Listening to God

by Charles F. Stanley

Copyright 1996, 2009 by Charles Stanley

All rights reserved. Written permission must be secured from the publisher to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc., and distributed in Canada by Word Communications, Ltd., Richmond, British Columbia.

Editing, layout, and design by Gregory C. Benoit Publishing, Old Mystic, CT

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN 9781418541156

Printed in the United States of America

09 10 11 12 13 RRD 5 4 3 2 1

Contents

Introduction

Preparing to Hear from God

Lesson 1

God Has Something to Say to You

Lesson 2

Why God Speaks to Us

Lesson 3

How God Has Spoken

Lesson 4

The Primary Ways God Speaks Today

Lesson 5

How God Gets Our Attention

Lesson 6

The Hallmarks of God’s Messages to Us

Lesson 7

How to Tell If the Voice Is God’s, Not Satan’s

Lesson 8

Our Predisposition to Hear

Lesson 9

How to Listen Actively

Lesson 10

Sitting in God’s Presence

Introduction

Preparing to Hear from God

God spoke to His prophets in Old Testament times, giving them specific messages for themselves and for His people as a whole. Many Christians in modern times, however, believe that God no longer speaks to His people as He once did. But this is not the case! God is still speaking to His people—to all of His people, not just those who are specially selected as His spokesmen. He speaks through our times of prayer, through counsel from wise Christians, and most importantly through His word, the Bible.

The Bible is God’s foremost method of communication with us today. It is the wellspring from which new insights and eternal wisdom come to us. It is the reference to which we must return continually to check out messages that we believe are from God.

This book can be used by you alone or by several people in a small-group study. At various times, you will be asked to relate to the material in one of these four ways:

1.What new insights have you gained? Make notes about the insights that you have. You may want to record them in your Bible or in a separate journal. As you reflect back over your insights, you are likely to see how God has moved in your life.

2.Have you ever had a similar experience? Each of us approaches the Bible from a unique background—our own particular set of relationships and experiences. Our experiences do not make the Bible true—the Word of God is truth regardless of our opinion about it. It is important, however, to share our experiences in order to see how God’s truth can be applied to human lives.

3.How do you feel about the material presented? Emotional responses do not give validity to the Scriptures, nor should we trust our emotions as a gauge for our faith. In small-group Bible study, however, it is good for participants to express their emotions. The Holy Spirit often communicates with us through this unspoken language.

4.In what way do you feel challenged to respond or to act? God’s Word may cause you to feel inspired or challenged to change something in your life. Take the challenge seriously and find ways of acting upon it. If God reveals to you a particular need that He wants you to address, take that as “marching orders” from God. God is expecting you to do something with the challenge that He has just given you.

Start and conclude your Bible study sessions in prayer. Ask God to give you spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears to hear. As you conclude your study, ask the Lord to seal what you have learned so that you will never forget it. Ask Him to help you grow into the fullness of the stature of Christ Jesus.

Again, I caution you to keep the Bible at the center of your study. A genuine Bible study stays focused on God’s Word and promotes a growing faith and a closer walk with the Holy Spirit in each person who participates.

Lesson 1

God Has Something to Say to You

In This Lesson

Learning: Does God still speak to people in modern times?

Growing: What is the purpose of prayer, anyway?

One of the most important lessons you and I can learn is how to listen to God. In our complex and hectic lives, nothing is more urgent, nothing more necessary, and nothing more rewarding than hearing what God has to say to us, both as bodies of believers and as individual people.

If you are going to develop a relationship with another person, you have to converse with that person in some manner. That means both talking and listening. Most of us do better with the talking part. There was a time when I was too occupied doing the Lord’s work to pay close attention to God’s voice. I was preaching six times a week, taping two television programs, traveling across the nation, writing a book, pastoring the church, and administrating a large church staff and broadcast ministry, among other daily duties. In the midst of it all, I spent time talking to God, very often about the needs I was facing in my personal life and ministry, but not much time listening to God. I ended up in the hospital for a week and out of circulation for three months. The net result for all of us if we don’t learn how to listen to God is that we can make unwise and very costly mistakes.

You may ask, “Does God really speak to us today?” The Bible assures us that He does. The book of Hebrews opens this way: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Heb. 1:1–2).

Our God is not a speechless God. Our God is alive and active in our world. He speaks! Furthermore, He doesn’t speak to us in veiled terms, riddles, or mysteries. He speaks to us plainly. The primary goal of any communicator is not to speak well but to be heard. God speaks in a way that we can hear Him, receive His message clearly, and understand with precision what He wants us to do.

What does the writer of Hebrews mean when he says that God has “spoken to us by His Son”?

How does God speak to people in the 21st century? How has He spoken to you in the past?

A Highly Personal Word

God speaks in both general and absolute terms to all people, and He speaks to each one of us personally. We can hardly comprehend that possibility with our finite minds. God is an infinite God, and He is capable of communicating with each one of us, right where we are—in the midst of our current circumstances or crises—in very personal, direct, and explicit terms.

This may be the most important concept you can ever grasp in learning how to listen to God. When God speaks, He is speaking to you. Everything in the Bible applies to your life in some way. Every message that is based on the Word of God has truth embedded within it that is for you. There is no such thing as a chapter in the Bible, a sermon based on God’s Word, or a book that expounds and explains God’s Word that is not for you. Each of us must take God’s Word personally!

Personal Does Not Mean Exclusive

This is not to say that God has an exclusive word for a person. God doesn’t deal in secrets. He won’t reveal truth to one person and deny it to another. Be on guard if you hear somebody say, “God told me something, but He told me that I can’t tell anybody else” or “God had a word that’s just for me and not for you.” God doesn’t play favorites. He doesn’t speak to one child and totally ignore His other children. His word of correction to you may be so personal that you don’t want to share it with other people, but God’s word of correction is an absolute that applies to all people. The same goes for God’s promises, provisions, and insights.

Always Important

God doesn’t speak frivolously. He doesn’t joke around. God means what He says, and He will do what He says. God is serious about His relationship with you. He doesn’t speak to you in idle terms. He expects you to respond to His voice, heed His Word, and act on it.

Can you remember last Sunday’s sermon? Can you recall what you read in God’s Word yesterday? You’ll be able to remember if you were listening for what God had to say to you and if you take seriously the idea that God wants you to do something in response to His Word.

God speaks for your benefit. He wants you to listen to Him and then respond to His words. Sometimes He will challenge you to change your thinking or to release certain feelings and opinions that you have been harboring. Sometimes He will command you to change certain aspects of your behavior. Sometimes He desires to encourage you so that you might live your life with greater joy and strength. Always, however, God’s Word is for your transformation. It is intended to change you in some way.

Approach God’s Word seriously. Listening to God is not a casual pastime or a “let’s try it and see if you like it” activity. Listening to God is the most important thing you can do for your eternal future.

How would you describe your prayer life? Dull and dry? Intimate and exciting? Somewhere in between?

In what ways could your prayer life be strengthened? What aspects of prayer are in good shape in your life?

In what areas have you struggled in attempting to hear God’s voice?

Today and Tomorrow

Today: God speaks to individuals today, and He wants to speak to me.

Tomorrow: I will spend time this week listening to God, as well as speaking to Him.

Lesson 2

Why God Speaks to Us

In This Lesson

Learning: Why does God want to communicate with me personally?

Growing: How can I improve that communication?

God speaks to us for reasons that are purely His own: He loves us, and He desires to have a relationship with us. Psalm 81 is a deeply moving plea from God to His people:

Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you!

O Israel, if you will listen to Me!

There shall be no foreign god among you;

Nor shall you worship any foreign god.

I am the Lord your God,

Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

But My people would not heed My voice,

And Israel would have none of Me.

So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart,

To walk in their own counsels.

Oh, that My people would listen to Me,

That Israel would walk in My ways!

I would soon subdue their enemies,

And turn My hand against their adversaries.

The haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him,

But their fate would endure forever.

He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat;

And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.

—Psalm 81:8–16

Can you hear the sorrow in God’s voice as He pleads with His people to listen to Him? And for what purpose? So that He might bless them! God wants only good for His people.

According to these verses from Psalm 81, what must God’s people do if they want to hear His voice?

What does God promise to do for His people if they will obey?

God’s Desire Toward Us

God created us for fellowship, that we might be in relationship with Him. He desires to walk and talk with us, just as He did with Adam and Eve. He loves us and wants us to love Him in return. He gives to us and desires that we give back to Him. He shields us and protects us from evil and desires that we trust Him. He provides all that we need and desires that we rely on Him as the source of our total supply. He is our Father, and we are His children. He desires that our relationship as Father and children be healthy, joyful, loving, and fulfilling.

Very specifically, God desires in His love that we might comprehend His truth about who He is, who we are, and the relationship He desires to have with us. He wants us to be conformed to His truth, applying His truth to our lives in a way that transforms us ever more closely into the image of Christ Jesus, and He longs to communicate His truth to others.

Comprehend the Truth

God has given to all believers a divine person, the Holy Spirit, who lives within us to help us receive and understand the truth. The Holy Spirit knows perfectly the mind of God, and the Holy Spirit communicates to our spirits the truth God wants us to hear.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

—1 Corinthians 2:12

What is “the spirit of the world”? What sort of things does that spirit teach people?

How is God’s Holy Spirit differentf rom the spirit of the world? What sort of things does He teach?

What are “the things that have been freely given to us by God”? What things has God given to you personally?

God desires that we know the mind of God. We can never know the mind of God fully because we are finite creatures and He is infinite, but we can grow in our understanding about who God is, how He operates in our world, and why He does the things He does.

For many reasons we may be limited in our understanding of God’s motives and methods. We may not have read all the Bible. To understand the true and full context of any passage of God’s Word, we need to understand the true and full context of all God’s Word. Also, we may have cultural differences that keep us from understanding fully what certain things mean in the Bible. We may not have the maturity in Christ Jesus that we need to understand deeper layers of meaning. We may be trying to understand the Bible solely with our minds, which is always futile. The Bible is a spiritual book. It speaks to and is applied to the spirit.

None of these reasons, however, are a fixed barrier for us. We can grow in our understanding by reading more of God’s Word, studying the cultural background of the Bible, gaining more maturity in Christ Jesus, and learning how to read the Bible with spiritual understanding.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

—John 14:26

What does it mean that the Holy Spirit will “bring to your remembrance” the words of Jesus? What is required of you if Jesus’ words are to be brought back to memory?

When have God’s words come suddenly into your mind? How did His word help you in those situations?

The Truth About God

The Lord desires that we know the truth about Him.

First, He is our Creator. God fashioned us as unique creatures. He made all of the natural world for us to rule and enjoy. He has provided all that we need.

Second, He is our life. God breathed into us His breath. We are spirit because God imparted His Spirit to us. We cannot exist apart from God.

Third, He loves us. He is continually reaching out to us with affection, calling to us individually by name.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

—Genesis 2:7

In what ways is mankind different from the rest of creation? What privileges does our special status bring? What responsibilities does it bring?

Before Adam sinned, God spoke with him face to face (Genesis 2–3). What happened to our relationship with God after Adam sinned? How does this affect our communication with God in the present day?

The Truth About Ourselves

The truth about ourselves is twofold.

First, the Holy Spirit convicts us that we are sinners. We are born apart from God. The primary message of the Holy Spirit is that we need God.

Second, once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit becomes our Comforter and Counselor. He speaks hope to us in times of turmoil. He strengthens our faith to trust God for our total sustenance. He gives us the assurance of our salvation and also of God’s faithfulness and total provision toward us. He reveals to us our nature as God’s saints on the earth and challenges us to grow more like Jesus.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

—2 Corinthians 5:17

What does it mean that Christians are “a new creation”? How does this rebirth affect the sin which Adam committed in Genesis 3?

What “old things” have passed away? How have all things “become new” for Christians? What do these things have to do with prayer?

As we discover more about ourselves, we usually begin to see others in a new light. We see our fellow believers as people whom God is also fashioning, forming, and transforming. We see that all people are loved by God, are in need of God, and can have access to God. We become much more inclined to love others unconditionally.

I have experienced this in my life from a friend who walked through a very painful time of suffering with me. God was sifting me, sanding me, and pruning me until I thought there wouldn’t be anything left of me. Sometimes I spoke harshly to my friend, but he always said to me, “I understand. What can I do to help?” He never rejected me or showed disappointment in me. No matter what I shared, he just loved me. He wept with me, prayed with me, laughed with me, and patiently listened to me. God’s truth to us is that we are to love one another.

These things I command you, that you love one another.

