How Do I Hear God’s Voice?
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 manoeuvre 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 fulfil 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.