1.
Our hearts must be right before Him – we must diligently
seek God and His voice, whether it is for direction, confirmation, instruction
or simply encouragement. We must also ensure that we are approaching God with
hearts of faith. We must believe in the promises of God’s word, and be
expectant that He will reveal something new. Have your heart open ready to
receive and your ears ready to hear. I think that sometimes we are so cluttered
in our spirits that we let the voices of everyone else continuously roar in our
ear, so we find it hard to know when God is trying to say something to us. You
might need to get quiet and still before the Lord. You might want to fast from
distractions and show God that you truly desire the ability to discern His
voice.
Psalm 26:2 - Test me, LORD, and try me,
examine my heart and my mind;
2.
We must be intentional about actively spending
time in God’s presence – the more we are around someone; the easier it is to recognize
their voice. How can you expect to know someone that you’re never around? How
disciplined is your devotional quiet time with God? Make sure you’re setting
aside alone time with the Lord each day, to build your relationship with Him
through worship, prayer and studying of the word of God. From there you will
begin to notice that you can feel when God is ‘pushing’ you to do something,
and you will gradually get to the point in which you KNOW when the Holy Spirit
is instructing you clearly. It may take some time, but stay committed to
seeking God’s voice even when it seems hard.
Matthew 6:6 - But when you pray, go away by
yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then
your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
3.
We must not limit the way in which God can speak
to us, or compare other people’s relationship with God to ours – it’s an easy
way for the enemy to dishearten us and discourage us from staying dedicated to
wanting to hear the voice of the Lord. He can speak to one person through
visions, and another through audible voice – either one cannot be discredited. Learn
how God interacts with you personally the most, but don’t just limit it
automatically. One day He might choose to speak to you in the stillness of
prayer, and another day He might choose to speak to you through a Pastor. His
power has no boundaries.
Acts 2:17 - “‘And in the last days it shall
be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons
and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your
old men shall dream dreams’’
4. We also cannot restrict WHERE God can speak to
us. For many of you, God might speak to you when you’re tucked away in your prayer
closet, in your quiet time. But don’t leave it as just there! God is
omnipresent, and the Holy Spirit lives inside the born again believers of Jesus
Christ! He doesn’t just speak to you in one location and that’s it. He moves in
so many ways and can instruct you spontaneously. I know that for me, God loves
to speak to me during my morning walks to college. He often uses that alone
time to joyfully encourage me if I’m down hearted, give me insight into the things
that lie ahead and provide guidance on how I can serve Him with that new day.
Jeremiah 23:23-24 - "Am I a God who is
near," declares the LORD, "And not a God far off? ”Can a man hide
himself in hiding places so I do not see him?" declares the LORD "Do
I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares the LORD.
5.
Learn to distinguish when it’s you and your
emotions, God or the devil – God will never condemn you, trick/deceive you, or
push you towards sinful behaviour that contradicts His holiness. Satan will do
all of the above. The main lesson that I ALWAYS remember when discerning God’s
voice, is that GOD WILL NEVER CONTRADICT
HIS WRITTEN WORD. You cannot say ‘’God told me to steal that car’’ when His
commandments specifically instruct ‘’Thou shall not steal’’ God is not mocked
(Galatians 6:7). The enemy will often condemn and attack you, rather than
convict and encourage you like God’s voice does. Your own voice will often
yield to the selfish desires and lusts of the flesh/your emotions, and it will
more times than not, be super convenient to you. God’s instructions aren’t
always comfortable but they WILL align with His character revealed in the Bible!
Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is alive
and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing
soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the
heart.
6.
Sometimes (a lot of the time for me) God will
speak through His rhema word. This is God’s spoken word into our spirit man. It
is the moving of the Holy Spirit and Him trying to lead and guide our lives. But
again, this rhema word should always be tested and aligned with scripture. God
IS His word. He is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19).
John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
7.
Give God the chance to speak to you from His
main source of openly available wisdom – The Bible. We sometimes skip right
past the word of God and go seek the council of others (wise council is great
and encouraged, but should never be prioritised over the word of God and the voice
of the Holy Spirit). Ask Jesus in prayer to be YOUR personal Teacher, and to
help you to understand, break down and BELIEVE the word of God. I would and
still do always pray for the Holy Spirit to teach me and give me insight into
God’s heart, message, teaching and character when I’m in my own study time.
2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is inspired
by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is
wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what
is right.
8.
Recognize the importance of knowing how to hear
God’s voice. When you hear God’s voice you are truly able to be led by the
Spirit of God in your DAILY life. In the small things, and the huge decisions
you will have to make, God desires to instruct you as you pause, acknowledge
Him, and desire His complete leading of your life.
Proverbs
3:6 - In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
9.
Ignoring God’s voice can be dangerous. Very
dangerous. He speaks for a reason and purpose. Maybe He’s trying to keep you
from danger or harm? Maybe He’s trying to push you towards an oppoutunity to
spread the gospel of Jesus? With whatever it is God places on your heart, don’t
take it lightyly. I always think that with all the things and jobs God could be
doing as Sustainer of the world, He took time out to speak to my spirit
specifically. How could I dare to brush past it because I don’t feel like
obeying Him? Our reverence for the Lord must be evident.
Psalm
119:1 - Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the
LORD.
10.
REMEMBER that God always speaks to be OBEYED!
God doesn’t just tap things into your spirit for the sake of it. Yes sometimes
certain things are meant for just you personally, but other times they are said
to be shared. Either way, the message or word is revealed to you to be acted
on. Jesus often taught on the necessity of active faith, and how our obedience
to the Fathers will is so vital. Even when we don’t understand, we must learn
to die to our flesh and our own selfishness, submit to the perfect will of God
and obey when He tells us something.
Luke 6:46 - “Why do you call me ‘Lord,
Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
I
hope this helped some of you that are actively pursuing to hear God’s voice.
Whether you’re a new believer and are still trying to discern the voice of the
Holy Spirit, or whether you’ve been hearing from God for years, know that He
desires to communicate intimately with you. I’m praying that you all continue
to press into the things of God and seek His leading. God bless!
Contact Me:
Email - kingdomambassadors@hotmail.com
Twitter - @_caitlinnunez
Instagram - @caitlinnunez
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