—John 15:17

Why did Jesus command His followers to love one another? Why is it necessary to make such a command in the first place?

When has someone shown true godly love to you? When have you demonstrated that to someone else?

Conformed to the Truth

It is not enough that we comprehend the truth. We must be conformed to the truth. God calls us to present ourselves to Him as if we are a living sacrifice. In the Old Testament days God consumed sacrifices with His holy fire as a sign of His presence among the people. In our time God’s holy presence burns out everything that is not like Jesus in our lives, and then He causes us to burn and to shine brightly with a zeal for the life that Jesus would live if He were walking in our shoes.

As we read and hear God’s Word, we come face-to-face with ourselves, our deficiencies, our errors, our faults. We say again and again, “I’m not like Jesus. But I want to be like Him.” At these times we know that God is truly speaking to us because God always calls us to become more and more like Jesus.

How do you do this? You say to the Father, “Help me to change. Help me to be more like Jesus.” God has promised that He will show you how to be like Jesus, and He will help you become more like Him.

Every time you realize that your life doesn’t line up perfectly with the truth of God’s Word, you have a choice to make: to accept or reject God’s way. When you accept God’s way and openly say to the Lord, “I’m not like that, but I want to be like that,” He begins to do something inside you. You may find that your tastes are changing. You may become uncomfortable in situations in which you used to feel comfortable. You may have new desires for things that are good, healthful, and wholesome. That’s the transforming power of God at work!

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

—Romans 12:2

What does it mean to “be conformed to this world”? Give some real-life examples.

How does one renew his mind? Why is this renewal necessary if one is to understand God’s will?

How does a renewed mind improve a believer’s communication with God? How would a Christian’s prayers be hindered if he is “conformed to this world”?

Communicate the Truth

Finally, God desires that we communicate His truth to others. God does not give us His truth so we might hoard it, but that we might share it. He does not impart blessings to us so we might store them up, but that we might give them away to others and grow in our capacity to receive even more from God. He does not love us so we might merely bask in His love, but that we might extend His love to others and, in so doing draw them closer to the Lord. Jesus’ commandment was this: “Go therefore and make disciples” (Matt. 28:19).

You communicate your relationship with God whether you intend to do so or not. Your actions, your demeanor, and your spontaneous words reflect your heart. But there is something beyond simply being that the Lord calls you to do. He wants you to actively and intentionally share with others what you know about God, so others might come to know Him, and so those who know Him might continue to grow in Him. He also wants you to share so that you might have more brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus and that your relationship with them might be deeper and richer.

God wants us to have a loving relationship with Him as our heavenly Father, and He desires that we have loving relationships with others so our lives might be more joyful, meaningful, and fulfilling. We aren’t called to a relationship with God in isolation. Rather, He desires that we become a family of God here on earth, with a sense of belonging, identity, unconditional love, and great value as individuals.

When we openly and freely share the truth of God with others, we build community. We forge eternal relationships. We connect with people who also are seeking to know God’s truth and be conformed to it. In that community we find strength and comfort and mutual assistance. We become “fitted together” with others in a bond that brings us individually and collectively toward greater wholeness.

Therefore comfort each other and edify one another.

—1 Thessalonians 5:11

The word edify is related to edifice, an impressive building or structure. What does it mean, then, to edify one another?

How might you improve another person’s communication with God by edifying him? By comforting him? When has someone helped you in this way?

You will be far less effective in communicating truth to other people if you are not personally being conformed to the truth. The fact is that people see who you are far more readily than they hear what you say. To live a life of being conformed to the truth, you must first comprehend the truth. You can’t become what you don’t understand, which brings us back to the central point of this lesson. Why does God desire to speak to you? He wants to show you what He is like, and He wants to reveal Himself to you.

God knows that the more you see Him for who He is in His fullness—as your loving Father and Creator who desires only the best for you—the more you are going to want to be with Him. The more you are with Him, the more you are going to want to become like Him. The more you become like Him, the greater your witness in the world. The greater your witness, the more others will begin to hear His voice and the more enriching and loving your relationships will become.

God speaks to you for your benefit and for His delight in establishing a relationship with you.

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

—1 John 4:20–21

Why is it important to love other people if we want to love God? What is the connection between the two?

What is the connection between loving others and having good communication with God? How might a lack of love for others hinder your prayers?

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

—James 1:23–25

When have you been embarrassed by something in your appearance which others saw but you didn’t? How can failure to obey God’s word be like that?

Today and Tomorrow

Today: In order to communicate with God, I need to understand the truth.

Tomorrow: I will spend time this week asking God to reveal the truth to me in greater measure.

Lesson 3

How God Has Spoken

In This Lesson

Learning: How does God speak to people today?

Growing: How can I learn to recognize His voice?

God has used a variety of ways to speak to His people down through the ages. He apparently talked face-to-face on a daily basis with Adam in the garden of Eden, meeting him in the cool of the day (Gen. 3:8). After Adam disobeyed God, he and Eve were expelled from the garden and God turned to other forms of communication with His beloved creation.

There are at least eight ways in which God spoke to His people in Bible times:

1. Direct revelation

2. Dreams

3. Written words

4. Prophets

5. Circumstances

6. Angels

7. Jesus Christ

8. The Holy Spirit

Ways God Does Not Speak

We will explore each of these eight ways briefly in this lesson, but I would like to indicate at the outset of this study that there are two ways in which God did not and does not speak to His people.

- God does not speak to His people through natural phenomena.

That statement may seem strange to you since many of us say that we feel closer to God when we are in the great outdoors. I am a lover of God’s natural world. Few things delight me as much as seeing the beauty of nature and taking photographs of what God has created. Having feelings about God’s presence and about His creation is not the same, however, as claiming that we have a message from God through some act of nature.

We cannot observe a volcanic eruption or a hurricane, for example, and say, “Look at what God is saying.” Neither can we perceive a certain pattern in the ashes of a fireplace and conclude, “This is God’s word.” I know a man who saw a cross shape in the clouds as he was flying in a jet one day, and he concluded that it was a sign that he was saved. A glint in the skies does not have anything to do with confessing our sinful state, receiving God’s forgiveness, or believing in Jesus Christ and confessing Him as Savior and Lord, which is the pattern the Bible gives for our salvation.

The broad message of God in nature is that our God is an orderly God who operates His universe according to purpose, design, and intention. We see in nature that God loves beauty and that He provides amply for His children. We see that God has seasons of timing and a rhythm of life for all things, including each of us. We see that God is infinitely creative, and certainly, as we look at some aspects of human nature, we must conclude that God has a sense of humor. Ultimately, we see in nature that God is supreme and awesome and that we are the work of His hands. We are the created and not the Creator. Nature speaks of God. That is far different from saying, “God speaks through nature with a personal word to us.”

When we try to see God’s message in natural events, we are dangerously close to the practice of divination. God clearly condemns divination—the attempt to discern God’s message through such things as the pattern of tea leaves or the position of the stars. God does not speak to us through astrology or fortune-tellers. The Bible calls these practices abominations to God (Acts 16:16–18).

Now, we must be very clear on this point so as not to misunderstand how God may use natural means to confirm His word to us or to reveal His timing. Jesus said that we are to be astutely aware of the “times and seasons” that lead up to the fulfillment of God’s promises. We find a good example of this in 1 Kings 18. Elijah told King Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” Elijah had received a message from God that the drought was ending. After Elijah said those words, he sent his servant seven times to the top of a mountain to look toward the sea, the direction from which storms came to that area; on the seventh trip, the servant reported, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” Elijah perceived that God was fulfilling His word, and he sent a message to the king, “Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you” (1 Kings 18:41–44) .

Note that Elijah had the word of the Lord first and was looking for the fulfillment of that word. A natural phenomenon was used to confirm what Elijah had already heard; the word of God came first. It’s critical that you see this difference. Many people make a grave error in assuming that God is giving them a message or a sign when they see some twist of a twig or a breeze from a certain direction.

- God does not speak to His people through occult practices.

God’s Word speaks strongly against conjuring spirits, such as in séances, and any form of magic that might attempt to give us direction for our lives. Soothsayers and seers were among the people that God clearly told His children to avoid (Deut. 18:10). We are to stay far away from such things as tarot cards, Ouija boards, crystals, magic charms, and other such paraphernalia associated with the occult. They are not methods that God has ever used. They are among the methods that the enemy of your soul will use to try to deceive you into believing something that is wrong, deadly wrong.

Direct Revelation

Direct revelation may be what many people today regard as an audible voice of God. It can also be thought of as a very strong impression, one that comes unexpectedly, is absolutely clear, and is very specific.

Abraham had a direct revelation from God: “Get out of your country … to a land that I will show you” (Gen. 12:1). The burning bush Moses saw while tending sheep is another example of direct revelation. Moses saw a bush “burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.” God saw that Moses turned aside to look, and He knew He had Moses’ attention, so He called to him from the midst of the bush. He gave Moses very specific instructions to return to Egypt and bring the children of Israel out of slavery (Exodus 3).

Jesus apparently enjoyed direct revelation from the Father in an ongoing way because He said to His accusers one day, “I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak” (John 12:49–50).

Read 1 Samuel 3, where God calls young Samuel to His service. What does the passage reveal about God’s methods of speaking to His servants? About Samuel’s response?

Dreams and Visions

God has also spoken to people through dreams and visions. We have a number of examples in the Bible. Joseph had two notable dreams. In one he saw himself and his brothers binding sheaves in a field of wheat, and all of the sheaves bowed down to Joseph’s sheaf. In the other dream the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down to Joseph (Gen. 37). Those were prophetic dreams about what was to happen later in Joseph’s life.

Daniel had visions in which God revealed to him the destiny of the world and the empires that were to come. Joseph, the husband of Mary, had two remarkable dreams—one in which he felt convinced that he should take Mary to be his wife and the other in which he saw God’s direction to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt. Peter had a vision that led to his sharing the gospel with the house of Cornelius, thereby extending the gospel to all Gentiles.

Four things are important for us to recognize about dreams and visions as a source of God’s word:

First, dreams and visions that bear God’s direct message are very rare in a person’s life. Not all dreams and visions are God’s messages to us. Some dreams are of our own creation and desire. Some are the result of the mind’s processing of information.

Second, ask God if He wants you to reveal to others what He has shown you in a vision or dream. Not all dreams and visions are meant to be shared fully and freely with everybody in hearing range.

Third, we are never told in the Scriptures to seek dreams and visions. In no place are we commanded to pray for them or to request God to give them to us. Dreams and visions are at God’s initiative.

Fourth, visions and dreams are confirmed by outward circumstances, either immediately or ultimately. If God gives a dream or vision, it comes to pass!

Read about Peter’s vision in Acts 10:9–34. How did Peter know that the vision was from God? What was God’s purpose in giving him the vision?

The Written Word of God

We read in Exodus 31:18: “And when He had made an end of speaking with him [Moses] on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.” God has always placed great value on the written word. In fact, the Hebrew people were among the first people on the earth to have an alphabet and to record documents. The reading of the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament, has been a mainstay in synagogue services through the centuries.

God’s commands were spread throughout the early church by both spoken and written means. The gospel accounts are a written documentation of the life and words of Jesus. Much of the New Testament was originally written as letters from the apostles to the various groups of believers throughout the Roman Empire.

Behind the written Word of God is always the inspiration of God. We read in 2 Timothy 3:16–17: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

—Hebrews 4:12

What does it mean that the Bible is living and powerful? When have you experienced its sharpness?

What are the uses of a sharp sword? What is required for care and safety? How do these things apply to God’s word?

Words of the Prophets

We repeatedly find this phrase in the Scriptures: “Thus says the Lord.” Those who spoke these words of God, the men that we call prophets, felt they had little choice in the matter. God so overwhelmingly gave them a message that they could do nothing else but speak. Isaiah spoke of it as a burning coal applied to his lips. Jeremiah said he felt as if he had fire shut up in his bones.

Prophets did far more than foretell future events. In many ways their words can be considered prophetic from the standpoint that they spelled out what was wrong in the people’s hearts. To be a prophet means to speak the truth of God to others. Sometimes that truth is about trends or future conclusions. At other times it is very specific truth about a particular circumstance. And at still other times it is the declaration of what God’s Word says. God continues to speak through proclaimers today: through preachers, teachers, evangelists, Bible study leaders, Sunday school teachers, and other people who proclaim the full story of God’s truth.

