Lovers of God have been given eyes to see with spiritual discernment and ears to hear from God.
Proverbs 20:12 TPT
As long as you are a part of the body of Christ, the bride He is coming for, you've been inbuilt with eyes that see beyond the physical. You discern things spiritually
You've been built with ears that hear not only what people around you are saying but what God is saying to you
And I keep hammering on us believing this part first.
If you doubt that it is not for you, you will not be able to function in that area
Your sight is hindered by your belief
God speaks to us ✅✅✅
Now that we know and are certain we have a hearing ear, how do we develop it?
First, let's see How God speaks to us
We've talked about this a lot of times but for the sake of this teaching, I will list all briefly
Ways God speaks in the bible
1. The scriptures
This is the first, primary and safest hearing of God for our lives. We find God speaking in the bible through scriptures written before then. God's word is true always, it stands forever. Even after looking at other ways God speaks, we must come back to that which is written.
2. Impulses and Urges
The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness,
Mark 1:12 NLT
Jesus was compelled, He had a strong urge/impulse to go to the wilderness.
God communicates with us this way. We just feel a strong urge to do something. Recently I was in a down phase. I couldn't pray that week and I was just begging the Holy Spirit, please give me strength to pray. Help me
That same week, a couple of people reached out to me. "Hi Remi, good evening. I just wanted to let you know I'm praying for you"
"Hello mama. How are you doing? I've been feeling this strong urge to pray for you"
"Fine girl. Hope you know I'm praying for you?"
"Good morning ma. God has been impressing it on my heart to pray for you since this week began. I also felt a strong urge to reach out and let you know that an altar of prayer is being raised on your behalf"
Note that I did not speak to any of these people about anything. In fact one of them, last time I spoke to her was last year.
This was God communicating with them by laying Urges upon these people to pray.
Sometimes, certain people/things just keep popping up in our hearts and we just feel the urge to pray for them. It is important that we do not neglect this urge.
Usually, it is God speaking to us and using us to meet a need.
Also God communicating with these people on my behalf was Him communicating with me too.
After they all reached out, I suddenly found strength and started praying.
My personal prayer usually has nothing personal in it except my alone moment with God, it's filled with intercession. When I was down, I felt bad that I am always praying for people and now I can't pray for myself.
But God reaching out to these people was a reminder to me that as I'm interceding on behalf of others, even people I don't know are interceding on my behalf.
Immediately, I picked up and was strengthened.
If we get Urges and we are not sure what to do, ask God.
" Lord, I keep feeling this strong impulse concerning this person/thing. I'm not sure what I'm being asked to do. Lord please, help me hear you clearly concerning this"
He will reveal further surely. Never neglect the urge.
3. Our Conscience
The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.
1 Timothy 1:5 NLT
Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.
1 Timothy 1:19 NLT
Sometimes, we make certain decisions and our conscience starts telling us it is wrong or how better we should do it.
Now, while God might speak this way, it is tricky. Our Conscience must constantly be renewed by the spirit and the word.
That's why when people do certain things, we say they don't have conscience.
They actually do have. Conscience is a person's moral sense of right and wrong.
sense of right and wrong vary according to individuals and the morals they uphold.
So it is important that the morals upheld is in accordance with the word and guidance by the spirit
Question - Remii oo what if after asking u get an answer "No " and the urge still what should we do?
God will not give you an urge to pray for someone and give a NO as an answer.
If you get a no, probably the direction of your question.
Maybe you are asking what to pray for the person and God is saying give the person money 😊.
All still points back to a hearing problem in communication. Ask God
4. The voice of the Holy Spirit
Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men have come looking for you.
Acts of the Apostles 10:19 NLT
The spirit is so often the voice of God to us. He speaks and it comes into our soul where we discern what is said.
5. Your natural thought Process.
Sometimes the voice of the spirit doesn't come as a voice unto our thoughts, it comes as part of our thoughts. Like we just think something and we know this is not from us
6. Other People
God speaks to us through other people. We need to be open, listening and spiritually alert at all times.
He uses prophecy to speak to us through other people.
Sometimes it's in the messages we listen to, the movies we watch. Don't know if we've ever seen a movie and it feels like God is addressing you directly
Sometimes I'm just on YouTube and a random message pops us and I know it is God that made that message pop up
Sometimes it is on social media. Someone posts something on their own o, without attaching any meaning to it but you see it and know it is you God is speaking to.
