HOW TO HEAR FROM GOD
INTRODUCTION:
Is the voice I am hearing God’s – “But God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it.”
(Job 33:14)
Commonly Asked Questions (new and old converts) in the church are ---“How Can I Discover God’s Guidance?” "How do I hear from God?" "How do I know if it is HIS Will or if it is my own?"
I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH YOU THIS EVENING ABOUT HEARING FROM GOD. HEARING HIS VOICE. HOW TO KNOW IT IS GOD AND HOW TO ANSWER HIS CALL OR APPLY HIS WORD TO YOUR LIFE (RHEMA-REVELATION, FRESH WORD THRU MEDITATION ON HIS WORD WHICH IS THE WRITTEN WORDS OF GOD OR THEOS (GREEK)
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aren’t you glad we have the word of God....knowing the perspective is in God’s Word as to what we are to do in life.. what our standard should be...this Holy Manual....
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There are 3 sources of spiritual guidance.
God is not the only one who provides spiritual impressions.
Three questions we need to ask are:
1. Is the voice I am hearing Satan’s – “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. (2 Cor 11:14)
2. Is the voice I am hearing my own? – “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Prov 14:12)
3. Is the voice I am hearing God’s – “But God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it.”
(Job 33:14)
Seven questions we need to ask to test a spiritual impression:
1. Does it agree with God’s Word (Bible)? - “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away.”
(Luke 21:33)
2. Does it make me more like Christ ? – “Your attitude should be the same that Jesus Christ had…” (Phil 2:5)
3. Does my church family or Christian friends confirm it? – “The wisdom of the righteous can save you.” (Prov 11:9)
4. Is it consistent with how God has shaped me? God- Given abilities and gifts? – “God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well…” (Romans 12:6)
5. Does it concern me and is it my responsibility? “We will all be judged one day, not by each other’s standards, or even our own, but by the judgment of God…it is to God alone that we shall have to answer for our actions.” (Rom 14:10,13)
6. Is it convicting me rather than condemning me? – “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” (1 John 1:9)
7. Do I sense God’s peace where it is concerned? –
“God is not the author of confusion.” (1 Cor 14:33)
Jesus can open your heart to understand the scriptures. "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures," (Luke 24:45) God can and will speak to us. Pray and ask Him to open the scriptures. He has given us the Holy Spirit, but we must live a holy separated life. A life not caught up in the things of the world.
UNRELIABLE SOURCES OF GUIDANCE
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers.” Psalm 1:1 (NRSV)
“Do not rely on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 (NLT)
“Why are you trying to find out the future by consulting mediums and psychics? Do not listen to their whisperings and mutterings. Can the living find out the future from the dead? Why not ask your God?” Isaiah 8:19 (NLT)
“Let your astrologers come forward and save you—those people who study the stars, who map out the zones of the heavens and tell you from month to month what is going to happen to you…. They will not even be able to save themselves…. That is all the good they will do you—those astrologers you’ve consulted all your life. They all will leave you and go their own way, and none will be left to save you.” Isaiah 47:13-15 (TEV)
“There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.” Proverbs 14:12 (NRSV)
IE: Satan will take the idea out of God’s Word and distort it and change it ---then you are doing the will of the flesh/or Satan....just as satan used God’s words in the Garden of Eden but changed them around to trick them into doing his will and not GOD’s Will!
WISDOM COMES FROM GOD
·“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
· When the Holy Spirit teaches you it will be His Wisdom and not man’s wisdom.
"But the WISDOM that is from above is first PURE, then PEACEABLE, GENTLE, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." (James 3:17-18 NKJV)
When God speaks to you He will NEVER say anything that is different from what He said in the His Word (Bible). "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8 NKJV)
What God has ever said or will say, He will never change as to who He is and What He says. What God says is what God is. "I Am Lord, I change not.." (Malachi 3:6)
"HE THAT IS OF GOD HEARS GOD’S WORDS.."(JOHN 8:47) God lays down conditions for His children in order for them to hear His voice. He says, "IF you continue in My Word, THEN are you my disciples and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32 NKJV)
Book of James:
The wisdom that does not come from Heaven is demonic, sensual, and earthly (from unsaved man). This type of wisdom produces fruit in a persons life that is:
BITTER (I wish you didn’t have what you have.)
SELF-SEEKING (includes doing God’s work with self as the motivating force instead of God’s plans and God’s ways of being led by the Holy Spirit.)