We need to be very careful in discerning who is telling us the truth today. Our main source for discerning a true prophet from a false prophet is the written Word of God. We must always ask, “Is this person telling me only part of God’s truth, without giving any of the consequences for not heeding God’s Word?” We also must ask, “Is this person telling me something other than what I can find in the Word of God?” If so, the person isn’t God’s prophet.

Our second means of discernment is evidence. What a prophet says, happens. If a person tells us that God is going to do something, it must come to pass. If it doesn’t, the person is a false prophet.

When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

—Deuteronomy 18:22

Why is it important to discern whether a prophecy is from the Lord or not? How can a person know whether or not a prophecy is truly from God?

What role does a prophet play in the body of Christ today?

Circumstances That Convey Confirmation

We spoke earlier about the proper interpretation of nature. Sometimes the circumstances God uses to confirm His word involve natural phenomena. One of the most notable examples in the Bible is the story of Gideon, who was unsure that he was hearing God clearly. Gideon asked God to confirm His command to lead the people in battle. He laid out a fleece one evening and asked that God make it soaking wet and the ground around it dry the following morning. Sure enough, the next morning the fleece was wet and the ground dry. Next he asked that the fleece be dry in the midst of wet grass. Again God graciously gave Gideon the assurance he needed by doing as Gideon asked (Judges 6:36–40).

I never recommend that a person stipulate to God the method He should use to confirm His word. We are not in a position to require God to do our bidding before we obey Him. Our position is to trust Him and take Him at His word—obey and leave the consequences up to Him. I believe we can, however, ask God to confirm His word to us. We can regard many of the miracles in the Bible as God’s use of circumstances to confirm the good news of the gospel message. They underscore the direct mandates of God, and they provide a second witness that God has spoken or give evidence that the gospel has been preached fully.

How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

—Hebrews 2:3–4

According to these verses, what is God’s purpose in sometimes using “signs and wonders”?

Angelic Messages

The word angel means “messenger from God.” God spoke through an angel to the parents of Samson, to Mary, to Peter, and to a number of other people in the Bible. God sends angels at His will and for His purposes. We are not to seek or pray for angelic encounters. Many people today have been duped into thinking that they can call angels or conjure them up. They may be conjuring spirits all right, but let me assure you the visages that appear to them are not God’s angels.

God’s angels come to people uninvited, unannounced, and unexpected. They usually are so awesome in form that their first words are, “Fear not.” They deliver their messages, which are always very direct and specific, and then leave. They do not engage in small talk, develop a friendship with a human being, or give ongoing guidance and help.

Angels appear to men and women throughout Scripture, but they appear in nearly all instances to people who are isolated from fellowship with a larger body of God-fearing people, those who have no other means of hearing God’s message. The Bible refers to angels as “ministering spirits” whom God sends to help us. But they always come to us at God’s choosing and on the authority of heaven. They do not appear when we think we need help; rather, they appear when God chooses.

Our response to angels must always be, “I will do what God says.” We are not to worship angels. We are to worship God alone, and we are to give all our praise to Him. Furthermore, angels are not dead human beings. Angels are of a different creative order. People do not become angels when they die and go to heaven. People are saints, and the Scriptures tell us that saints will one day rule over angels, although we presently have less power and wisdom than the angels have. Angels are strictly the servants of God. We are children of the almighty heavenly Father.

Jesus Christ Is God’s Word Made Flesh

God has spoken to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. He is God’s supreme Word to us, a Word that appeared in fleshly form. He embodies everything God desires to say to mankind—everything that we need to know about God’s nature, our nature, and the relationship God wants us to have with Him and with each other. Jesus Christ is God’s full expression of love, holiness, power, and relationship. As Jesus said of Himself, He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

If you have any doubt about what God wants you to do in a particular situation, look to the life of Jesus. Do what He did. If you have any doubt about how to respond to a situation, look to Jesus. Imitate Him. The only way in which you are not to be like Jesus is that you do not have the responsibility for dying as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. Jesus did that once—definitively. You are not anybody’s savior or deliverer. Jesus alone paid that price. However, you are to take up your cross daily and follow the Lord, pouring out the very essence of your life to bring others to Him.

God has spoken through the life of Jesus Christ, the perfect fulfillment of all His laws and commandments. Jesus is the Word of God made flesh.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

—John 1:14

What does John mean that “the Word became flesh”? In what sense is Jesus the incarnation of God’s Word?

What are the implications of this truth? What difference does it make to your prayer life?

The Holy Spirit Conveys God’s Truth

We will discuss more about the work of the Holy Spirit in the next lesson, but for now we should recognize that God speaks to each believer by His Holy Spirit. What assurance that should give to us! We have direct and immediate access to God’s opinion at all times. We have the full counsel of God available to us. We have His presence abiding within us to lead, guide, comfort, encourage, correct, and challenge us. The Holy Spirit is, indeed, “God with us.”

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 14:16–18

What did Jesus mean that He would not leave us orphans? What does this suggest about our relationship to God through the Holy Spirit?

Why can’t the world receive the Holy Spirit? What is required for such an intimate relationship with God?

Today and Tomorrow

Today: The Lord still speaks to people today, but there are methods that He does not use.

Tomorrow: I will ask the Lord to help me hear His voice, and I will remove any occult influences from my life.

Lesson 4

The Primary Ways God Speaks Today

In This Lesson

Learning: What does it mean to listen to the Holy Spirit?

Growing: How does God use others to speak to me?

In the last lesson we explored eight ways in which God has spoken to men and women through the ages. We must never limit God in the methods He uses to speak to us, but from my experience and observation I believe there are three main ways God speaks to us today:

1. through His Word

2. through His Holy Spirit

3. through other believers in Christ Jesus

The person who desires to hear from God and wants to put himself into the best position to hear from God will pursue His message through these three methods. Through these means God routinely, daily, and consistently speaks to all people who seek Him.

Listening to God Through the Bible

The Bible is the Word of God and is God’s foremost way today of communicating with us. In the Bible we have the complete revelation of God. He doesn’t need to add anything else to this book. Through the ages the revelation of God was an unfolding truth by God about Himself. In Jesus that truth was fulfilled. As Jesus said of Himself, He didn’t come to change anything about the law or the commandments; He came to show us by His life’s example how to fully live out God’s plan in our lives (Matt. 5:17).

God’s Word is for all people because it speaks to the basic human condition. The Bible addresses every emotion, human relationship dynamic, problem of the heart, aspect of the psyche, temptation or desire, heartache or joy, and issue of faith, love, or hope. In the Old Testament we have God’s laws and commands, complete with examples of how God works in relationship to His own law and what happens when mankind obeys or disobeys the law. We have songs and poetry that tell us about the nature of God, the nature of people, and the nature of the relationship God desires with mankind. We have promises of God’s presence.

In the New Testament we learn how God gave us His Son, Jesus Christ, to live out God’s plan before us, becoming our role model, mentor, older brother and, ultimately, our Savior and the door through which we enter eternal life. We see what happened to the first disciples as they received the promised Holy Spirit and began to live the very life of Christ Jesus in their society. We find teachings that show us how the Holy Spirit enables us to live a life that is fully pleasing to God the Father, a life that goes beyond mere law because it is based on the spirit of God’s law, not the letter of the law.

The Bible covers it all! Whenever we face difficulties, experience heartaches, or have questions, we should go first to the Scriptures. There God will speak to us directly, personally, intimately, and effectively. How does this work in a practical way? First, you pray and seek God’s guidance about a decision. You should ask boldly for God to speak to you through His Word and give you His wisdom (James 1:5–6).

Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

—Joshua 1:7–8

According to these verses, what steps are required of us if we are to find help from God’s Word? What benefits result?

Why does the Lord suggest that strength and courage are required for Joshua to follow God’s Word?

In response to your prayer the Lord often will direct your mind to a particular passage of Scripture that you have encountered in your daily reading of the Bible. He will bring to your remembrance His truth on the matter. If you do not hear from God about precisely where to turn in the Scriptures, you should begin to read the words of Jesus. (I suggest that you read a Bible that has the words of Jesus printed in red ink, making it very easy to see what Jesus had to say.) As you read, you may become intrigued with a particular line of thought, or you may be drawn to a particular word or phrase. You may want to use a concordance at that point to discover other places in God’s Word where that word or phrase is used. In many cases I have found that we may not go directly to the passage that holds God’s truth for us in a given circumstance; rather, as we continue to read and study, God leads us step-by-step to the information He wants us to see with new spiritual insight.

Eventually, you will come to a passage in Scripture that is directly related to your concern or question. It may deal with your specific experience in a way that seems uncanny or very familiar to you. Or the passage may deal in principle. You may find the key concepts that speak to your need. As you pray and read, trust the Holy Spirit to quicken your spirit to His truth. You may feel this as a warmth inside, or you may feel a great sense of absoluteness about a particular verse. Sometimes the words on the page of your Bible may seem to stand out to you as if they were written in bold headlines. Sometimes you may not be able to get away from a particular passage. It comes repeatedly to your mind, and you can’t seem to shake it from memory.

Do not limit your search of God’s Word to times of crisis or need. Read His Word daily. It is as you read daily that God directs you, challenges you, warns you, comforts you, and assures you. Daily reading is like preventive spiritual health care. How much better it is to divert a problem or to address a matter before it truly becomes an issue. In your daily reading God refines you bit by bit, always transforming your thoughts and responses into those of Jesus. You store God’s Word in your memory, almost as if you are making daily deposits in a bank, so the Holy Spirit can bring God’s Word to your mind. Don’t fail to read God’s Word daily. Go to it as if it is eternal nourishment for your eternal soul. Jesus said, “Seek, and you will find” (Matt. 7:7).

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

—James 1:5–6

Why does the Lord require that we have faith when we ask for wisdom? Why do doubts prevent us from gaining His wisdom?

In what areas of life do you need wisdom this week? Take time right now to ask the Lord to give it to you.

Listening to the Holy Spirit

As we walk in the Spirit daily, surrendered to His power, we have the right and privilege to expect anything that we need to hear from God. The Holy Spirit living within us and speaking to us ought to be the natural lifestyle of believers. We claim His presence, direction, and guidance by faith.

One of the lines of the Lord’s Prayer points toward our daily reliance on the Holy Spirit: “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matt. 6:13). I believe that is how the Holy Spirit guides us each day. He says no to everything that would bring us harm, and thus He delivers us from evil and temptation. He also speaks in our hearts a yes to everything that will bring us blessing.

In the Old Testament when men such as King David inquired of the Lord, the question was nearly always put to the Lord in such a way that the answer was yes or no. I believe this is the foremost way that the Holy Spirit speaks to us hour by hour as we walk through our particular set of circumstances. We can never ask too many times of the Holy Spirit, “Should I do this—yes or no?” or “Should I say this—yes or no?” We will sense in our spirits His word of reply to us. Generally, it will be a sense of enthusiasm and eager desire marked with great joy and freedom, or it will be a sense of foreboding, danger, caution, or need for silence. I find that it is much easier to receive the direction of the Holy Spirit by asking for yes-or-no counsel than to say to Him in general terms, “What do You want me to do?” Very specifically, the Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit guides us and gives us God’s advice in these ways:

The Holy Spirit reminds us of what God has said to us and done for us in the past (including God’s word to us in the Scriptures and through the life of Jesus). Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would testify of Him—in other words, remind His disciples of all that Jesus said and did and of its appropriateness for their lives (John 15:26–27). Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you continually about what Jesus would say and do if He were walking in your shoes through your circumstances today.

The Holy Spirit gives us words to say. Jesus described for His disciples what would happen at the “end of the age.” Then He encouraged them, explaining that the Holy Spirit would teach them what to say in moments of crisis or questioning. We, too, should breathe a prayer for the Holy Spirit to give us the words when we face difficult moments in which we don’t know what to say. We can trust God to provide words for us just as surely as we can trust God to meet our other needs. At times the Holy Spirit may advise us to remain silent.

The Holy Spirit gives us direction about where to go. The apostle Paul said that the Holy Spirit spoke to him when he was on his way to Asia, forbidding him to go there (Acts 16:6–7). We can trust the Holy Spirit to point us in the right direction.

The Holy Spirit guides our prayer. Paul taught the Romans, “He [the Spirit] makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom. 8:27). When we don’t know how to pray, we should ask the Holy Spirit to pray for us and through us to the Father. That’s how we can know that we are always praying in God’s will.

As you pray about a particular matter, ask the Holy Spirit to guide your prayer. Wait in silence for Him to bring to your mind various aspects of a situation or of a person’s need. You may be surprised at the things that the Holy Spirit prompts you to pray, things you had never thought about before.

“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

—Luke 12:11–12

When have you been in a situation where you didn’t know what to say? Did you ask God to give you the right words? What resulted?

