The importance of hearing the right voice Gods

The importance of hearing the right voice (God’s voice) In the book of Jeremiah we read, “For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, And has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard it? ” (Jeremiah 23: 18)

Jesus Himself said, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. ” (John 16: 13)

• It is so important that we continually hear from heaven so that we can consistently make right choices in life • Life is full of many important choices that will greatly determine the outcome of our life and the degree to which we fulfil God’s best plan for our life

• God is vitally concerned about every aspect of our life and has our best interests at heart In the book of Psalms we read, “Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, And teach out of Your law, ” (Psalm 94: 12)

• The more we apply God’s wisdom and guidance to our life the more we will experience God’s favour and blessing upon our lives • With the many distractions in our world and the many voices that we can listen to, how important it is that we continually gain God’s perspective for our life so that we continually remain in His perfect will for our life

The LORD said to Joshua before he was about to lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ” (Joshua 1: 8) • The simple fact is that God’s ways are higher than our ways

In the book of Isaiah we read, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, ” says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. ” (Isaiah 55: 8 -9)

• We only have one gift of life to make an eternal difference in the lives of others This is why the Apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. ” (1 Corinthians 15: 58) • Continually hearing God’s voice helps us to stay connected with God’s unfolding plan for our life so that we store up treasures in heaven

There also many other reasons why we need to continually hear God’s voice. These include; • To know God’s plan and purpose for our life • To hear God’s warnings when we are going off track in our life and walk with the Lord • To experience God’s comfort when we are going through trials and challenges in life • So that we can use our time wisely and not squander much of our life on unproductive things, especially given the nearness of the rapture

The Apostle Paul wrote, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ” (Ephesians 5: 15 -17)

• To experience God’s love as He speaks over us • To gain insight from God to share with others, and • To receive warnings of impending dangers in our life • In short our very survival and success and growth in our Christian walk are %100 dependent on consistently hearing God’s voice clearly

• The simple fact is that we have a very real adversary who is out to destroy the lives of people and especially the lives of those who want to love and serve Jesus The Apostle Peter made this very clear when he wrote, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. ” (1 Peter 5: 8 -9)

Jesus Himself said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. ” (John 10: 10) • For this reason we must always be careful about who we allow to speak into our lives and from whom we receive counsel and guidance from • Not all people have our best interests at heart and there is a big difference between worldly counsel and godly counsel

• So given the very real spiritual contest that we are all continually engaged in, getting God’s perspective on what we should do (hearing God’s voice) when making important choices in life is crucial • Again the choices that we make in life will greatly determine the outcome of our life here on earth and the degree to which we fulfil God's best plan for our life

God can speak to us in many ways to help us to make right choices in life and to encourage us. Some of these ways include; 1) Through the still small voice of the Holy Spirit Jesus Himself said, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. ” (John 14: 26)

In 1 Kings 19: 11 -12 we see how God revealed Himself to Elijah “Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD. ” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire [a]a still small voice. ”

2) On some rare occasions God speaks to people with an audible voice We see an example of this in chapter 17 of the gospel of Matthew Chapter “Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. ” (Matthew 17: 1 -3)

“Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, [a]let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. ” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. ” (Matthew 17: 4 -6)

3) By gently impressing upon our hearts things to do King David wrote, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. ” (Psalm 37: 4) • The LORD will often gently impress upon our heart the names of people to pray for or to ring and what to pray for and when to do things that need to be done

4) Through gentle thoughts being impressed upon our mind • God will speak to us at times by impressing gentle thoughts upon our minds • When a gentle thought comes to our mind that is one that we would not normally entertain, it is most likely God speaking to us

• The real battle ground is the mind • The enemy will target our mind with negative and harsher thoughts to try and unsettle us and to cause confusion and fear to arise in our lives • However when God speaks to our mind the thoughts are generally gentle and reassuring and help to bring clarity to our circumstances

• There are three voices or thoughts that can come into our mind to influence our decisions • The FIRST gentle thought is God speaking to us • The SECOND thought or voice will be the enemy trying to contradict the first thought to bring confusion into our lives, and • The third thought will be us rationalizing the second thought • How important it is when making choices in life that we run with and act upon the FIRST gentle thought that God has put on our mind

In the book of Proverbs we read, “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established. ” (Proverbs 16: 3)

5) Through the counsel of other mature believers In the book of Proverbs we read, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. ” (Proverbs 11: 14) “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. ” (Proverbs 13: 20)

6) Through the Holy Spirit emphasising passages of Scripture in the Bible that relate to our current circumstances or which are answers to our prayers In the book of Psalms we read, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. ” (Psalm 119: 105) “Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me. ” (Psalm 119: 133)

• God will consistently speak to us and give us guidance through His word as we seek Him for answers and direction in our life • The Holy Spirit will highlight passages of Scripture that are answers to our prayers and which are relevant to our current circumstances and which bring encouragement to our life • As we spend time in God’s presence with an open bible He will speak clearly to us through His word

7) Through dreams and visions In the book of Acts we read, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dreams. ” (Acts 2: 17) • God often speaks to people through dreams and visions

• Both dreams and visions are ways in which God gives us direct revelation for our life • The main difference between dreams and visions are that dreams come to us during our sleep but visions occur when we are awake

• God uses dreams primarily to speak to us, to reveal His plans, to warn us of impending trouble, to establish prophetic revelation to us and to give us guidance and insight to make right choices in life • Visions from God are unexpected pictures displayed so that one can see the supernatural. A vision from God will never contradict God’s word and can also warn us of pending danger

