If God promised to guide you, tell you, speak and declare to you, then why would He make it hard for you to hear His Voice?
This article begins a series on hearing from God. As I began to develop this post, I felt the strongest impression to document a challenge facing spiritual leaders.
Since hearing from God requires sensitivity to such impressions, I decided to insert it here. This is a word of encouragement for spiritual leaders and those who support them:
“In the debilitating course of social distancing, quarantine, disease and death, the devil has sent a spirit of discouragement against leaders in the church.
The effect of this attack is draining the energy of many leaders; the intent of this attack is to cause malaise and fatigue and eventually…hopelessness.
In an environment where spiritual leaders can and should recharge, many are feeling more drained than before the pandemic.
Spiritual leaders experiencing these attacks should heed Paul’s admonition to stand in the power of God’s might. (Ephesians 6:10-17)
Concerned individuals should pray for their leaders, and encourage them in practical ways with phone calls, texts, emails, inbox posts, uplifting letters, etc.”
More on this impression later. Let’s establish a foundation for hearing from God.
The Bible contains two Testaments, sixty-six books, 1,189 chapters and 31,102 verses. I have been a Bible student for over 40 years. I have walked several hundred college students through the entire Bible over the past 14 years.
In my studies, this verse remains one of the most remarkable to me: “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I (Jesus) go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper (the Holy Spirit) will not come to you. But if I (Jesus) go, I will send him (the Holy Spirit) to you.” (John 16:7)
Jesus told the disciples that it was better for them that He leave so that the Holy Spirit could come. When you consider what Jesus did, how could His departure be better for them?
As the Biblical story unfolds, we learn that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one with the Father. (John 14:11a, 16-20) Jesus fulfilled His mission through death, burial and resurrection.
Unlike Jesus in His earthly ministry, The Holy Spirit is not constrained by space and time. The Holy Spirit equips, enables, and empowers believers to make disciples of all nations. (Mt 28:19-20; Acts 1:8)
The Holy Spirit desires to speak to God’s people! We must express a desire to hear from Him, and cultivate the art of doing so.
Jesus said “He (the Holy Spirit) 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. He will glorify Me (Jesus), for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:13-14)
Here is our fundamental premise. If God promised to guide you, tell you, speak and declare to you, then why would He make it hard for you to hear His Voice?
We need to hear the Voice of the Holy Spirit. One fact is true concerning all of the “game changers,” “earth-shakers,” and “shot-makers” (the most notable characters) in the Bible. They prevailed because God spoke to them and they followed His guidance.
I am talking about people who overcame pandemics, famine, war, unrest, distress, impotency, barrenness, death sentences, and “incurable” diseases.
Yesterday morning, I read how Saul was hunting down David to kill him. David was always one step ahead of Saul. Why? God kept telling David how to avoid Saul. (1 Samuel 23-24)
You are about to make some critical decisions that may have huge implications for your life. Why? Because the COVID-19 pandemic has removed or shifted many of the foundations upon which we trusted.
Government leaders, corporate leaders, spiritual leaders and heads of household be advised: your foundations have been removed or shifted!
What you were leaning on, counting on, depending on, basing your hopes upon, in many instances is now gone, but there is a firmer foundation.
God is a speaking God. All earthly foundations have been shaken, but God’s Kingdom cannot be shaken. (Hebrews 12:26-28)
Sources that you can trust-men and woman of character-who love God are saying the same thing. There is opportunity ahead.
This note of optimism does not gloss over the 67,454, coronavirus-related deaths in America (as of 4 May), and quarter-of-a-million fatalities around the globe.
We find ourselves in need of comfort and strength. We also find ourselves in need of invention, innovation, and creativity. The Holy Spirit is the source of them all.
The Holy Spirit desires to speak to you. He wants to be involved in establishing new and more enduring foundations in your life.
If you are interested in a refreshing, reinvention, or reframing in your life, then cultivate the art of hearing from God.
If you are interested in beginning or restarting your walk with God, please go to the following link: https://dreamprayernetwork.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=302&action=edit
I opened this blog post by documenting an impression that I believe came from the Holy Spirit. Whether the Holy Spirit was the source of my impression is for others to judge.
The Bible is the final authority in measuring the validity and accuracy of all such impressions, words, and encouragements.
In the coming weeks, I hope to help you cultivate the art of hearing from the Holy Spirit. May I ask you to do some reading in preparation? I request that you read chapters 14-16 of the Gospel of John.
Key verses from those chapters are below. Until next time. God Bless! Press On!! Kevin
“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. John 14:15-18
But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. John 15:26-27
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. John 16:7-11
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. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. John 16:13-15
By His Word…
…all things are possible!
Really enjoyed this!!! Thank you for sharing!
Proud of you. FB allows me to follow your great story. Wonderful chapters of that story are yet to unfold. Hear His words! God Bless!!
Praises to our God that He hears and speaks . we ask these will hear Him not only for ourselves but our church, community and country to take the right decisions daily. Amen.
Amen…standing in the gap for all to hear His words. Thank God that His word shatters the darkness in our lives!!
Amen brother! It’s so important to position ourselves to hear God’s voice. I just finished a teaching for a zoom bible study group titled “Do you believe? ”
In the midst of all the “chaos” and “tossing to and fro” during this pandemic are we still believing whatever God has promised? As Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 4:7-14 …as we endure diverse troubles, God’s glory is manifested through us..His earthen vessels!
Boy…2 Cor 4:7-14 is relevant, relevant, relevant for these times. Speaking of these times, I wonder what is on the horizon? What will “normal” look like? Thank God, not matter…Jesus will be the same. Lord give us grace to hear your words! God Bless Sister!!
Thank you Sir for such insightful and encouraging words. Blessings.
Called for such a time as this. Keeping getting the people ready and set, God has the pistol in His hand and His finger is on the trigger!
What a timely Word that is need as we preparing for release God’s into His harvest. Our hearts mus be tuned into God’s voice so that are alert to were the Holy Spirit is guiding in this season. John 10:27 tell us, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
So, as we sense what God is doing, we need to hear His voice and move where He is directing.
Thank you for allowing me to share.
Pastor Willis, thank you.
May the Lord grant us great sensitivity as there is great deception, BUT…as you noted, we need not fear. “My sheep hear my voice.” Thank God for that!
Wow! ! Wow! And praise the Lord Wow! The Gospel of John is my favorite gospel. Specifically Chapters 14-17 are the purest truths of our faith, bring us comfort and clarity. I remember about two years ago you begin to tell me these same truths about hearing God’s voice. And you told me to start at John 14. And let me tell you…I hear him so clearly now…even more than I did before.
I can testify this post..this impression was indeed from the Holy Ghost!🙏🏾🙏🏾. And as for those in leadership who are drained, at times misunderstood and simply stressed, we are the ones sent to them. To uplift, encourage and remind them that weeping endures for a night but joy comes in the morning. And most of all that God loves and is concerned about them as well.
Let’s keep pressing on. Praying with power from the Holy Ghost . And hearing and obeying him with all our strength.
Blessings,
Chrissie the Christian
I wish I has said what you said…”we are the ones sent to them. To uplift, encourage and remind them that weeping endures for a night but joy comes in the morning. And most of all that God loves and is concerned.” No matter. You said it and for all those who read your brilliant insight…take heed and take action!!
All can hear. Some can hear well. Few can hear well and cogently tell. I am glad you are in the latter group. 😀
May the Most High God continue to inculcate your ability to elucidate!
Well…I would say that you are a poet and didn’t know it, but that wouldn’t be true would it??!! God Bless!!