When have you asked for guidance from the Holy Spirit in your life? How did He guide you?

Listening to the Word Through Other Believers

God uses people to speak to you. Some may be total strangers. Others may be dear friends or members of your immediate family. He uses pastors and teachers and Bible study group leaders.

I have been privileged to receive the wise counsel of many people of faith whom I admire and respect. Several years ago I felt impressed to call together several men to whom I opened my heart fully and shared the deepest wounds of my life. The men heard me with love and compassion. I then said to them, “Whatever you tell me to do, I will do.” They gave me counsel that was truly God’s wisdom, and as they prayed for me, God broke into some of the secret areas of my heart and healed me in ways I hadn’t even known were possible. I experienced God’s love for me in a personal way and with such great warmth and approval that I have never been the same since. God used those men to speak truth to me and to be God’s voice to me.

God gives you comfort and counsel through the words of other believers, and at times He uses people to give you words of admonition. You need to be open to these words also. Sometimes others can see far more clearly the mistakes you are about to make or have made. As you open yourself up to hear God’s word from other people, you must make certain that:

the word given to you is in total alignment with God’s written Word, the Bible. God doesn’t forget what He has already said. He doesn’t contradict Himself. If a word is from God, it will be consistent with what God has already revealed through Scripture and the life of His Son, Jesus Christ.

the person has no ulterior personal motive. When you are confused, in pain, or in need, you are much more subject to manipulation than you might be at other times. Make certain that the person who gives you counsel doesn’t want something from you and isn’t trying to manipulate you for his own purposes. Make certain, also, that the person turns all praise and thanksgiving toward the Lord Jesus and not toward himself.

the word does not include something that might harm another person. God doesn’t cause one of His children to be blessed or to prosper at the expense of another. He doesn’t move a person into a situation that will cause another person pain, loss, or suffering. If someone advises you to take action that will damage another person—their reputation, property, relationships, spiritual growth—don’t take that advice. It is not godly counsel.

the word is for your ultimate and eternal good. God does not deal in short-term gains with long-term disasters. He always speaks to you in a way that prepares you for eternity with Him. If someone gives you advice that seems to bring a great immediate blessing but carries the risk of long-range detriment, refuse the advice. God’s word is always consistent over time.

We must recognize that virtually all of us first came to believe in Christ Jesus because somebody told us about Jesus. Few people have a direct revelation of Christ Jesus or encounter Him first and solely in the Bible. Most of us hear the Bible preached in a way that woos us to Jesus as the Christ, or we hear a person’s testimony of relationship with Him. The highest and best thing that any of us can do is tell others about what Jesus Christ did for them on the cross.

Read Acts 3:1–8. Why did Peter not give money to the beggar?

How does Peter’s conversation with the beggar illustrate the principles of godly counsel described above?

Listening to Two or More Witnesses

Look for God to confirm His Word. He may direct you to two or more passages of the Bible that convey the same meaning. He may cause you to hear a sermon or a Bible lesson that is right in line with what He has said to you in His Word. He may bring a total stranger across your path to speak a word that seems amazingly on target with last Sunday’s sermon. He may use a friend to speak to you or direct you to a verse of Scripture. These multiple messages to you are part of God’s assurance plan that He is the One who is speaking and that He wants you to get the message without question or doubt.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

—Romans 8:26

When have you been so overcome with a situation that you didn’t even know what to pray?

What does it mean that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with “groanings which cannot be uttered”? In what ways is this comforting to know?

Today and Tomorrow

Today: God speaks to us today mainly through His Word, the Bible.

Tomorrow: I will spend time this week in Bible reading and prayer each day.

Lesson 5

How God Gets Our Attention

In This Lesson

Learning: Why do bad things happen to Christians?

Growing: What purpose does God have in allowing me to suffer?

When we walk in the Spirit, alert to God, we hear what He is saying to us as a natural part of our spiritual walk. This is the Christian life, living keenly responsive to the voice of God in whatever fashion He may choose to speak to us. We can have our attention focused on a person, a chore, or an idea, but at the same time we are so tuned to God’s voice that if He speaks to us, we immediately turn our attention to Him.

Unfortunately, there are also times when we choose to do things our own way. As a result, we head in a direction that will bring us to disaster or disappointment. God is speaking, but we aren’t listening. We aren’t tuned in to Him.

In these times God often uses unusual means to get our attention. Prominent among them are these four means:

1. A restless spirit

2. An unsolicited word from another person

3. Unusual circumstances—both bad and good

4. Unanswered prayers

When we look back at our lives, we nearly always can find times in which God got our attention through one of these methods. His prodding may have been profound or gentle. Regardless of the intensity of His wake-up call, we awoke! And once awake, we were more than willing to hear.

As we begin this lesson, we need to be aware that God uses these methods to get our attention, but they don’t necessarily have a meaning in and of themselves. In other words, we should not conclude that because we have a restless spirit, we are on the right track or the wrong track. I have met people who have concluded that if they have a certain amount of nervous energy about something, it must be right. I have also met people who automatically have decided that, if they feel agitated in spirit, they are sinning. A restless spirit is an attention-getter. The message that follows is what is important! Certainly, our conscience may prick us about a matter causing us to feel upset in our spirits, but the upset feeling is not the message. The conscience is based upon our understanding of right and wrong, and that understanding is rightly based upon the truth found in the Bible.

Sometimes the Lord will prompt a person to say something to us that is exactly what we need to hear. The other person may not realize that he is being used by God in this way, or he may be speaking to a group and have no idea that he is speaking directly to us. The message, however, hits us right between the eyes. It gets our attention.

Unusual circumstances must be treated like a restless spirit. Great blessings are not an automatic message that God is pleased with you. The message that follows from such an outpouring in your life may not be that God is pleased; it may be that God wants you to do something very specific with the blessings. A tragedy is not God’s curse on your life. Rather, you should perceive it as your opportunity to come before God to hear what He has to say to you in the midst of your need.

In the matter of prayer, sometimes we are so eager to hear the answer we want that we fail to hear God’s answer. We perceive in these cases that our prayer has gone unanswered. Our perception is not accurate, and it can lead us to question further, “Why am I not hearing from You, God?” Such questioning, done in an honest and soul-searching manner, can lead us to the position where we do hear God’s voice.

Restlessness of Spirit

The sixth chapter of Esther has an excellent example of God using a restless spirit to get a person’s attention. King Ahasuerus had been duped by his prime minister, Haman. Haman hated all Jews, especially Queen Esther’s relative, Mordecai. He tricked the king into signing an edict for the annihilation of the Jews. After he signed the proclamation, the king could not sleep. He had a restless spirit to the point that he “commanded [someone] to bring the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king” (Est. 6:1). The king discovered during that sleepless night that Mordecai had saved his life earlier by reporting an assassination plot. Instead of the Jews being killed, Mordecai was honored and Haman faced the gallows.

In my life God frequently uses a persistent restlessness to direct me. When I look back over my life and ministry, I can see clearly that every time God moved me from one pastorate to another He caused me to feel restless for several months beforehand. That restlessness drove me to seek God so that, when the time came, I was ready to hear Him.

A restless spirit is not a case of nerves. It’s much deeper than that. This type of restlessness originates in the deepest aspect of a person’s being as part anticipation, part uneasiness. It persists over time. When you have that feeling, the best thing for you to do is to stop and ask the Lord what He is trying to say. Spend even more time in the Word and in prayer. Don’t attempt to outrun this feeling or to throw yourself into some activity just to keep busy and to keep your mind occupied. Do just the opposite. Consider a time of fasting (from food, activities, time, or a combination of these). Set aside a block of time—perhaps a weekend or even a week or two—to quiet yourself before the Lord so that you can hear from Him clearly.

Read Psalm 10. What range and progression of emotions does the psalmist express?

What is the source of the psalmist’s restless spirit? What is the result of his restlessness?

A Word from Others

I don’t know anybody who enjoys hearing a word of admonition. We may say that we appreciate words of correction or warning, but we usually feel uncomfortable when they come. We don’t like to hear about sin or its consequences, especially if the person is talking about our sin.

King David was in such a position when the prophet Nathan confronted him about his sin with Bathsheba and his subsequent sin against Uriah. After committing these sins, David apparently continued his reign without any visible evidence of a guilty conscience. Then in 2 Samuel 12:1 we read, “Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him…” David desperately needed to hear what Nathan said to him, but it wasn’t a pleasant experience for him.

Not all messages from others are negative, however. I can remember a person saying something to me that was very positive. I wasn’t at all expecting a compliment or word of affirmation, although I desperately needed one at the time. The statement was not in response to anything I had done or said to the person. The person’s positive word, so specific and so direct, caught me off guard. When I questioned God about it, He let me see that He cared so much about me that He used a person who was almost a stranger to tell me so, in order that He might startle me into paying attention!

Sometimes we lightly dismiss compliments and words of appreciation or approval. The words of blessing may also be God’s way of getting our attention off our pity party to see our true worth in His eyes. The person who cannot receive heartfelt thanks or affirming words often needs such positive edification. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the person who cannot take criticism or reproof is destined for failure. That message is repeated often in the book of Proverbs.

In either case you must be extremely careful that others do not lead you astray with their words. People can use flattery, veiled threats, or even Scriptures to get you to fulfill their desires or do their bidding, all in the name of God. When someone comes to you with a message from God, take a close look at both the message and the messenger. Carefully weigh what the person says. And then go to God’s Word and ask the Lord to speak to you directly. Count the praise or admonition of others only as an attention-getter that causes you to seek God.

Sometimes the message that comes to you is one of information. You may be puzzled, frustrated, or worried by what you hear. At these times turn to God. See what He desires to say to you about the situation, about whether you are to act, and if so, in what way and when. That’s what Nehemiah did when Hanani, one of his brethren, came from Judah with a report about the distress of the people in Jerusalem and about the broken-down state of Jerusalem’s walls and gates (Neh. 1:1–11).

The word you receive from someone may represent a need in God’s kingdom, the plight of fellow believers, or a specific plea for help in extending the gospel. If your heart is touched by the matter or if you can’t seem to shake the message you have heard, take the matter before the Lord to hear what He has to say to you about ways in which you should become involved.

Has someone ever come to you with a word from the Lord about your life? What did you do? What was the outcome?

Read 2 Chronicles 10. What were the short-term and long-term consequences of Rehoboam’s failure to heed the elders of Israel?

Circumstances

Circumstances can set us up to open our hearts to God and turn our attention fully toward Him. I have seen numerous examples in my ministry of illness, accidents, bankruptcies, divorces, and other times of trouble bringing people to their knees and to a total reliance on Christ, sometimes for the first time in their lives, sometimes for a renewal of surrender and commitment. These situations are not necessarily caused by God. They may not be the result of our own error or sin. But they are circumstances in which we question life and seek answers, and very often that search for meaning turns us toward our heavenly Father and gives Him a greater opportunity to speak to us.

When trouble strikes, your first response should never be, “Why, God?” or “Why me, God?” There is no good answer to such questions in most cases. Your first response should be, “What do You have to say to me in the midst of this, God?” He will speak.

Unusual circumstances can also be in the form of blessings. This is certainly the type of attention-getting method I enjoy most! The apostle Paul described this form of attention-getting in Romans 2:4: “Do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” The blessings may be spiritual or financial, or they may involve your home or vocation. God just seems to pile on the blessings. If you are not careful, you may assume that you have a right to use these blessings in any way you desire. Instead, you need to ask the Lord why He is blessing you so abundantly. He may very well have a special plan for you to use these blessings for the furtherance of His kingdom, and if you fail to be sensitive to God’s plan, you can miss an even greater blessing ahead.

When has an unusual set of circumstances led you to seek God in a new way? What happened when you opened your ears to hear God’s voice?

Read 1 Kings 19. What unusual circumstances did the Lord use to get Elijah’s attention? What purpose did He have in doing so?

Unanswered Prayer

When all of our prayers seem to be answered, we may become complacent and just cruise through life without paying close attention to what God desires to say to us. Then we encounter a particularly urgent need, and the heavens seem to be made of brass. The silence is uncomfortable to us. We feel a growing desperation to hear from God. At that time God has our full attention, to be sure! There are legitimate reasons in the Scriptures why some requests are not granted:

- A person may be asking for the wrong reasons (James 4:3).

- A person may be in disobedience or rebellion (1 John 3:22).

- A person may be asking for something that is outside the will of God (1 John 5:14).

A person may be in a state of unforgiveness with another person (Matt. 6:14–15).

