A, 71:36)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:30–05:15 — The biblical foundation of hearing; Solomon’s prayer for a hearing heart.
• 07:31–14:30 — The danger of taking on others’ callings or graces.
• 14:31–21:50 — Testimonies: Discovering your individual grace for provision.
• 27:16–34:40 — The mystery of God’s wisdom and the role of the Spirit.
• 34:41–39:50 — Positioning in prayer to receive revelation.
• 39:51–52:50 — Pastor Nancy’s financial miracle: Rest and hearing under pressure.
• 52:51–58:40 — Pastor Craig’s testimony: Hearing for personal provision.
• 58:41–69:50 — Obedience to prophetic direction: Church growth and the Glory Center vision.
• 70:00–End — Final encouragement and prayer: Simplicity, hearing, and faith.

Summary

Pastor Craig Field delivers a transparent, hope-filled teaching on the critical importance of hearing God in every area of life. He debunks the idea of formulaic success—insisting that wisdom is simply the ability to hear God and act in faith on His specific instructions. Through practical examples, biblical backing, and testimonies of miraculous provision for himself and others, the message equips listeners to recognize that God’s plan, blessing, and provision are already “completed, prepared, and waiting”—but only manifest as we hear and believe. The episode closes with renewed focus on the church’s vision, inviting listeners to join their faith for the next step, and a simple but powerful call: Stay hungry to hear, keep it simple, and let God do the heavy lifting.

For those who haven’t listened:
This episode makes clear that your greatest need is to hear God—not just generally, but for specific guidance in every area of your life. Whether you face financial needs, directional questions, or the desire for greater purpose, the message insists: “It all comes down to hearing.”

For more information, visit promiseoflife.ca.