BOASTING (telling everyone more about what I did (Pride) than about what God did.)
LIES (when you start to catch people in lies, lookout, for he does not stand in the Truth of God which is God Himself flowing through the believer in Truth, because He is the Truth.
In order to learn what the Holy Spirit is teaching you, you should write down in a notebook OR journal what He teaches you over a period of time. This will help you track your spiritual growth and of your revelations during your intimate and private time with God in prayer and worship. And listen....hear what He has to say to you ....
· God told Jeremiah, "THE WORD THAT CAME TO JEREMIAH FROM THE LORD, saying, ’Thus speaks the Lord God of Israel, saying: WRITE IN A BOOK FOR YOURSELF ALL THE WORDS THAT I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU.’
(Jeremiah 30:1-2 NKJV).
God says to write down what He says to you on a day by day basis, you will then see the complete pattern at a glance and understand more what He the Spirit of Truth is saying to you. "..when He, the Spirit of Truth has come, HE WILL GUIDE (TEACH)
HOW CAN WE KNOW GOD’S GUIDANCE?
· We must make up our mind that we are going to do God’s will.
· “Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him.” Romans 12:1 (TEV)
· “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 (NRSV)
Jesus prayed, “Not my will but yours be done.” Luke 22:42 (NRSV)
· “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10 (NRSV)
(ILLUSTRATION)
Short Prayer
At a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bobby Richardson, former New York Yankee second baseman, offered a prayer that is a classic in brevity and poignancy: “Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen.”
Source unknown
Listen for God’s voice.
1. God guides us through prayer.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
2. God guides us through the Bible.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 (NIV)
3. God guides us through open and closed doors.
“Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.” Acts 16:6-8 (NIV)
God can speak to your spirit, Satan can speak to your mind, but you don’t have to let those thoughts get into your heart. Command the Devil to leave you and call him a liar and then quote the Word of God. Jesus said, "Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?" (Mark 8:17-18 NKJV) Jesus says that the eyes and ears are inside of your inner man where you hear from God. The perceiving can only be done in a person’s spirit, it is there that a person understands what God says.
also many times (ie:) made to run late for protection from accident, running into someone you do not need to see/talk to (evil influence, see something you should not, etc.)
"And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. "
Exodus 14:13 (KJV)
4. God guides us through the needs of people.
“During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’” Acts 16:9 (NIV)
5. God guides us through people whose judgement we trust.
· Prayerfully evaluate.
Are the voices you are hearing all saying the same thing?
Do they agree? (God is not going to contradict himself.)
Does one decision seem more right than the others.
Are you at peace in this decision?
many people will get a witness from the Holy Spirit when something is said, done, etc.
· AND GET MOVING! Start moving in the guidance God is giving you today.
“After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” Acts 16:10 (NIV)
HIS WORD AND HIS REVELATIONS TO YOU WILL WORK IF YOU WORK IT.
DO NOT JUST THINK OR TALK ABOUT IT, OR DREAM ABOUT IT---GET UP AND DO IT IT WILL WORK FOR YOU
God blesses faith-in-action. And God can become a stranger to us when we act not out of faith, but out of prudence, as we do when we fearfully try to deal with God on the basis of what we think God is like, rather than on the basis of what we trust God to be in Jesus.
God knows ALL about you and He wants you to know EXACTLY what He knows about your life.
HOW DO WE PREPARE OUR HEARTS TO HEAR THE VOICE OF THE LORD? It’s not hard to hear the Lord once you know what to listen for. The hard part is in obeying that ’Still Small Voice.’ Let’s look at some ideas to help further your understanding.
1) Daily Praise and Give Thanksgiving to God!
"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." Hebrews13:15 kjv
"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving." Psalm 69:30 kjv
"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100:4-5 kjv
Start your day out by praising the Lord for all that He has done for you in your life. Praising the Lord for all the wonder that He has created and the glory of all the earth. Thanking God for sending down His Son to die on the cross for our sins. To pay the high price so that we (through that blessed love) might have Salvation.
Thanking the Lord for showing us that we too can be raised up again from the dead even as Jesus did on the third day and now HE sits at the right hand side of the Father. Praise The Lord and I thank Jesus for remembering us when He comes back for us at the time that He will Rapture His Christian church...the church of born again AND faithful believers.
2) Daily Repent of Your Sins!