Sometimes it's in passing conversations. You are walking or doing your thing and people are gisting their own, but the message is for you.
7. Visions, Dreams, Pictures
God speaks prophetically through all of these. Some people go into a trance while some of us have these experiences with God while awake, very consciously. The latter takes a lot of spiritual alertness usually, from my experience.
8. Angelic Visitations
God speaks to us through angels. We can see this in the book of acts. I personally have had this experience a couple times. Infact, I rushed to write everything down that day.
I slept off and it continued as a dream. His angels are ministering spirits
9. Nature, Animals, Object
All of creation constantly declare the glory of God and His works. This means one thing, they speak. God speaks to us through them. He used a donkey to speak to Balaam and objects to bring messages to others. To see and hear God in all of these things and ways, our spirits must be awake and listening
10. Situations
Certain things happen around us or in our lives but they come with a message from God.
When things happen (good or bad in the physical), it is important to ask God.
"Are you saying something to me Lord?"
"Is there a message in this for me?"
11. Peace
Let your heart be always guided by the peace of the Anointed One, who called you to peace as part of his one body. And always be thankful.
Colossians 3:15 TPT
God's peace is a guide, it directs us in the way we should go.
I believe this is also like our conscience. We must first subject our minds to renewal by the word and spirit.
Some wicked people have peace ðŸ˜
God will speak through whatever He wishes, the sick, the poor, the rich, the hale and hearty. He can use anyone.
Before we move on, can we share other ways we hear God that have not been mentioned
Sumi - Through songs,one on one,through someone,scripture ,situations (good and bad)
The night before I cut ma fingers in the grinding machine. That evening I had a strong urge to worship an pray. I remember I told God to use me as a way of showing his glory wherever I find myself and that may his goodness an love be seen through me always
The next day bam I cut ma fingers and in normal situations pples fingers never come out as a whole and in other circumstances their hand or arm is cut off. BT he showed his glory through me once again. I was in awe
Uju - Through relationship
You may have thought you have found the right person,then something happens..you lose the person you thought you love,you ask for forgiveness... Then you remember this is how you are to GOD ,you claim you love HIM yet you fall astray to sin and you get back up and ask HIM for forgiveness,HE is trying to tell us we can do better,Amen
Remi - I should share mine
While I have experienced all the ways listed above, not all of them are constant or primary.
It's not everyday I have angels visiting and talking.
I hardly get messages through animals, I don't even look at animals for long.
I run when I see dogs 😂😂
So if God tries to speak through a dog, ah trouble.
God knows I won't hear anything if He speaks through animals directly
(except in a vision, pictures or as objects)
If they have to open their mouth to speak, I doubt my hearing ears will be in close proximity to hear anything. Cos I'd have ran since
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Because God wants us to really hear Him, He is mindful of us too.
He reaches out to us through ways He is certain we can hear and know it is Him.
If the way we hear is limiting, He starts from there still. As we continue to listen to Him, He strengthens us and sharpens our ears to hear through other means too.
Imagine that it is only dream God can speak through. If you don't sleep, you won't hear anything
How do we know it is God and not other voices?
We spoke about the other voices that we might hear along the way.
Now we talk on how to discern and know when it is God speaking
1. Scripture
Like I keep saying, this is number one guide.
God's word is His honor, character and integrity. He cannot speak against His word.
If what you hear is not in accordance with His word, then it is not Him. Discard.
2. Nature of the voice we hear
But the wisdom from above is always pure, filled with peace, considerate and teachable. It is filled with love and never displays prejudice or hypocrisy in any form
James (Jacob) 3:17 TPT
It is pure, has no mischief to it. Attest to the character of God.
Peace: when God speaks He calms our soul. He doesn't compound our problems. We are at peace on the inside.
The nature of the voice of God is conderate, gentle.
He is not harsh towards us.
His voice comes to us teachable. It doesn't manipulate us. His voice is full of mercy. It doesn't condemn or Judge. It never displays prejudice. It is unwavering, the same always. Consistent in character. No hypocrisy in it.
Finally His voice is full of good fruit.
God will never ask us to do anything that is of the flesh.
Check the fruit that will be brought forth from what you hear or receive, does it align with the character of God?
If your spirit abi mind keeps telling you to quarrel with someone, you know that's not of God.
If you dreamt that you saw money in your office, took it and became the richest man in africa, then the next day you actually see that exact amount of money
It is Not God.
You don't take the money
Don't carry office money home and say God already told you in the dream o. It is stealing. That is not a fruit of the spirit.
