It's hard to hear God's voice when you've already decided what you want Him to say!
The Lord speaks in patterns.
Is this God?
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:12-14)
We must continue to grow in our discernment so we can know the difference between good and evil.
From milk to meat! One of the attacks of the enemy is to get us to NOT mature.
We must mature in Christ!
A word that came to me with how the enemy will work in the marketplace to confuse God's people.
"A year of chaos and confusion, people will mislabel discernment with dysfunction. People will believe anything that sounds good & repost it without studying themselves. People will believe anything they hear on social media without proper inquiring of the Lord. Not everything that looks good is God, not everything that looks like God, is God. Not everything people say and then follow it up with scripture is from God. Not every Christian brand that is being birth is from the Lord."
Now, someone who pursued God in the midst of trials & tribulations was David! No matter how he felt and who came against him, he committed to inquiring of the Lord.
1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. 3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. (1 Samuel 30:1-4)
The men were weeping to the point where they couldn't weep no more. It's like crying until you can't cry anymore...
A place where David got threatened by his own people in the midst of a situation.
What if our problems have problems? Will we continue to seek the Lord?
6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. 7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” (1 Samuel 30:6-8)
"But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God".
Do we strengthen ourselves within our self?
Do we strengthen ourselves by satisfying our flesh?
Do we strengthen ourselves through other means of coping like food?
Or can we go directly to the Lord no matter the situation at hand!
& since David inquired of the Lord - he was able to win the battle against the enemy.
18 So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. 19 And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all. (1 Samuel 30:18-19)
We must always inquire of the Lord in EVERY situation.
29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29)
If you hear the Lord's voice & confirmation... you MUST obey!
People will always have an opinion about you, but you don't live for people, you live for the Lord.
Many people won't understand how the Lord wants you to move... trust God anyways. Obey God anyways!
How to hear God's voice?
#1 God's word
When He speaks - there are patterns to how He speaks.
Not conform to the patterns of this world.
Renew these patterns!
How to renew the patterns?
Prayer - conversations with God
Proclaim God’s promises
Precepts - instructions
#2 Spend time in His presence
You enter His presence with thanksgiving. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. (Psalm 100:4) Surrender your heart to the Lord. Give Him all your heart. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)
#3 Fasting that pleases God.
A diet changes the way you look.
But a fast changes the way you see & hear.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ “In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. 4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high. 5 Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord? 6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ “If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, (Isaiah 58:3-9)
Isaiah 58 is a true chapter in the bible about a fast that pleases God.
#4 Environments
Does this environment draw me near to God or push me away from God?
People can contaminate your hearing & thinking.
20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. (Proverbs 13:20)
33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” (1 Corinthians 15:33)
How to hear God in the midst of doubt? 5 Keys from Habakkuk
We read how Habakkuk realigned to hear from the Lord..
1 I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.
2 Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
4 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:1-4)
As we continue to study & meditate on Gods word.
Our wisdom & discernment starts to increase. & reading Gods word allows us to align with His will & test what we hear is coming from God or not.
Here are 5 keys to hearing God from Habakkuk:
#1 Meet with the Lord in prayer "I will stand my watch" Make it intentional to meet with the Lord in prayer.
#2 Look for God to speak
"And watch to see what He will say to me"
Expect God to speak, even if He doesn't in your time or your perspective. Trust the Lord is moving and continue to keep your spiritual eyes open.
#3 Listen for the word of the Lord
"And watch to see what He will say to me,"
Listening allows us to not only hear, but to obey what God speaks.
Those who love Jesus must keep His commandments (John 14:15)
#4 Keep A Journal & Write It Down
"Write the vision, & make it plain on tablets"
When you believe its from God, you should write it down. Pray on it, meditate on it & really test if it's from the Lord.
#5 Wait for God to Bring It To Pass
"Thought it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, it will not tarry"
Patience is a fruit of the spirit. Being patient & to trust God will do it, is a lot of faith!
Trust because it SHALL come to pass.
These are 5 keys to hearing Gods voice, testing Gods voice & knowing Gods voice!
Not all voices we hear are from the Lord.
Take this passage from Habakkuk & gain more wisdom with how the Lord shows up!