At times God refuses to answer our prayers because He knows that if He answers them, we will stray farther off base. For example, an answered prayer may cause us to respond with personal pride and error in thinking that our prayers alone led to a miracle, a healing, a blessing, or a person’s salvation. Peter taught that our relationships with others can influence our prayers. Husbands, he wrote, are to dwell with their wives “with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7).

We need to keep in mind, of course, that what we call an unanswered prayer may be a no, a not now, or a not until answer. Each is a valid answer, although it may not be the answer we desire. The Lord denied Paul’s request to remove his thorn of the flesh, and He gave instead a grace sufficient to help Paul face and overcome his problem (2 Cor. 12:7–9). Not all prayer is answered with a yes. Sometimes no is the best answer for our situation.

When has it seemed to you that heaven was silent? In hindsight was there a reason?

Read 2 Corinthians 12:2–10. What role does suffering play in our lives?

No Such Thing as an Accident

There is no such thing as an accident with God. He has a plan and purpose for our lives, and even when bad things happen to us, we can trust that God is continuing to work for our benefit. Our role is not to flail our arms against a tragedy but to lift our arms to God so that He might reach down and lift us up, hold us close, and speak His words to us.

God may use one method to get your attention in one circumstance and a different method at another time. Or He may consistently use one method to get your attention to the point that whenever you feel restless or face unusual circumstances, you automatically say, “I wonder what God wants to say to me?” Don’t try to second-guess God, however. Recognize that He is a creative God and that He uses many methods to reach us and guide us.

Recognize, too, that God doesn’t use the same methods for all people in like circumstances. He knows exactly how to reach each person. We err in prayer when we attempt to dictate to God how He should get the attention of another person. God cares enough to employ various methods to cause us to stop and listen to what He is saying. He does not let us walk into an open manhole, spiritually speaking, without giving us clearly discernible danger signs. He never quits trying to reach us so that He can guide us into His wonderful plans and purposes for our lives.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

—Romans 8:28

Who are “the called according to His purpose”? Are you one of God’s children?

Exactly what things does Paul say will work together for good in a Christian’s life? What causes even bad things to become good in a believer’s life?

Today and Tomorrow

Today: God uses all things—good and bad—to draw me closer to Him.

Tomorrow: I will ask the Lord this week to teach me how to recognize His attention-getters in my life.

Lesson 6

The Hallmarks of God’s Messages to Us

In This Lesson

Learning: How can I know whether I’m hearing God’s voice?

Growing: Where will I find the strength to obey His will?

Jesus said of those who follow Him,

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

—John 10:27–29

What a great statement of hope and comfort that is to us! We can know the voice of the Lord. As we follow His voice and do what He says, we will never perish, and neither will we ever be snatched out of His hand.

“But,” you may say, “how can I be sure that the voice I’m hearing is truly the voice of God?” There are five identifying hallmarks of God’s messages to us. They are a means of determining whether the voice that we are hearing is truly the voice of God. If you have questions about whether a message is from God, line it up against these criteria:

1. The message must be consistent with the Word of God, the Bible.

2. The message will usually be in conflict with the mainstream of conventional human wisdom.

3. The message will clash with fleshly gratification and basic human lusts.

4. The message will challenge one’s faith to rise to a new level.

5. The message will call for personal courage to do what God has said or to change what God has said to change.

As we begin our study of these identifying traits of God’s messages, let me point out that the first of them, consistency with the written Word, is always our first recourse in determining the validity of a message we believe to be from God. God never contradicts Himself. What He has set forth as truth in the past is truth now. A passage to keep in mind is this:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

—Isaiah 55:8–9

God operates at a higher plane than we do. His motives toward us are always pure and loving; His ideals are the most noble of all; His holiness is absolute. What God says to us is never going to be what the world teaches. God doesn’t stoop to our level; He calls us to rise to His level. His messages challenge us to live up to the high calling of a life in Christ Jesus, to pursue wholeness, and to seek the fullness of our potential in Him.

Keep in mind, also, that God doesn’t call us to become something that He doesn’t enable us to become. He doesn’t ask us to do things that He won’t equip us to do. He doesn’t hold out a goal for us that is impossible to reach. God’s messages to us will challenge us to be the best we can be in Him and to open our lives to receive the best He has for us.

But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

—Matthew 5:44–45

How do Jesus’ commands in these verses differ from what the world teaches? How do these commands go against normal human nature?

What does it mean that God “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good”? Why is this true?

Consistency with the Bible

God will never tell us to engage in any activity that is inconsistent with holy Scripture. That is why we can easily be deceived if we neglect the Word of God and don’t build it into our lives on a daily basis. We won’t be able to tell if a message is out of line with God’s Word unless we know God’s Word. If you are making a decision about a relationship, a business matter, a new direction in your life, or any major change, start your decision-making process in God’s Word. Go to the Word of God and stay there until you see clearly what God says about the matter.

You may have noted that when you are challenged in this study to take a look at Scripture and respond to it, you are usually given more than one verse to read. When you take the meaning of one verse and add it to the meaning of another verse and add it to the meaning of yet other verses, you build a foundation of meaning. You understand far more clearly the full wisdom of God on a particular matter.

You err when you come to God’s Word with preconceived answers and predisposed attitudes and say, “I’m looking for proof that what I believe is right.” You are in a far stronger position before the Lord when you come to His Word asking humbly and honestly, “Teach me Your ways, God. Show me what You want me to see,” and then let the Word speak to you in its fullness.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.

—2 Timothy 2:15–16

What does it mean to be “rightly dividing the word of truth”? How is this done?

Give some examples of the world’s “profane and idle babblings.” How do such teachings lead to increasing ungodliness?

Conflict with Worldly, Conventional Wisdom

God’s wisdom is not the same as the world’s conventional wisdom. A person who has grown up in a godly home, attended church all his life, and lived in a community that had a high percentage of God-fearing, Christ-following people might have a different understanding of human wisdom than a person who grew up in an ungodly atmosphere, never attended church, and lived in a sinful environment. The godly person who is surrounded with godly people may become a little naive about what the world is like, and he may say, “Well, what I hear God saying to me is what I’ve heard all my life.” That person needs to recognize that he has been blessed and that his situation is relatively rare.

In most cases God’s message stands in sharp contrast to what the world around us has to say on an issue. The world says that you are foolish to give to God, much less expect His blessing for doing so. God says to give a tithe to His storehouse and He will pour out a blessing on you (Mal. 3:10–11). The world says you are a fool to allow an enemy to get to you twice. God says to turn the other cheek when your enemy strikes you, giving him the opportunity to strike you again (Matt. 5:39). The world says everything is relative and truth is subject to conditions and interpretation. God says His Word is absolute and unchanging (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8).

We must recognize that most of the world is moving in the wrong direction. Jesus taught, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13–14).

When God speaks to you, He calls you to His way of thinking and seeing. In the New Testament this mind-set is called the mind of Christ. Ask yourself, “Would Jesus do this?” If not, don’t do it.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

—Philippians 2:5–8

What “mind” is Paul referring to in these verses? What is “the mind of Christ”?

How is this mind-set different from the mind-set of the world around us? What sort of messiah does the world look for?

Clash with Fleshly Lusts

We should recognize immediately that any counsel is not of God if it urges us to gratify the flesh, without any thought to the consequences. God gives us messages that please the Spirit of God within us, not our lusts and sinful desires. The Scriptures teach that every person must battle these kinds of self-gratifying lusts:

- The “lust of the flesh”—human appetites and sexual desires that are not in keeping with God’s plan for marriage.

- The “lust of the eyes”—covetousness and greed for material goods.

- The “pride of life”—the desire for power and status that exalt one over others (1 John 2:16).

We err when we dismiss these lusts as irrelevant to us as Christians. We overcome lusts and temptations by the power of the Holy Spirit, but we never become immune to human appetites, a desire for goods and wealth, or a longing for fame, power, or prestige. We are self-centered creatures and, whether we want it to be so or not, we are usually out for number one (ourselves). We must keep in mind that God’s voice does not feed our self-centered natures, but He calls us to righteousness, purity, and unselfish giving to others.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

—1 John 2:15–16

Give practical examples of each of the following:

Lust of the flesh:

Lust of the eyes:

Pride of life:

Challenge to Grow in Faith

A “measure of faith” has been given to every person, and our faith is to grow (Rom. 12:3). God desires that we come to the point where we have great faith. The disciples awoke Jesus to still the storm on the Sea of Galilee, and He responded to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). In other words, Jesus was asking, “How is it that you haven’t used any of your faith in this situation?” Peter walked on the water and started to sink, and Jesus said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt. 14:31). Jesus clearly expected His followers to have faith, to use it, and to grow in their faith.

We grow in faith when we hear from God, obey what He says to do, and then acknowledge God’s faithfulness to His word in our lives. If we aren’t hearing from God, it’s virtually impossible for us to grow in faith. The same is true if we aren’t obeying Him and if we aren’t looking for His fulfillment of His word in us. We must recognize that a faith challenge requires consistency, endurance, perseverance, and watchfulness on our part.

Jesus told a parable about a widow who went repeatedly to a judge for justice until he responded to her. Jesus pointed out that God was not like the callous judge. “And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.” Then Jesus said this about our tendency to give up too soon in matters that call for our faith: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (See Luke 18:1–8.) Persevere in your believing once you have heard God speak to you. Endure until you see the fulfillment of God’s word.

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”

—Matthew 17:19–20

What does it mean to have “faith as a mustard seed”?

When have you asked for something in prayer which you didn’t really believe would happen? When have you exercised genuine faith? What were the results?

The Call to Have Courage

Finally, a message from God will likely call you to have courage. If you are being asked to move against the tide of conventional human wisdom and act in contradiction to your fleshly nature, you are going to feel as though you are taking a risk in obeying God’s message to you. Any time you take a risk for God’s purposes, you are going to need courage.

Joshua knew this need for courage. The Lord challenged him with the mission of getting thousands of grumbling Israelites across the Jordan River so that they might claim the land of promise as their own. Prior to their crossing the river, the Lord exhorted Joshua three times to have courage:

Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.... Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

—Joshua 1:6–7, 9

Take a close look at these verses. In the first verse the Lord reminded Joshua of the promised blessing that lay before him. Keep in mind God’s promises as you stand in faith, believing God to be true to His Word, and as you step out in obedience to His voice.

The second time the Lord admonished Joshua to have courage, He said, in essence, “Stay on track. Don’t stray from My commandments and laws.” As you obey the Lord, you must stay in the Word, stay in fellowship with other believers, stay in prayer, and continue to listen keenly for God’s voice.

The third time, the Lord said to Joshua, “Don’t let yourself get scared or discouraged. Remember that the Lord is with you.” Fear and discouragement are subject to your will. You can command fear to leave you in the name of Jesus. The same goes for worry or feelings of frustration that you aren’t seeing God’s results as quickly as you would like. Remind yourself daily of what you heard God say, stay close to Him, and refuse to allow yourself to give in to fear or discouragement.

The good news is that the Lord doesn’t expect us to have courage on our own. The Lord tells us that, if we will have courage, He will strengthen our hearts (Ps. 31:24). When God speaks to us, the fulfillment of His plans hinges to some degree on whether we respond with confident, courageous spirits. His voice leads us not into timid discipleship but into bold witness.

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.

—1 Corinthians 16:13–14

Why does the Bible frequently command us to be brave and strong? In what ways are such things a matter of choice, rather than something that you’re born with?

How might acts of love toward others require courage and strength?

Don’t Hurry to a Conclusion

Nowhere in Scripture does God tell anyone to rush blindly into a decision. There may be times when we need to hear from God and act quickly, but God will never tell us to rush in without consulting Him about His timing. We often rush in because we have failed to ask God about timing. We assume that when the Lord tells us to do something, He means right now. That may not be the case. He may prompt you to wait for further instructions or to wait until certain conditions are fulfilled.

Take time to make certain that you have truly heard from Him and that you have heard clearly and precisely. Above all, make sure that He is finished with all He has to say to you on a point before you rush off to obey Him. His message may include instructions to you about whom to contact, where to go, and how to proceed. Make sure you have all the directions, assurances, insights, and details He desires to give you. You should subject the whole of God’s message to the points discussed in this lesson.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

—2 Timothy 1:7

What does Paul mean by “a sound mind”? In what sense can we have an unsound mind when we don’t wait for the Lord’s instructions?

What power has the Lord given us? What is the spirit of love? How do these things affect God’s will for your life?

Today and Tomorrow

Today: God gives me the strength and the courage to obey everything He asks me to do.