3. Surround yourself with trusted people
It is important that we have men who are devoted to God around us. In learning to discern, we should surround ourselves with such people.
If we are finding it difficult to ascertain or discern what is being said, we should reach out to them.
Eli knew it was God speaking cos He was used to hearing so He could direct Samuel
Also note that sometimes these people might not see anything concerning that situation when you meet them.
Doesn't mean they are bad or less spiritual.
So go back to God and listen
Developing Hearing ears
Now that we know how He speaks and ways to know it is Him, how do we develop a lifestyle of Hearing Him often and coming to a knowledge of His voice
1. Believe that you can hear
I've been hammering on this cos it is important.
All that we are in Christ is edged on belief.
If we do not believe that we can, then we won't.
It doesn't matter if you've tried listening before and you did not.
We walk by faith not by sight.
Put whatever your experience is away.
Scripture already says you can hear, is your experience greater than the word of God?
2. Value Hearing God
We see during the transfiguration, God's voice instructing the 3 (Peter, James and John) and in extension us, this is my beloved son, Listen to Him, Hear Him. We must take this word as it is for us.
We are to yearn for God's voice and be eager to hear what He has to say
To develop our ears, we must be intentional. It doesn't happen by mistake
Knowing God's voice is something we should be deliberate about and this will mean us taking necessary steps and being more attentive spiritually
Make room. Away from the business, set a time ti just listen to God daily.
Do it even if it doesn't work the first time or it didn't before. Keep going
Value God's voice.
If you do not see a need to hear God, you will not see a need to wait when you don't hear at first
3. Consistent Time in God's Presence
Make sure to spend uninterrupted time with God. Not one today then next time is next year.
As we consistently stay in His presence, we become more sensitive to His voice.
If you do not hear today, continue tomorrow, don't stop.
It will get to a point, your mind will quiet.
It will get used to you being still and stop roaming.
4. Spend time Feeding in the word
As we focus on the word more and more, we give Him more room to speak. We open our ears more.
I'm not talking about you reading what we post on Word Alive while watching Big brother at the same time.
We taking time to meditate on the word. Alone with the word, alone with God
As you read, don't be fast or in a hurry.
Learn to quiet your soul and listen inwardly.
Take note of where His presence is resting as you read.
Are you being led to focus on a particular word?
Pray as you read, ponder and listen.
Also know that alone with the word is alone with God.
in The beginning was the word...... And the word was God
Know that you are with God. Be conscious of this fact. This is not novel or story book you are reading.
4. Learn to listen through the day
God doesn't just speak when we open the bible. He speaks while we are at work and during other activities. Stay connected inwardly. He will speak to us outside of church and prayer time, in different ways and about different things
This is what Brother Paul called the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
The grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the presence and fellowship (the communion and sharing together, and participation) in the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (so be it).
2 Corinthians 13:14 AMPC
What are you sharing together with the spirit? The thoughts of God
He speaks God's thoughts to us actively.
He shares ancient mysteries.
He reveals secrets
First, we listen
5. Obedience
Don’t just listen to the Word of Truth and not respond to it, for that is the essence of self-deception. So always let his Word become like poetry written and fulfilled by your life!
James (Jacob) 1:22 TPT
When all we set to do is hear for hearing sake, we deceive ourselves. We might as well not listen.
To obey is first to listen but with full/total submission and proceed to do.
Those who really love me are the ones who not only know my commands but also obey them. My Father will love such people, and I will love them. I will make myself known to them.”
John 14:21 ERV
It doesn't just stop at hearing, we should obey. Obedience produces greater intimacy.
It also works vice versa. The more we fellowship (truly), the more obedient we become.
The more we are obedient to what we hear, increase in fellowship occurs
We also hear Him more clearly
We will see that most people discard the voice of God through prophets or even prophecy because the people who bring it do not walk in accordance with God's commandment.
Also, if we want to continue living a certain lifestyle and God's word that we hear speaks against it, we might unconsciously shut our ears from hearing since it's not saying what we want
Let us pray
Thank you Father for your word and all we've learnt tonight.
Help us to pay attention to you as we step into this week. Open our ears to hear all you have to say.
We are spiritually alert and we obey all we hear.
This week, We hear you even in ways we did not know you could speak before.
We pray that we are obedient to you Lord, we do not crave the benefits of living with you while discarding the commitments that produce these benefits/fruit.
Amen
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