Instead of being coached to directly hear from God many Christians have been trained to rely on second-hand spirituality. They have been taught to depend on religious resources like sermons, pastors, and daily devotional books rather than on the direct leading and inner teaching of the Holy Spirit. They have been taught to believe that they can’t understand the Bible by reading it for themselves.

Religious professionalism and pastor dependency have caused too many Christians to believe that they aren’t able or qualified to personally hear from God. Jesus taught the opposite. He said: “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

When Christians meet for worship and actively practice humbly opening their heart to God and testifying to one another as they are led by the Spirit during the gathering, they see Christ in each other. Then they begin to develop such confidence in the power and presence of risen Jesus that they start to eagerly listen to and obey “Christ in you” in their daily lives. (I’ve seen this happen many times.)

When Christians are passive and clergy dependent as they meet for worship, they will often leave the meeting satisfied with a preacher’s message. Rather than being desperately eager to follow and obey Jesus day by day they will tend to feel like they have done their weekly duty by attending church.

Shift your dependency. Begin to rely on Christ in you, not on religious resources.