I have discussed the importance of hearing from God in making a marital decision. It is not only important maritally but in everything. God gives us direction for our lives and when we can hear from Him and obey Him, it means we are walking in His perfect will and fulfilling His plans for us. But many Christians don't know how God speaks and they end up relying on their Pastors to guide them. Very dangerous. There are many carnal Pastors who preach the Word of God and don't live it. You are putting your life in their hands. Better you hear from God yourself and pray that He confirms it.
So, what does hearing from God feel like? I can tell you that it is incredible and amazing. God speaks to His children in different ways. The way He speaks to me may not be the way He decides to speak to you. So, be spiritually open and sensitive to the move of God. Many times we can't hear God because the environment is too noisy and filled with distractions. Goodness gracious! There is so much to watch on American TV! My TV time went from 95% to 1% after relocation from the US to Nigeria. I'm not saying God does not speak to Americans. I am saying that I have filled up that TV time with reading and studying more of God's Word. Spending more time in His presence. And He is speaking more to me than He was before. And I'm loving it. Be cognizant of your environment and the things that are distracting you from spending time with God, that's noise.
If you want to hear from God, you have to seek Him out
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13 KJV
Go on what I call a clarity/destiny fast seeking direction for your life. Repent of your sins and decisions you have taken willfully without God. Invite Him fully into your life to take control. Some of the ways He speaks to His children:
1. Dreams: Pay attention to your dreams and write them down when you wake up. Meditate on them and ask the Holy Spirit for clarification if you do not understand.
2. God speaks to your mind: Thoughts and impressions that come out of nowhere but are accompanied with peace. The devil speaks through your mind too, but he prompts you to sinful decisions. The more you spend time in the presence of God you will know when He is leading and guiding you.
3. God speaks with peace: When you pray about a decision and you feel an unshakable peace. You know you are doing the Will of God. There is no peace in doing the will of Satan. Many women are filled with doubt on their wedding day, they still go through with it and come to find out in their marriage why there were feelings of doubt. That was God warning you that you were on the wrong path and that was not who He had prepared for you. When you see a rich Godly girl marrying a poor Godly guy, you may think she is crazy but if she is marrying him based on that unshakable feeling of peace, then it's not insanity but walking into the blessing of God for her life.
4. God can speak audibly: You can hear Him as the prophets of old did if He has determined that grace upon your life.
5. God can visit you: You will experience an encounter with Him in a vision or dream.
6. God speaks through signs: Ask Him for signs if He wants you to proceed on a matter. Fast and wait on Him. You will receive signs.
7. God speaks through His Word: A scripture can come to your mind, the Holy Spirit is prompting you to open up that chapter or even read the whole book. You will receive revelation from His Word if you obey. He can give you direction on your life based on a scripture.
8. God speaks by impressions: He can place a desire in you to do something or He can remove a desire from you to do something. Let's say you are excited about a new business prospect but the more you pray about it your excitement decreases. God is impressing upon your heart that it is not His will for your life.
9. God speaks through people: Children have a pure heart, listen when they speak. Your friends and even strangers can tell you to do something, go and pray about it, God will confirm it. Example how did I become a blogger? My BFF reminded me that I had been a great writer when we were in Boarding School. Singing was always the primary gift for me, so I didn't pay attention to other gifts within me. She told me to write and look into blogging. That very same week my brother out of the blue said I should go into blogging and I knew God was speaking. At the same time I had been praying to God for another outlet to serve Him so this was confirmation for me. I was able by the grace of God to touch people all over the world (power of Google) through my writings and was receiving testimonies. A suicidal man contacted me and told me my posts encouraged him so much, he decided not to kill himself. If I did not obey the prompting of God, that man would be dead today. See the importance of hearing from God? He cannot use you if you don't communicate with Him. And there are so many souls on the line if you do not step into your destiny, people will never be delivered and can end up in hell unless God in His infinite mercy raises someone else to do what He wanted you to do in the first place. How did I become an author? Same thing. God led me to write 2 books. He has given me the titles of others too. Because I have trained myself to be familiar with how He communicates with me, I know when He wants me to write my books. There is a sense of urgency in my spirit, the best way I can describe it is when you are getting ready to deliver a baby there is no relief until the baby is out. This is how I feel when it is time to write a book. I am very sensitive to God's timing because the words flow with ease than if I try to do it by my own strength and power.
Pray to God and ask Him to speak to you. Ask Him to train your spiritual ears to hear and your spiritual eyes to see. He can choose to answer you immediately or He can choose to answer you much later. Never stop asking and thanking Him for communicating with you. His Word says His sheep hear His voice so if you are not hearing Him, ask Him to remove every obstacle preventing you from hearing Him. You will also have to spend more time with Him. How can you know God's voice if you don't spend intimate time with Him? The devil speaks too, so be prayerful and very careful. The devil is very cunning and many Christians have forgotten the devil knows the Word of God very well. Don't let him fool you. Especially if you want something so badly and you are seeing signs everywhere leading you in that direction.
The best way to know if you are hearing from God is to keep your emotions, wants and needs in the freezer. So that if God makes it clear you are not to proceed you will hear Him. This flesh must be subdued in the place of prayer. You have to take authority over your flesh in order to hear God. That's why there is always confusion with people thinking they are hearing from God. Did they subdue the flesh? Keep their desires under wrap? And approach the matter decisively and professionally? Sometimes God will not speak because you are not ready to hear. He sees you have made up your mind to go ahead with your decision. God is not a robot. Don't pray an ABC prayer (casual prayer) and expect God to speak immediately on what you desire. Go and fast (fasting subdues your flesh and it is a sacrifice God respects) and tell God you will wait on Him until He speaks. If He has not spoken on a 3 day fast, don't stop, continue. He wants you to pray more. God moves in so many different ways not the way you expect. Don't limit God and don't constrict Him. I remember one time I went on a fast and I received no dreams. I was getting antsy and worried and He cautioned me that He is speaking but because I am desiring only dreams I am not hearing Him. I repented and started to hear. God is amazing. God is wonderful. God is supreme. Love God and take the time to know Him. You will be blessed for it.
© 2016 Bella Alex-Nosagie
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