What if God doesn’t need us to bring answers – but to pay attention?

In this episode of God Conversations, Tania Harris speaks with Rev Dr Ash Barker, whose life and ministry have been shaped by listening for God among the urban poor. From Springvale in Melbourne, to Bangkok’s largest slum, and now inner‑city Birmingham, Ash has spent decades learning one core truth:

God is already at work.

Our role is to notice and join in.

Join the journey to hearing God’s voice. Start your free 7-day God Conversations devotional today! https://www.godconversations.com/god-conversations-devotional/

Pray, promote and give. God Conversations is donor-funded and made possible through the generosity of people like you! Become a partner today. https://www.godconversations.com/give/

Equip your church to hear God’s voice. Join our community of ministry leaders for monthly insights and a free preview of 50 Days of God Conversations resource. https://www.godconversations.com/50days/

https://www.godconversations.com/podcast/gods-voice-among-the-urban-poor-ash-barker/

About Ash Barker

Rev Dr Ash Barker has spent over 30 years living and serving on the front line of urban poverty, with a passion to release the unique potential of urban people and places. Based in inner‑city Birmingham, he leads Seedbeds (Newbigin School for Urban Leadership) and, with his wife Anji, has helped found Newbigin House and several community‑shaping initiatives while serving as United Reformed Church ministers. Ash is an inspiring speaker, holds a PhD on urban poverty, and is the author of nine books, including No Wastelands (2023).

The history books tell us that Christianity arrived in New Zealand with the first Western missionaries in 1814. But that’s only half the story. Forty years earlier, God spoke to a man named Toiroa, giving him a vision of the Europeans’ arrival. The vision included the strange clothes they wore, their unusual mode of travel and the message they carried about a good god and a name that meant “Son who was killed.” Toiroa shared his vision with many other Maori, so when the foreigners came, they eagerly received the news! A massive indigenous revival followed. By the mid‑1840s, around 64,000 Māori were attending church. It was one of the most significant revivals in history.Our guest on this episode, Māori leader and author Jay Ruka tells the incredible story. He also shares how a life‑changing encounter with God led him to reclaim his Māori identity and uncover a hidden chapter of New Zealand’s spiritual history - one filled with prophecy, revival, identity and the surprising ways God moves beyond the boundaries of the church.

https://www.godconversations.com/podcast/god-conversations-before-missionaries-jay-ruka/

Next Steps

Join the journey to hearing God’s voice. Start your free 7-day God Conversations devotional today!

Pray, promote and give. God Conversations is donor-funded and made possible through the generosity of people like you! Become a partner today.

Equip your church to hear God’s voice. Join our community of ministry leaders for monthly insights and a free preview of 50 Days of God Conversations resource.

About Jay Ruka

J. Ruka is a story teller, musician and public communicator. After working as a church minister for many years, he now writes and speaks about indigenous worldview, New Zealand History and the importance of cultural partnership. He is married to Erin and they live with their three children in Whāingaroa (Raglan), New Zealand.

What if God is speaking far more often than we realise - not just in the spectacular moments, but in the ordinary ones too? In this episode of the God Conversations Podcast, Tania sits down with seasoned prophet and trainer Beth Kennedy to explore how God meets us in the everyday rhythms of life.

Raised in an atheist home yet drawn to the spiritual from childhood, Beth shares her remarkable journey of learning to recognise God’s voice - through Scripture, the senses, gentle promptings, and even through unexpected encounters on an afternoon dog walk. Together, Tania and Beth unpack how the Holy Spirit is already at work, inviting us into relationship, transformation, and partnership with God in simple but profound ways. Whether you’re discovering God’s voice for the first time or wanting to deepen your discernment, this conversation is full of practical insights, relatable stories, and reminders of God’s Father‑heart for us.

Key Takeaways

• God often speaks in ordinary moments, not only in dramatic encounters. Beth shares stories – from childhood violin practice to everyday compassion – that highlight how easily we can overlook God.
• Our senses can be avenues for hearing God – through emotion, imagination, visuals, conviction, and even physical sensations.
• The Holy Spirit draws people long before they have language for it, as seen in Beth’s early life experiences of love, conviction, and curiosity.
• Responding to God’s promptings matters as much as recognising them, demonstrated through Beth’s transformative encounter with a homeless man in the park.
• Everyone can learn to recognise God’s presence, including those who don’t yet believe, through simple practices like “God spaces.”
• God delights in us and invites us into purpose, a theme Beth expands on through her ministry and her book, I Am God’s Happy Place.

Next Steps

Join the journey to hearing God’s voice. Start your free 7-day ⁠God Conversations devotional ⁠today!

Pray, promote and give. God Conversations is donor-funded and made possible through the generosity of people like you! ⁠Become a partner today⁠.

Equip your church to hear God’s voice. ⁠Join our community of ministry leaders⁠ for monthly insights and a free preview of 50 Days of God Conversations resource.

About Beth Kennedy

Beth Kennedy is a seasoned prophetic voice and teacher who is passionate about helping others grow in their prophetic gifting and Kingdom calling. She is a leader and mentor at Verve Ministries, where she equips prophetic people to live boldly and walk confidently in their gifts.

Through her ministry, Beth has mentored countless individuals, helping them to step into leadership and influence in their churches, communities and beyond. Known for her clear teaching and heart for God, Beth is committed to creating safe spaces where highly prophetic people can flourish. Her prophetic activations, real world applications, and compassionate mentorship have transformed lives and launched ministries.

Beth walked away from a thriving legal and corporate career to fully embrace God’s call. Her journey is proof of what happens when you surrender to His voice. She is an internationally accredited trainer with Prophetic Company Global and a regular presenter with Empower 2000 and has guest taught at Bible colleges, spoken at churches, and equipped many individuals from all walks of life to hear God for themselves.