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Hearing And Recognising God’s Voice

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There is a great need to tap into the rich vein of God's voice so that we can hear from God to navigate our lives here on earth.

Life is a series of important decisions. If salvation came to us as a young person at 20, by the time we reached 50, in the intervening 30 years, we could have made five significant decisions that required us to seek God’s voice carefully. It’s not that we will not need God beyond that Big Five, we still do, but the decisions required are mostly related to those.

 

INTRODUCTION

The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many vision (1 Samuel 3:1)

Let us watch out for barrenness that may invade our lives so subtly that we can dispense ourselves from listening to God and depends on our determination, resources, training and talents. We may still succeed, but to what end?

Barrenness is a death sentence to the spiritual being.

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,

“This is the way, walk in it,”

Whenever you turn to the right hand

Or whenever you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:21)

God is speaking to us all the time. He wants to communicate. It is as important not to tune God out of our lives to tune into God at all times.

Shepherds, at times, follow sheep from behind so that they can direct, guide, admonish. It is like the usage of GPS navigation for our road trips. As long as there is no need to turn left or right, the GPS will hold its peace. We need to keep our steering steady. The travel will be stress-free and we will arrive at the destination soon enough.

 

HEARING GOD’S VOICE THROUGH THE GENERATIONS

How to relate to those esp the younger ones? Who like to ask:

  • How do I hear God’s voice? He seems so far away.
  • Not able to initiate or start a dialogue with God. God is Impersonal.
  • Not able to tap into the communicative channels that lead to God’s presence. God is not friendly.
  • “I am good at ‘horizontal’ communication with everybody using FB, WhatsApp, Wechat, Telegram, Twitter, Instagram, etc., but never good with ‘vertical’ communications with God. What is wrong with God? Obsolete? Need to upgrade?

 

How Does the Older Generation Learn to Hear God’s Voice?

They hack their way through the jungles of the world into the presence of God. They heave and push and shove a formula, use methodologies and systems.

Our reading list looks like these:

  • The mystery of God’s Majestic Voice – How to Unpack it?
  • 15 –Steps to Hear God’s Voice
  • 20 – Ways to Recognize God’s voice
  • The Holy Speaking God
  • How to Journal to Detect the Trends of What God is Speaking to Us

 

THE DIFFERENT WAYS GOD’S VOICE CAN COME TO US

Soft and gentle whispers to the dramatic display of sound and sights.

  • Elijah – Whispers
  • Jeremiah – Burdens
  • Moses – Burning bush
  • Balaam – Donkey speaking
  • OT to NT – Angelic Visitation
  • Joseph in the OT and Joseph, Jesus’ father – Vision and dreams
  • How was the church started – Mighty rushing wind and tongues of fire
  • Jehovah Jireh and display the faith of Abraham and Isaac – Provision of a ram
  • Prophecies, revelatory knowledge and wisdom

 

HEARING GOD IS SIMPLE

We need to understand the Protocol of God.

  • It is the disposition to know and then to act.
  • It is submission and obedience.

We need to Position Ourselves to hear God.

  • Go into an environment of expectation with the congregation, assembly and throng to enter God’s temple. Let us go up to the mountains of the Lord. 
  • Go into an environment of thick praise and worship.
  • Go into an environment of musing and meditating on the word of God. 
  • Go into an environment of Christian service. Idle mind devil’s workshop. Idle hands lead to temptation.

 

In the Modern Scenario and Terminology, the Voice of God Looks Like:

  • Eureka moment – a sudden, unexpected realization of the solution to a problem
  • Serendipity moment – making discoveries while searching for or focus on other things
  • Holy Intrusion of God – hearing God while busy serving Him or doing productive work in the office or business

WHAT CAN THE VOICE OF GOD DO?

  • Rescue us from a life tedium 
  • Deliver from depression and discouragement
  • Deflect away crisis
  • Allow us to seize opportunities
  • Redirect paths
  • Revitalise us while in deep despair
  • Directions in major decisions
  • Catalyst for growth in all areas
  • Inspire new projects and undertakings
  • Mitigate risk 

 

In 1994, I decided to focus on some of my work in a restricted access nation. While worshiping God in a Prayer Meeting, God gave me 3 Malay words. I hardly speak and use Malay words. So it came as a surprise. God also has a sense of humour, the three words rhymed. The words were “Teluk” (Gulf), “menakluk” (conquer for God) and “memeluk” (embrace the faith). 

I could understand immediately in my spirit the implications of the words. But I had a question. It is that of location. It is not complete as it came as a common noun and not as a proper noun. Where is this place “Teluk” (Gulf)? Instantaneously the answer came and the country intended by God was as bright as a sunny day. 

I spent fourteen years and made seventy trips into this country, but God protected me. Despite travelling many times on its dangerous roads, I never had an accident. In 2007 it ended quite dramatically after I was hit by a motorbike while crossing the street. I understood clearly that my work was over for the season.

 

CHECKS AND BALANCES TO VERIFY THE VOICE

  1. Is it consistent with the character and attributes of God?
  2. Is it consistent with scriptures? Did Jesus say it? From which chapter and verse?
  3. Does it satisfy the wisdom test? Violate common sense? How would Jesus have acted?
  4. Is it in tune with my style to do the work/ministry, personality, talents, gifts and experience?
  5. How would my best friends and colleagues react to the promptings? In the multitude of counsellors there is victory.
  6. Do I have peace that surpasses all understanding concerning my decision?

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See, Sense And Seize The Opportunities

Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
John 4:35

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