How Do I Hear God’s Voice?

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Do you ever have trouble hearing from God? Do you ever find yourself caught in confusing circumstances needing guidance, and yet even after praying and reading the Bible, you’re still not sure what God wants you to do?

When faced with a decision, a typical response would be to pray about it. The Amplified Bible says to let peace be the umpire (Colossians 3:15). But even so, there can still be uncertainty about the answer. “Was that me, Lord, or was that You?” The good news is that when we spend time daily praying in the spirit, it becomes easier for us to hear the direction of the Holy Spirit as He reveals His will to our spirits.

This can be an area of confusion when we are learning to walk in the spirit. Most of the time you hear your own spirit speaking to your soul, which is your mind, will and emotions. The audible voice of the Lord is rare in most of our lives. Almost every leading we will receive in everyday life will be a prompting, an impression, a thought, an inward witness or a leading from our spirits. The reason it sounds like us is because it is ourselves that we hear. The Holy Spirit communicates with our spirits, and our spirits prompt, or enlighten, our minds.

When you were born again, God sent His Holy Spirit to live in you and be your teacher and trainer to help you live a life that is pleasing to God. That’s why, as Christians, we don’t have to depend on our own limited reasoning. We can live guided by the Spirit who knows all things. In fact, if we’ll listen to Him on a daily basis, He’ll steer us clear of hidden dangers and maneuver us safely through even the most complicated situations. How do you let Him steer you? Don’t resist the promptings of the Spirit. When you sense Him directing you to do something and you decide, consciously or unconsciously, No, I don’t want to do that, I think I’ll go another way, you’ve just hardened your heart.

It’s being consistent in the things of God that causes us to walk in victory. So how do you fulfill the will of God for your life? One day at a time. If you’ll begin to spend time with Him daily and pray in the spirit. Start today by making a commitment to do just the simple things He tells you to do. Start seeking His face, listening for His promptings and responding in obedience instead of hardening your heart. And He will bring you into His perfect will if you’ll just obey Him one step at a time, one day at a time.

 

 

Written with permission from Kenneth Copeland Ministries©

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How Can I Be Led by the Holy Spirit?

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Learning to accurately distinguish the leading of the Holy Spirit is perhaps the greatest challenge we can face. Abiding in the Lord and maintaining a living connection with Him begins with hearing and obeying Him. God told Israel to obey His written Word and His voice. (See Jeremiah 7:23.)

When the army of Israel invaded Jericho, they must have heard God’s voice. The strange battle plan they used wasn’t written in the Law of Moses. And certainly no human being would suggest a seven-day march around a city as the most effective form of invasion! But when God told Joshua His plan and Joshua followed it, there was victory. To walk in victory today, you must do the same. In addition to obeying the written Word, you must be able to hear and obey God’s instructions each day. For example, you may not be facing a military challenge like Joshua was, but you might face something like being offered a job in another city. The written Word of God can give you general direction, but it will not tell you whether to take that specific job or not. You must be able to discern the voice or the promptings of the Holy Spirit. You must be sensitive to His leadings in your heart.

The same applies to us today as we seek the leading of the Holy Spirit. By studying the Word and meditating on it, the mind is renewed to spiritual things (Romans 12:2). Renewing the mind is an important and necessary part in hearing the Spirit of God. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). You can be certain that the Spirit will never lead you into doing something that is opposite of God’s written Word (John 16:13). The Spirit and the Word always agree.

Another important part of hearing the Spirit of God is spending time in prayer, asking God to make His will for your life clear to you. Once you do, you also need to take time to be still and quiet before the Lord…and just listen. He will speak to you—He’s always ready to talk to you! Your prayer time should also include praying in tongues. By praying in tongues, you give the Holy Spirit opportunity to speak the perfect will of God in your life (Romans 8:26-27. Praying His will by praying in tongues (also referred to as praying in the spirit) opens the door for the Holy Spirit to reveal to your spirit—which in turn reveals to your mind—what God is doing and how you fit into His plan (Proverbs 20:27). You will hear answers to questions you’ve had and you will gain understanding (1 Corinthians 2:9-12).

 

Written with permission from Kenneth Copeland Ministries©

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