• God uses visions to reveal Himself, His glory and to make Himself known and revealed • The Apostle Paul received several significant visions. One instructed him to proclaim the Gospel in Macedonia (Acts 16) and another encouraged him to remain longer in Corinth (Acts 18) • The Apostle Paul also received a vision of heaven (2 Corinthians 12)

In the book of Acts we see the Lord speaking to the Apostle Paul through a vision, “Now lthe Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; mfor I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city. ” And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. ” (Acts 18: 9 -11)

8) For me at times God speaks to me through the Holy Spirit directing my eyes to a message on a sign that relates to my current circumstances or that helps to encourage me

MY INTERPRETATION OF THESE SIGNS • God needs for me to be faithful in my ministry calling • To confirm that country road trips are ahead • Keep looking to Me for your help Again it is the Holy Spirit speaking to me through these signs, usually at times when I am seeking God for direction or help, AND

9) Even through unbelievers we can receive information that we need to make right choices in life as what they say bears witness with our own spirit In the book of Proverbs we read, “Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days. ” (Proverbs 19: 20)

• As Christians we are able to hear God's voice consistently Jesus Himself said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ” (John 10: 27) • The more time that we spend in intimate fellowship with the Lord the more clearly we will learn to discern His voice

• One important thing to always consider is that if what we believe the Holy Spirit has spoken to us contradicts the bible, it was not the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to us • So given the importance of continually making right choices in life how can we learn to always hear God's voice so that we continually make right choices in life

1) We need to continually seek to do God's will for our life. Not my will but Thy will be done • God will never conceal His will for our life • It is so important that we never seek God's counsel with selective hearing but with a heart that is fully surrendered to Him and open to hearing from Him and to doing what He instructs us to do • Again God always knows what is best for us in the long run

Again in the book of Proverbs we read, “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established. ” (Proverbs 16: 3) The Apostle Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. ” (Galatians 2: 20)

2) We need to cultivate a lifestyle of intimacy in our walk with the Lord where we learn to involve God in every aspect of our life The Apostle Paul wrote, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ” (1 Thessalonians 5: 16 -18)

In the book of Proverbs we read, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. ” (Proverbs 3: 5 -6) • Continually involving God in every aspect of our lives helps to train us to hear clearly from God at all times. This is a great key to continually making right choices in life

King David wrote, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. ” (Psalm 37: 4) • The more intimate we are in our walk with the Lord the more we will have God’s heart for people and the more we will know what God’s will is for our life in each season of our life

3) By keeping short accounts with God and being quick to repent of things that are not right in our life and of any wrong attitudes The Psalmist wrote, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. ” (Psalm 66: 18)

• Having a repentant heart helps to keep our heart soft towards God so that we can continually hear from Him The Apostle John wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ” (1 John 1: 9)

4) Consistently spending quality time alone with the Lord with an open bible The Psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. ” (Psalm 119: 105) “Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me. ” (Psalm 119: 133)

• It is so important that we regularly draw aside to spend quality time alone in the presence of the Lord. • It is during these times of intimate fellowship with the Lord that we get to know His voice clearly In the book of Psalms we read, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46: 10)

• Having a lifestyle of worship also helps us to consistently hear from heaven as our heart connects with God's heart. True worship also helps us to maintain a soft heart This is why Jesus Himself said, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. ” (John 4: 23 -24)

• Consistently meditating on the word of God is also a great key to always having God's mind on what we should do and how we should live our life The Apostle Paul wrote, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. ” (Romans 12: 2)

5) Living a lifestyle of simple obedience • God cannot tell us step two in our walk with Him until we have acted upon the first step that He has directed us to take King David wrote, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD and He delights in his way. ” (Psalm 37: 23)

• Having a lifestyle of radical obedience is one great key to keeping the pipeline of communication open between God and us and to hearing His voice clearly • On the other hand the more we walk in disobedience the less sensitive we become in hearing the voice of God

Proverbs 3: 5 -6 shows us what it is to live a life of simple obedience which is a great key to always remaining in the centre of God’s will and best plan for our life; “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. ” (Proverbs 3: 5 -6)

6) Only seeking spiritual counsel from mature believers who hear from God • All counsel that we receive must still sit well with our own spirit • There is wisdom in a multitude of counsellors. We will consistently make right choices in life if we have other mature Christians also speaking into our life • Again the peace of God must always be our umpire when making decisions in life

In the book of Proverbs we read, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. ” (Proverbs 13: 20) AND

7) Being continually filled with the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Truth) and all the fullness of God and learning to consistently walk in the Spirit • This is a great key to instinctively knowing what is right and what is wrong in every situation and in choosing which course of action to take when having to make choices in life

The Apostle Paul wrote, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ” (Ephesians 3: 17 -19)

The Apostle Paul also wrote, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself. ” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. ” (Galatians 5: 14 -16) • Learning to walk in the Spirit helps us to maintain our peace so that we are more easily able to hear from God when He speaks to us

• Being continually filled with the Holy Spirit enables us to know instinctively what to say yes to and what to say no to, as we either have a peace about a course of action, or a check in our spirit Again Jesus Himself said, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. ” (John 16: 13)

• So in conclusion I would like to encourage you to continually seek to hear the voice of God in all of your decisions so that you will build your future on a firm foundation and fulfil your God given destiny here on earth