Tomorrow: I will ask the Lord to fill me this week with His strength and courage.

Lesson 7

How to Tell if the Voice is God’s, Not Satan’s

In This Lesson

Learning: Does Satan try to imitate God’s voice?

Growing: How can I distinguish between bad advice and good advice?

People often ask me, “When I listen for God to speak after I pray, I sometimes seem to hear two voices. How do I know if I’m hearing from God or from Satan?” This is a legitimate question because the enemy of our souls also attempts to speak to us. We know from Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness that Satan will try many tricks to convince us to listen to him instead of to God (Matt. 4:1–11). The apostle Peter warned us that the devil is always on the prowl, seeking to instill fear and confusion (1Peter 5:8). We must be on the alert continually to make certain that we are hearing God’s voice as we pray and listen for God’s answer.

Jesus told His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the religious authorities there. Eventually, He would be killed, but He would be raised from death the third day (Matt. 16:21). Peter took Jesus aside and privately said to Him, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” (Matt. 16:22). As well-intentioned as Peter may have been, his words were not God’s words; they were words that lined up with Satan’s message. Jesus turned to Peter and rebuked him, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matt. 16:23).

Peter had been a follower of Jesus from the beginning of His earthly ministry, yet he was likened to the arch-enemy himself. We need to recognize that sometimes Satan’s voice comes to us, not in our thoughts and imaginations, but through the words of other people, some of whom may seem to be well-intentioned. The Bible assures us that there is a way to tell Satan’s voice from that of our Lord. I believe that we will hear some distinct differences in the messages.

Satan Says: • The Lord Jesus Says:

Do your own thing; do what you want to do. • Consider the effects of your behavior on others. Live a selfless, giving life.

Live for the moment. • Live with an eye to eternity.

Don’t concern yourself with what others say. • Receive godly counsel.

You’re as mature as you ever need to be.You’re a grown-up. • Continue to grow and mature and to become more and more like Jesus Christ.

Certainly, the outcome is different for us when we follow Satan’s voice and message rather than the Lord’s. Satan’s path always leads to loss, destruction, and death. The Lord’s way always leads to abundant and eternal life (John 10:10). Part of the difference in outcome is in the way that we feel about our lives and actions:

- The result of following Satan’s dictates is frustration, dismay, and worry.

- The result of following the Lord’s message is a great inner peace.

As we take a look at each of these concepts in this lesson, keep in mind that no one is immune to hearing Satan’s voice and being deceived by it. We can never say that we are fully immunized against Satan’s assault on our minds.

Effects on Other People

God sees the beginning from the end, and He also sees all people and the full impact on others of what we say and do. God will never ask us to exhibit harsh or crude behavior; He will never lead us to do anything that might hurt another person emotionally, spiritually, or materially. God always works for the good of all His people, not just a few.

Satan, on the other hand, tells us what we want to hear. He tells us that we shouldn’t worry about the rippling effects of our lives on others. He tells us that every person is an island unto himself and that we should do whatever we please.

If Abraham had weighed the possible ramifications of his dealings with Hagar, no doubt he would have resisted Sarah’s pleas to produce a child with her maid (Gen. 16–17; 21). If David had thought of the severity of God’s discipline over his decision to number his subjects in Israel and Judah, he probably would have listened to Joab’s advice to halt the project (1 Chron. 21). If you feel that the Lord is leading you in a particular direction, ask yourself, “How will this affect people around me? Will anybody be hurt by what I am about to do or say? Will others be blessed?” These questions help you weed out Satan’s influence and hear the message that God desires to convey.

See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

—1 Thessalonians 5:15

When have you returned evil for evil to another person? When have you returned love to someone who did you harm? What were the results?

Why are we commanded to pursue what is good? How is this different from merely embracing what is good? Why must we actively pursue it?

God Is Never in a Hurry

Many references in Scripture mention the “fullness of time.” God isn’t in a hurry. He deals in eternal consequences, and He continually seeks the fulfillment of the full scope of His plan and purpose.

Satan always encourages us to act immediately because he knows that if we back off and think long enough about most things, we’ll reconsider. If we feel an overwhelming urge to act spontaneously, we’re probably better off to pull in the reins. God is interested in having all the details in their proper places.

King Saul lost his throne because he acted hastily. He had been instructed by the prophet Samuel to wait at Gilgal for seven days, but Samuel didn’t arrive on the seventh day, so Saul decided to take matters into his own hands. He prepared burnt offerings to invoke the Lord’s favor, even though only priests were permitted to do that. Sure enough, as soon as Saul had made the offerings, Samuel arrived. Saul offered lame excuses, but his rashness disqualified him from being king. Getting ahead of God is a terrible mistake, and the consequences are always distasteful (1 Sam. 10:8; 13:8–14).

On the other hand, Nehemiah patiently waited for God’s timing. He sought the Lord with fasting and prayer for four months until the king asked him why his appearance was downcast. Nehemiah explained his concern over the devastation of Jerusalem, and within days the king sent him to Jerusalem with full authority and all the necessary supplies for a major rebuilding project (Neh. 1–2:9).

It isn’t easy to wait patiently before the Lord until you are sure that you have the fullness of His message. But how much more satisfying the results are when you know that you have heard God’s entire message!

My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.

—Psalm 62:5–6

Why did the psalmist urge his soul to wait for God? What role does your volition play in having patience?

Why did the psalmist tell himself to “wait silently”? What role does silence play in patience? How can too much talk be counter-productive?

Taking Advantage of Wise Counsel

The book of Proverbs has a lot to say about the value of wise counsel. Proverbs 13:10 declares, “By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom.” Proverbs 20:5 states, “Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.”

We are to seek godly counsel and to hear from people who love the Lord and who are firmly grounded in His Word. I never advocate that a person seek out so-called professional counseling just for the sake of getting somebody else’s advice. The counseling may be more damaging than the original problem. When we seek counsel from others, we must seek out people who:

- have no ulterior motive over our lives.

- are eager to hear from God and are eager for us to hear from God.

- base their opinions on the Word of God and are eager for us to check their advice against the advice of the Bible.

If your counselor doesn’t have these three traits, find a new counselor!

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.

—1 Peter 5:5–6

What role does humility play in understanding God’s will? How can pride hinder good counsel?

What does it mean to “be clothed with humility”? How is this done?

Continually Value Spiritual Growth

Rebellious teens often say to their elders, “Don’t tell me what to do! I’m a grown-up too!” That is the attitude of many people toward the voice of God. It is an attitude of pride, based on an assumption that we know as much about any given situation as God knows. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Ultimately, God speaks to us in terms of our surrender to His desires. His messages to us aren’t about what we want; what we want is usually limited, self-centered, narrow-minded, and shortsighted. Rather, His messages are about what He wants for us, which is always what is eternal and loving, and what calls us to a higher and better way. The Lord’s messages are about our yielding to Him, taking up the cross and following Him, giving up our lives for others, bearing one another’s burdens, encouraging and building up one another, behaving in a way that causes others to walk in righteousness before the Lord.

Satan comes to us and tells us that we are wise enough in our own understanding to make decisions. This has been the temptation to mankind since the garden of Eden: just eat of the fruit and you will be wise as gods. In our day, the lie may be, “Just do your research,” or “Just get this degree,” or “Just take this seminar,” or “Just follow common sense.” All of these may be good things to do, but we err if we put our trust solely in our own efforts and fail to get the wisdom of God. The result is just as disastrous for us as it was for Adam and Eve. We find ourselves in trouble anytime we assume we can make decisions totally on our own.

We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ.

—Ephesians 4:14–15

Give some examples of ways that the world is tossed to and fro by winds of false doctrine.

What is required for a Christian to avoid that childish tendency?

A Peace Beyond Understanding

The net result of hearing the voice of Satan is a gnawing, nagging feeling of frustration in your spirit. Stop and take note if you believe that you have heard from God, and yet you continue to experience a feeling of uneasiness and questioning as you attempt to obey. You have not heard from God! God’s voice brings about a deep calmness in the spirit. We may be challenged by what God says, but we will not have a sense of inner conflict, worry, or a troubled heart.

The peace that God gives us is what the apostle Paul described as peace “which surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7). This is peace that comes with a settled heart. This inner peace is not shaken, regardless of circumstances. When that sort of peace comes to us, we know we’ve heard from God, and we feel confident that it is His voice: “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts” (Col. 3:15).

Some people have calloused consciences and don’t seem to feel anything in the wake of a bad decision. Not feeling anything is a bad state to be in! After you have attempted to hear from God and have reached a decision about something in your life, you will either have an abiding sense of calm, purpose, and peace, or you will feel uneasy, dissatisfied, worried, or uncomfortable. Pay attention to this feeling that flows from your innermost being. It is a confirming sign that you have or have not heard from God.

Identifying His Voice

Over time, you will grow in your ability to discern whether the voice you are hearing is that of the Lord God. The same is true for the voice of any person with whom you have a relationship. As a child I often heard my mother calling me to dinner. I didn’t have to wonder for a split second whether the voice was that of my mother. I had grown up hearing it. A thousand mothers could have called my name, but I responded only to my mother’s voice. As you develop an ear to hear what God is saying to you, you will come to know His voice unequivocally and immediately. He is your Father, and He calls you by name.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

—Philippians 4:6–7

What role does conscious choice play in combating anxiety?

What does Paul mean when he says that the peace of God “surpasses all understanding”? How does that peace guard our hearts and minds?

Today and Tomorrow

Today: God will never lead me to do anything against His Word.

Tomorrow: I will ask the Lord to make me aware of the promptings of the devil.

Lesson 8

Our Predisposition to Hear

In This Lesson

Learning: What is God’s character like?

Growing: How can I be sure that God will not reject me?

What you hear from God is determined in part by the attitude you carry into any conversation with Him. Our mind-set toward a conversation with God is affected by these things:

- Our prior relationship with God

- Our understanding about God

- Our attitude toward God

Anytime we have a conversation with God, we enter the conversation with some history. We have an attitude toward God based on our understanding of Him, and the result is that we are predisposed to hearing certain things from God and not hearing other things.

Have you ever tried to tell something to someone and he didn’t seem to understand you, no matter how many different ways you tried to tell him? It’s as if he had a blockage of some kind or an aberration in his mental processing. That’s the way it is with us in prayer. We won’t hear what the Lord wants to say if we have no prior relationship with God, if we have a faulty understanding of Him, or if we have the wrong attitude toward Him. The fault is not His, it’s ours!

You may feel that you are being blamed in some way if you aren’t able to discern God’s voice or hear from Him clearly. Blame is not at all the intention of this lesson. Rather, my hope is that you will recognize some of the blocks that may have been built into your spirit toward God, perhaps through faulty parenting, bad teaching, unexplained circumstances, or your rebellion. As you recognize these blocks, ask the Lord to dissolve them. Open yourself to His healing power. Ask Him to give you ears to hear.

Our History with God

Each of us has a history with God that began even before birth. God has ordained us to be on the earth, and He has a plan and a purpose for us, even though we may not have recognized them. The only message an unbeliever will hear from God, however, is that he is a sinner who needs Jesus as Savior. Until a person has received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior by faith, he will not be able to hear God speak on any subject other than salvation.

If you are having trouble hearing from God, you may need to reevaluate your relationship with Him. God is not motivated to speak to any of us on the basis of our good deeds or our needs. He is motivated to speak to us because He has a relationship with us.

When we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, the Bible says that we are born again. We are taken from the kingdom of darkness and placed into the kingdom of light. We become the children of God. Our salvation experience is the beginning of a two-way relationship with God.

Once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we must take a second step. Salvation establishes a relationship and settles the matter of our eternal security, but then we move on from salvation into identification with Jesus Christ. He becomes our Savior and also our Lord. That is, Christ’s life is now ours, and our lives are now His. As the apostle Paul taught, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).

In identifying with Christ I take on the mind-set that what happened to Jesus happened to me. He was crucified at Calvary; my fleshly life was crucified, and my sins were nailed to the cross. Jesus was buried and raised; I was buried and raised to a newness of life that will be unending. Identification is the theme song of Romans 6.

When we accept by faith that sin’s power over us has been broken by Jesus Christ, we are free to walk in the Spirit and to become the people God wants us to be. We no longer live for ourselves and on our own. We continually seek to live as Jesus would live, and we trust Him to enable us to do so.