"The Lord is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous. " Proverbs 15:29 kjv
"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 kjv
When the the voice of the Lord tells you that you are in sin then that is when we need to realize that we are coming up short and pay attention to it and repent and learn from our mistakes (sin) and ask for deliverance from that rebellious spirit AND GOD WILL HEAR AND ANSWER prayers of the righteous. Learn to listen to that ’Still Small Voice’ ...it is coming from the Holy Spirit. He will only be telling you honest righteous things....and truthful things...
Hebrew. 10:26-27 kjv If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
Hebrew 3:7-8 kjv As the Holy Spirit says:"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."
2 Cor. 5:10 kjv We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Repenting for any and all sins (known and unknown or recognized is what the Lord would have us do and He talks to us about our wrongs through that blessed small voice. Many times we do things wrong but our own selfish pride keeps us from facing the fact that we need to ask the Lord to forgive us for our wrongful thoughts and actions. We need to repent of our sins before the Lord in very real repentance with a humbled heart.) Here is another reason why we need to repent for our sins:
Isaiah 59:1-2 kjv Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from you God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
Confession of sins have a great reward, we are made clean again.
I John 1:9 kjv If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
3) Daily Talk to God!
Phillippians 4:6 kjv Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Set aside special time each day to commune with God, your Father. Alone...secret place....
Take whatever problems that we are having before the Lord and make our requests known unto Him. How wonderful that we can truly do that. What a blessing!
It means: talking and sharing our lives with the Lord in a humble, honest way. It means being honest and real. The Lord knows everything about us any way so we may as well be open and honest with Him.
4) Listen to the Holy Spirit’s Still Small Voice for they are LIFE unto you!
John 6:63 kjv It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
This verse clearly confirms what I have been teaching you through the leading of the Lord. "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."
The Lord speaks to us by the Holy spirit and is alive to us. We just have to learn to listen to that "Still Small Voice!" Without this voice we wouldn’t know clearly when we are being convicted of sin and a need to repent, not to mention being told Godly guidance. Truth is revealed to us, (in our minds or hearts) and we are then able to respond with a good Godly choice of action or a rebellious reaction. The choice is up to us!
When you allow yourself to get tuned into this tiny quiet voice, at first you will only hear a word or two like..........."Yes, ....No,... Don’t do that" et. But after awhile you will begin to hear whole sentences.
When you allow yourself to become sensitive to the Lord’s prompting and leading you will start to hear Him tell you ’why’ you should do a particular thing or not do a particular thing. The more you get mentally in tune to what this "Still Small Voice" you will begin to have revelation knowledge and understanding of the will of the Father God. You will find that after awhile He won’t have to speak many words for you to know or understand fully what the Lord wants you to do.
We still have sin in our lives from our birth but in time the Lord helps us recognize our shortcomings and leads us in the pathway of righteousness. If you desire to get close to the Lord, this along with prayer and submission to His will is the way.
How to Recognize God’s Voice
In order to hear God’s voice and to discern His leading for your daily life, there is one key point that you need to be aware of. If you can grab hold of this one key point then you’ll be hearing from God in no time!
Practice listening to this small quite voice! Don’t expect (although it could happen) a burning bush, lightening, thunder, smoke and water....
The still, small voice of God
The plain and simple fact is that God usually speaks to us in such a quiet, non-spectacular way that we are almost never going to be 100% certain that we heard Him speaking to us, and we just need to get used to that. Once we get past the "hang up" of needing to hear from God in spectacular, loud, supernatural ways, then we will find ourselves beginning to recognize the still, small voice which He usually uses.
ie: have you ever done something that bothered you (conscience)? Deep down inside you knew that it was wrong, but how did you know? It was because there is something way down inside of us that knows when something is right or wrong. Somehow our "knower" knows these things, and it bothers our conscience when we do things that our "knower" knows is not right. This "knower" which we sense way down deep inside of us is where God often tends to speak to us. There is nothing spectacular about it, there is nothing sensational about it. It is the still, small voice of God.
Force your attention and allow yourself become fully aware that the Lord is speaking to you.
"How To Hear God Speak"
Matthew 13:10-17
"God is always trying to take us new places!"