The extent to which we identify with Jesus will determine, in part, what we hear God say to us. If we are content with the fact that we are saved, then we probably aren’t going to hear God speak to us. But if we are seeking continually to become more like Jesus, truly making Him the Lord of our lives, we are going to be listening for God’s counsel about how we can be more like Him. He will speak to us readily about sins that we need to confess, relationships that we need to make right, new behaviors and opinions that we need to adopt, new activities that we need to pursue, and new blessings that are ours for the accepting.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

—John 15:5

What does it mean to abide in Christ? How is this done?

What fruit have you seen in your life since becoming a Christian? What more fruit would you like to see?

Our Understanding About God’s Nature

What we hear is affected by our understanding of who God is. Each of us is born with a mental grid system of opposites. We tend to categorize things we encounter as good or bad, plus or minus, helpful or harmful. Over time this grid system of opposites gives us an overall perspective on life; some might call this our worldview or our mind-set. We transfer some of our thinking from the past into new areas of experience.

Below are seven opposite statements about your heavenly Father. Place a mark somewhere on the line to indicate the degree to which you tend to agree with each statement. Be honest with yourself!

Loving or Demanding Father?

Do you come before God expecting Him to accept you, love you unconditionally, and embrace you warmly? Or do you expect Him to ridicule you, put conditions on whether He will love you, reject you if you have erred, or fail on occasion to acknowledge you as His child? The Bible tells us that God’s nature is love (1 John 4:8). Because of His love toward us, He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him might have eternal life (John 3:16).

If you struggle in perceiving God as a loving God, look up all the verses in a concordance that relate to God’s loving nature. Write them out. Memorize them. Develop a new grid system in your thinking about God’s nature and His desires toward you.

Intimate or Distant Friend?

Do you come before the Father with freedom to say anything you like, trusting Him to understand you and not reject you? Or do you expect God to be like a bureaucrat who asks you to fill out your petitions in triplicate, take a seat in the corner, and wait until your turn is called as He considers your request? The Bible tells us that God is nearer than our breath. Jesus is a friend who “sticks closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24). Jesus said to His followers that they were His friends, not His servants (John 15:15).

If you struggle to regard the Lord as an intimate Friend, read the Gospels and observe how closely Jesus lived in relationship with people who followed Him.

Patient or Intolerant Teacher?

Do you expect the Lord to teach you the error of your ways so that you might improve, or do you expect Him to give you a grade of F, drop you from life’s course, and suspend you from His school? God is not a critical Teacher who is always harping on your lack of spiritual understanding or continually waiting to punish you for each mistake or failure. He is a patient, kind, loving Teacher who woos you toward Himself and toward the way of righteousness.

If you think of God only as a Judge and not as a patient Teacher, go again to the words of Jesus in the Gospels. Read what Jesus said. You’ll find good reason for His followers to have called Him Rabbi, or Teacher.

Gentle or Angry Guide?

Do you see God as One who disciplines you so that you might get back on track, or as One who punishes people in a fit of anger? Very often, people with abusive parents see God only as being harsh, unreasonable, and extreme in His discipline.

God gives us His rules and His chastisements to guide us in the way. Think for a moment what it would be like to be on a hike in a wilderness area with an experienced guide. You would likely do everything the guide asked you to do because you would see your very survival and return to civilization at stake. If you mishandled certain gear, wandered away from the group, or took a wrong path, you would expect the guide to correct you quickly. You would follow his advice without question because you would know that he was speaking for your benefit. The same is true for God as our Guide. He desires to keep us on His trail, using our resources and gear wisely, staying with other believers, so that we might ultimately come into the fullness of His kingdom.

Understanding or Insensitive Counselor?

Do you have a feeling when you come to God that He understands your concerns, or do you think of Him as not knowing or not caring about your desires, temptations, or emotions? Jesus came to show us that God does care about all aspects of our humanity. He is God’s example that God understands how we feel and knows how difficult life can be, but He also knows that we can overcome temptations and live a pure and righteous life.

A good counselor helps clients attain greater health and wholeness. The Holy Spirit is just such a Counselor. He desires to bring us to wholeness by binding up our wounds and giving us the inner strength to move forward in our lives. If you struggle with the concept that God is an understanding Counselor, I encourage you to look up many of the references in a concordance that relate to compassion, mercy, or merciful. The Lord does understand, and He cares. As David wrote in Psalm 103:8, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.”

Generous or Reluctant Provider?

Do you see the Lord delighting in you, generously pouring out all the riches of His glory on your life? Or do you see Him as a stingy God who plays favorites and withholds what you deserve or desire? The Scriptures tell us that God has infinite resources that He wants to give us. He clearly spells out how we can receive them all! The most famous story in all the Bible, usually called the story of the prodigal son, should be called the story of the loving father, in my opinion. In this story we see the portrait of a God who is ready and willing to bless His children with wonderful things. Luke 6:38 assures us that God causes blessings to come into our lives in “good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.”

If you struggle with the concept of God as a generous Provider, read again about how He provided for the Israelites in the wilderness and read all of the verses that relate to giving and receiving. Our God is a generous God!

Faithful or Inconsistent Sustainer?

Do you come before the Lord knowing that He is trustworthy, reliable, and consistent? Or do you question whether God will be there for you in your hour of need? The Bible proclaims from cover to cover that God is on our team. He never abandons us. We can count on Him. Lamentations 3:22–23 assures us,

His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

If you struggle with the concept of God’s faithfulness, look up the word faithful, faithfulness, or lovingkindness in a concordance, and read the references associated with the faithful, utterly consistent nature of God. God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. His nature never changes. His desire for us is constant. His presence is abidingand eternal.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

—Proverbs 3:5–6

What does it mean to lean on your own understanding? How might this lead a person to a faulty understanding of God?

What does it mean to acknowledge God in all your ways? How well are you doing this at present?

Our Attitude Toward God

We must have three overriding qualities in our attitude as we approach God.

1. We must be submissive. We must recognize that we are finite and He is infinite. We must recognize that we are created and He is the Creator. We must be willing to do what He says to do.

If we don’t have this attitude toward God, we want God to put His stamp of approval on our preconceived ideas and plans, or we want God to tell us we have done the right thing (which may not be the case). With that attitude we cannot hear the fullness of what God desires to say to us. We need to recognize that our attitude is one of pride, that we are approaching God as if we are certain of our success and sure of our decision-making abilities.

2. We must trust Him. If we don’t intend to trust God, we will never listen fully to all the details He will give us about how to obey Him. It’s as if we are saying to God, “I’ll hear what You have to say, but I don’t believe that You will be faithful to any of Your promises, trustworthy in helping me, or honest in Your appraisal.” We must come before the Father absolutely convinced that God is going to lead us in the right direction and that He will enable us to do all that He asks.

3. We must come before Him with a thankful heart. The Scriptures tell us that we are to enter His gates with thanksgiving. We come with an eye toward what God has done for us in the past. That enables us to receive what He has for us in the present and future. We should look back over our lives and recount all of the ways in which God has been good to us. This is something we can do, regardless of how difficult our lives may have been. We must recognize that God is for us!

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! .... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

—James 4:7–10

Why are we commanded to humble ourselves before God? Why is this important in our relationship with Him?

Why does James say that God will draw near to us if we draw near to Him? Why is our inclination important in the relationship?

Today and Tomorrow

Today: God wants to be in an intimate relationship with me, and He can be fully trusted.

Tomorrow: I will spend time this week giving thanks for all that God has done.

Lesson 9

How to Listen Actively

In This Lesson

Learning: What’s the difference between listening and hearing?

Growing: How can I learn to listen more actively to God’s voice?

Samuel was one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament. I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that his first assignment from God was to listen for God’s voice:

And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”

—1 Samuel 3:8–10

This story of Samuel tells us that there is a difference between active listening and passive hearing. Hearing is something you do with your ears. If your hearing is normal, you can’t help hearing sounds that are within a certain range. Listening, however, involves the mind, and we all know that we can hear sounds without paying much attention to them. Genuine listening is active. It involves putting the mind in gear to hear everything that is said as if it has meaning to the listener.

That’s how God calls us to listen to Him: actively. He wants our full and undivided attention. There are ten key aspects to listening actively:

1. Expectantly

2. Quietly

3. Patiently

4. Confidently

5. Dependently

6. Openly

7. Attentively

8. Carefully

9. Submissively

10. Reverently

We’ll go over each aspect briefly in this lesson. As you read about each one, I encourage you to think about your life. Ask at each step, “Do I do this? Is this the way I open myself to receive God’s message to me?” I believe that you probably will feel a certain degree of conviction about one or more of these listening characteristics, since very few of us actively listen for God’s word to us at all times. Consider that area of weakness to be an area for growth.

Listening Expectantly

If we are going to listen actively, we must come before the Lord expectantly. We must anticipate with eagerness His speaking to us. Throughout Scripture we have the promise that God will speak to us. Jeremiah 33:3 records, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Our expectancy is based on the Lord’s reliability. What the Lord says, He does. If He says that He will answer, He will.

Our expectancy is also an indication of our faith. If we believe God’s promises to us and rely on His faithfulness as our heavenly Father, we will expect Him to speak to us and act on our behalf. The stronger our faith, the greater our expectancy!

Read 1 Kings 18:20–39. What were Elijah’s expectations concerning God?

How did God honor Elijah’s faith? How can you imitate Elijah’s faith in God’s character?

Listening Quietly

The Lord says to us, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). If we are to hear from God, we must be quiet and let Him do the talking. Too many of us think of prayer only as a time of rattling off a list of requests, then getting up and going about the busyness of our lives.

Quietness is essential to listening. We are going to have difficulty listening to the still small voice of God if we are too busy to sit in silence in His presence, if we are preoccupied with thoughts or concerns about the day, if we have filled our minds all day long with carnal interference and aimless chatter. You may find that late night or early morning is a time of solitude and quiet for you. A noonday walk in a park may be a time when you can quiet your soul before the Lord. Ask the Lord to reveal a time and place where you might turn off the cares and worries of the world for a while and listen to Him.

My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.

—Psalm 62:5–6

Why is silence important when one is waiting for God’s answer?

How can such quiet waiting actually bring strength and stability?

Listening Patiently

The Lord does not always tell us things all at once or instantaneously. Sometimes He speaks part of His message to us at one time, part at another. Sometimes we hear a message from Him only after we have been waiting for a season of time.

We would like to be able to say, “Lord, here’s my order today. Please give me an answer before I get up off my knees. You have thirty seconds.” But that isn’t how the Lord works. He is not at our beck and call. We are at His command. We may wait for God’s answer for what seems to be a long time, but God has not forgotten us. He is very likely changing and preparing us to hear His message. Let that process happen in your life.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

—Psalm 37:7

How is waiting patiently related to waiting silently? How does one reinforce the other?

Why does the psalmist mention wicked schemers in this context? How can such fretting interfere with waiting for God?

Listening Confidently

As we listen to God, we must be confident that we will hear what we need to hear. It may not always be what we want to hear, but we can trust God to tell us what we need to know so that we can make decisions and change certain things in our lives for our ultimate good. I find that people sometimes listen for God with their hands clenched. They are afraid of what God will tell them; in part, they are afraid that they won’t be able to do what God tells them to do, or that they won’t be able to live up to God’s expectations for them.

Would a good parent tell a child, “Here’s what I want you to do,” and then not provide the child with information about how to do it? Certainly not. Neither will the Lord tell us to live, move, or act in a certain way and then not give us full instructions and sufficient information to carry out His directions. We must be confident that the Lord is never setting us up for failure. He sets us up for success—success in His eyes, success for all eternity!

Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

—Psalm 37:5–6

In what is the psalmist placing his confidence in these verses? What gives him such confidence?

What does it mean to “commit your way to the Lord”? How is this different from trusting in Him? Why does the psalmist mention both steps separately?

Listening Dependently

Have you ever heard the comment, “Do it as if your life depended upon it”? That’s the way we are to listen, because our lives depend upon our hearing. Do you read your Bible as if it is the very food for your soul, without which you will starve? Do you listen for God to tell you what to do, with the awareness that if He doesn’t tell you what to do, you really have nothing to do? That was the position of the prophets in the Old Testament. That was the position of Jesus in the New Testament. That was the position of the apostles as they attempted to do what Jesus called them to do. That is the position we are to take today. We must have no agenda other than His agenda. We must have no schedule other than His schedule.

For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

—1 Corinthians 2:11–12

What is Paul saying concerning the Spirit of God in these verses? Put his reasoning into your own words.

Why are we completely dependent upon the Holy Spirit for understanding God’s mind?

Listening Openly

We must come to God with hearts and minds open to receive whatever He chooses to give us. To listen openly means to be willing to hear God correct us as well as comfort us, to hear Him convict us as well as assure us, to hear Him chastise us as well as praise us. We will not always hear what God has to say if we come to the Lord willing to hear only words of prosperity, blessing, and comfort.