2 REASONS WHY GOD WANTS YOU TO HEAR HIS VOICE:
1. To UNDERSTAND His KINGDOM MYSTERIES. (V. 11)
2. To RECEIVE His ABUNDANCE. (V. 12)
3 Obstacles To Hearing God’s Voice:
1. EARS That Do Not RECEIVE. (V. 13,14)
2. EYES That Do Not PERCEIVE. (V.14)
3. HEARTS That Do Not CONCEIVE. (V. 15)
5 Ways To Hear God Speak To You:
1. You Must CULTIVATE Your RELATIONSHIP.
2. You Must PARTICIPATE In The COMMUNICATION.
3. You Must ELIMINATE The DISTRACTIONS.
4. You Must ALLOCATE Time To HEAR.
5. You Must OBLIGATE Yourself To OBEY.
John 16:12-15
3 FACTS ABOUT GOD’S COMMUNICATION:
1. He Doesn’t Communicate EVERYTHING AT ONCE. (V. 12)
2. We Need ASSISTANCE To HEAR His Voice. (V. 13)
3. He Communicates With Us To GLORIFY HIS SON. (V. 14)
HOW GOD COMMUNICATES TO US:
1. He Communicates Through THE BIBLE (2 Tim. 3:16)
2. He Communicates Through PEOPLE (1 Thess. 2:13)
3. He Communicates Through CIRCUMSTANCES (1 Cor. 16:7-9)
4. He Communicates Through PRAYER (Acts 22:17)
5. He Communicates Through IMPRESSIONS (John 14:26)
1 John 4:1-6
1. The VARIETY Of Voices (V. 1)
2. The IDENTITY Of The Voices (V. 3)
3. The VALIDITY Of The Voices (V. 1,6)
5 TESTS FOR VALIDATING IMPRESSIONS:
1. INDUCTIVE Test (Acts 17:11) Is it consistent with the Bible?
2. CONSTRUCTIVE Test (Colossians 3:10) Does it move you toward God’s purpose?
3. INSTRUCTIVE Test (Psalm 32:8; 1 Cor. 14:33) Is it clear and understandable?
4. PRODUCTIVE Test (Revelation 12:10) Does it produce conviction or condemnation?
5. DEDUCTIVE Test (John 21:21-22) Is it relevant to your life and circumstances?
Philippians 4:4-7
I. HOW TO APPROACH GOD FOR DIRECTION
1. REJOICE… in your Relationship (V. 4)
2. REMEMBER… the things that are most important (V. 5)
3. RELAX… God is in complete control (V. 6)
4. REQUEST… God’s direction in prayer (V. 6)
5. RECEIVE… God’s peace and rest in it (V. 7)
II. HOW TO RECEIVE GOD’S DIRECTION
1. SOLITUDE… Get away and get alone. (Mark 1:35)
2. SURRENDER… Before you know His direction. (Acts 21:13)
3. SEEK… His wisdom passionately. (Proverbs 2:4-6)
4. SIT… Be patient and wait willingly. (Psalm 27:11-14)
CONCLUSION
I will conclude this message with some words of advice:
IN FOLLOWING CHRIST, HEARING FROM GOD, AND GROWING SPIRITUALLY
LEARN TO LEAN ON GOD FOR ALL THINGS. HE IS YOUR TRUE SOURCE....
1. Believe that if you seek to walk in a way pleasing to God, then you will meet with many
temptations from the evil one.
2. The first day that you enter into Christ’s congregation, watch out for the temptations.
3. When the temptations come, beg God to carry you through them.
4. Be suspicious of your own heart, that it does not deceive you into thinking that you are more holy than you are.
5. Beware of the flatteries of false brethren.
6. Walk continually in the Word—the life and power of truth.
7. Fix your eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. EXERCISE YOUR FAITH!!! KEEP IT HEALTHY!!!
8. Watch out for the "little" sins.
9. Keep the promise of eternal life warm in your heart.
10. Renew your faith in the blood of Christ.
11. Honor those who are doing the blessed work of God.
12. Follow after and fashion your life after Jesus Christ and the Godly-Christians of the past and of your generation.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.
Teach me, Holy Spirit, to hear and answer God’s Will and His Voice.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, that I will always be holy. Lead me in the path of righteousness for Christ’s name sake.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
THE ALTAR IS OPEN IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RENEW YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD...
IF YOU NEED GOD TO HELP YOU HEAR HIS VOICE AND KEEP HIS WORD ALIVE AND AT WORK IN YOUR LIFE...
AND IF YOU DO NOT KNOW JESUS AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR, I ASK YOU TO COME...ACCEPT HIM...ALLOW HIM TO DO A GREAT WORK IN YOUR LIFE AND DELIVER YOU FROM WHAT THE ENEMY HAS IN STORE....
(CLOSE AS GOD WILLS)