Unfortunately, the more unwilling we are to hear words of correction, the greater grows our need for correction. Come before the Lord humbly depending on the Holy Spirit to bring to your mind the areas of your life that need to be changed. Accept both the positive and the negative things the Lord says to you about yourself. Recognize that His words of correction are for your good and that they are just as loving as His words of comfort.

The minute you say to the Lord, “I’ll do anything but” or “I’ll go anywhere but,” you are no longer open. The minute you say to Him, “I trust You in every area of my life except…,” you are no longer open. The minute you say, “I don’t believe that You would ever… ,” you are no longer open. Don’t put limits on what God may say to you.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

—2 Timothy 3:16–17

What is the difference between reproof and correction? Define each in your own words.

Why are these things necessary if a person wants to be “thoroughly equipped for every good work”?

Listening Attentively

When I am preaching, I can always look out at the congregation and tell the people who are attentively listening for the Lord to speak to them personally. They often have a notepad open and a pen poised to take notes. They are diligently looking for God’s directions. To be attentive means literally to attend, or to pay attention, to each word. This is more than expectancy that God is speaking. It is listening to each word for all nuances of meaning, all aspects of the message that God is giving. When we truly listen attentively, we don’t miss a thing!

Listening Carefully

To listen carefully means to listen for the Holy Spirit to confirm that the word which we are hearing is a genuine word from God. We must put everything we hear to that test. It must line up with the written Word of God. It must be in keeping with the full example of the life of Christ. It must be in harmony with the way God has spoken to His people through the ages. To listen with care means that we care enough to evaluate every message against the fullness of God’s truth.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

—1 John 4:1–3

What does it mean to “test the spirits”? How does a Christian do this?

Why is it so important to test every message?

Listening Submissively

To listen submissively means that you listen with the full intent of obeying. If you plan to obey what you hear, you obviously take care to understand. This includes understanding whom you should work with. The Lord rarely calls us to undertake projects totally on our own. Even when the Lord calls us to reevaluate a certain aspect of our personal lives, He often directs us toward a person that we can trust to be a wise counselor to us.

When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane, He was already committed to the Father’s will. However, He struggled with the Father to determine whether there was another way to accomplish God’s purpose. There will be times when we come to God, listen to Him, and then grapple with what we hear. We may not be disobedient, but we may not understand how or why God is working in a certain way.

Being submissive does not mean that you automatically lose all your other longings. They may be with you all your life. But in the end, submitting to God’s word is the only way that you will ever find genuine meaning and purpose in life. Only as you submit to God can you hear from Him clearly and be in a position where the Lord can do for you all that He has promised to do. As long as you have a mind of your own, you cannot fully have the mind of Christ. Don’t let a spirit of rebellion impair your ability to listen.

Read Matthew 26:36–42. How did Jesus demonstrate complete submission to God’s will?

What areas of your own life need to be in greater submission to God?

Listening Reverently

A reverent heart stands in awe of God. What a privilege we have to hear from the God of the universe, the Creator of all that is. When we listen reverently, we listen with wonder—first that God would speak to us, and then that God would invite us to be a part of His plans and purposes. You must never take God for granted. That is, you must never assume that God exists for your pleasure and bidding. Rather, you exist to worship, serve, and be a friend to God. He is the Lord. You are His follower.

At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

—Philippians 2:10–11

Do you enter God’s presence with a sense of humility, or with a sense of familiarity?

Listening with Ears to Hear

All of these aspects of active listening are ways in which we truly have “ears to hear.” Jesus said repeatedly to His disciples, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matt. 11:15; 13:9, 43). Active listening requires that you make these declarations in the spirit by faith as you listen to God:

1. I’m eager to hear what You are going to say to me (expectant).

2. I’m listening, Lord (quiet).

3. I’ll wait until I hear from You (patient).

4. I’m confident that You are going to tell me what I need to hear (confident).

5. I depend upon You completely to tell me who I am to become, what I am to say, and what I am to do (dependent).

6. I want to be open to all possibilities, Lord (open).

7. I am listening keenly to every word (attentive).

8. I am trusting You, Holy Spirit, to confirm to me that what I am hearing is, indeed, from God (careful).

9. Not my will or way, but Yours, Lord (submissive).

10. I am in awe and thanksgiving that You would speak to me, Lord (reverent).

Rate yourself on the following traits of active listening.

Today and Tomorrow

Today: The Lord calls me to be an active listener, having ears to hear.

Tomorrow: I will review the check list this week and work on areas of listening that need improvement.

Lesson 10

Sitting in God’s Presence

In This Lesson

Learning: How can I put all these theories into practice?

Growing: How can I learn to listen to God?

In this final lesson we want to put together many of the concepts that we have covered in earlier lessons and go through a time of hearing from God in a step-by-step way. This process is meditation. Meditation in recent years has been associated largely with Eastern religions, but we need to remember that Christians have practiced godly Bible-centered meditation for centuries. You may be more comfortable using the term reflection or contemplation. I like the phrase “sitting before the Lord.”

When King David began making plans to build a temple for the Lord in Jerusalem, the Bible records that he “went in and sat before the Lord” (2 Sam. 7:18). That is a very descriptive phrase to me—one that defines our spiritual demeanor more than our physical posture. The usual position for Jewish prayer through the centuries has been to stand in God’s presence. David was sitting, kneeling and resting back on his heels, humbly listening for what God was going to say to him.

There are five basic steps in this process:

1. Setting aside time

2. Getting still before the Lord

3. Recalling the Lord’s goodness

4. Making a request

5. Submitting our will to God’s answer

As we discuss each step, I encourage you to think, “How can I do this?” It isn’t enough to learn these steps. You need to do them and have an experience of listening to and hearing from God. After we have gone through the steps of meditation, we’ll turn to the results that virtually all people experience after a time of meditation:

1. A deep, abiding sense of inner peace

2. A renewal of a positive attitude

3. A feeling of personal intimacy with the Lord

4. An inner realization of purification

5. A passion to obey

Setting Aside Time with God

Meditation requires a commitment of time. I encourage you to think of this as a season of time. The exact length of time, whether five minutes or an hour, will be determined largely by your purpose and your state of being as you come before the Lord. If you are in deep distress or if you face a major decision in your life, you should count on spending a longer time with the Lord.

Discuss your need to be alone with the Lord with your family members and others who depend on you. Find a time and place where you can be exclusively with Him. Make an appointment with the Lord. I sometimes go away for a weekend or an entire week to be alone with God. At other times I designate a half day to do nothing but sit in God’s presence with my Bible open before me. Set aside enough time to go through the process of slowing down. It takes a while for us to turn our full attention away from the cares of the world.

In anticipation of your time with the Lord, ask the Lord to do these three things in your life:

1. “Lord, help me to have an open mind and heart.” Don’t come into a meditation time with a closed spirit.

2. “Lord, help me to have a clear mind and heart.” Your desire must be to hear the voice of God with certainty and to have a firm understanding that what you have heard is in line with God’s Word. Ask the Lord to remove any doubt or vacillation from your thinking.

3. “Lord, help me to have an uncluttered mind and heart.” Ask the Lord to help you put aside the worries, frustrations, and concerns that you have about relationships, business, school, and so forth. Ask the Lord to help you stay focused on Him during your meditation time.

Your goal in coming before the Lord is to have a mind committed to hearing from the Lord, not to have a closed, cloudy, or cluttered mind. Ask the Lord to help you in this regard so that your meditation time will bear much good fruit. The feelings associated with setting aside time are usually eagerness, anticipation, focus, self-control, purpose, and a hunger to hear from God.

What were your feelings as you anticipated your appointment with God? (Record them after your time of meditation.)

Getting Still Before God

As you begin your time of meditation, get still before God. Fix your thoughts on Him. True stillness before the Lord involves a sense of relaxation and of total ease in the Lord’s presence. I find that the most wonderful stillness comes when I see Him as Friend, walking and talking with me along the beach or mountain trail, sitting beside me in an easy chair in my living room or study, sitting opposite me at the kitchen table. The Lord desires to be with you.

The feelings often associated with stillness are awe, wonder, awareness, closeness, ease, delight, and timelessness.

How long did it take you to get still before the Lord? What obstacles did you encounter in that process? List those obstacles here so that you can work on avoiding them in future times of meditation.

Recalling the Goodness of God

Many times in the Old Testament the people of God were called to remember all the good things God did for them. As you spend time in stillness of heart before the Lord, call to your mind the goodness of God.

Review your past. Think back over your life and recall the many times in which God has protected you, provided for you, blessed you, and cared for you.

Reflect on the Lord Himself: His greatness, His grace, His goodness. You may find it helpful to recall some of the names of God in the Bible—Jehovah, Yahweh, Elohim—which point to the nature of God as everlasting, infinite in power, absolutely faithful.

Remember God’s promises. His promises in the Word are for all of His children of every generation. He promises to provide for us and to work all things to our eternal good, to protect us from evil, to grant us His peace, to forgive us of sin when we turn to Him, to give us His Spirit, and never to leave or forsake us.

The feelings associated with this step of meditation are usually joy, faith, an outpouring of love, thanksgiving, humility, praise, a positive feeling about the future, and an eagerness to see what God will do next.

List below some of the things that the Lord brought to your mind. Refer back to this list frequently in the coming days.

Making Your Request

So many of us rush to this phase. But how much more meaningful to make a petition to the Lord after we have entered into His presence with a committed mind and heart, having removed the hindrances of sin or false understanding that might keep us from hearing Him clearly. How different our requests are likely to be after we have spent time with the Lord recalling His work in our lives, His glorious nature, and His promises to us. We are far more likely to ask for the genuine desires of our hearts, not mere superficial wishes. State your request as simply as possible. Get to the very heart of what you want the Lord to do for you, in you, or through you.

The feelings often associated with making a request are humility, release, and freedom. When you make an appropriate request before the Lord, you have a sense that you are asking something that the Lord desires for you. If you have to build a case for your request, you probably are asking in error.

List your petitions below. Leave room in the margins to write the Lord’s answer and the date when you receive the answer.

Submitting Your Will to God’s Answer

As you make your request, be aware of any pride in your heart. Ask Him to remove your pride. Be aware of any lack of belief that God can and will answer your request. Be aware of any answers you are likely to reject out of hand even before God speaks. Ask Him to help you in your unbelief.

Pray again that the Lord will keep your mind open, unclouded, and uncluttered. Then sit before the Lord and wait for His response to you. The feeling that one generally has at this point in meditation is a sense of giving up, surrendering, yielding, allowing, opening up, or receiving.

Gaining a New Perspective

When we meditate on the Lord, we see things from a different perspective. The things that have occupied our minds lose their grip. New things awaken in us. We feel stronger and better able to face life. Psalm 36:9 asserts, “In Your light we see light.” There is something about God shedding His enlightenment on a subject that causes us to see clearly His truth.

The apostle Paul prayed that the Ephesians might be given a “spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened” so that they might know the hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance, and the exceeding greatness of His power toward them (Eph. 1:17–18).

What a wonderful thing to experience! Nothing will seem impossible to us if we come away with renewed hope, an awareness of all that He has for us, and an assurance that He can and will act in power to bring about all that He has said. Very specifically, you can expect these five feelings to pervade your entire being as the result of a time spent in meditation before the Lord:

1. Peace. Jesus said, “My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). Christ’s presence in you gives you a deep assurance and an abiding sense of rest. Your mind will no longer be tossed to and fro with wildly divergent opinions. Your heart will no longer feel troubled. Your spirit will no longer be agitated or feel pressed down under a heavy burden. You will know peace.

2. Positive attitude. This is not simply positive thinking. This is an all-encompassing attitude that God is in charge, and things are going to turn out according to His plan and purpose. A person with this attitude can’t wait to get up the next day to see what God is going to do!

3. Personal intimacy. You have a feeling after a time of deep meditation with the Lord that you have shared yourself fully with Him and that He has shared Himself fully with you. God is not detached, aloof, or far away. He is nearer than near. He is within you, and you are within Him.

4. Purification. A time of sitting with the Lord makes you feel clean inside. The Lord’s presence is purifying. The longer you are with Him, the more you see yourself for who you are, the more willing you are to face your sins and ask His forgiveness, the more He forgives, and the greater the cleansing you feel. With purification comes a feeling of release, freedom, and eagerness to move forward with strength.

5. Passion to obey. You can come before the Lord tired in body, weary in spirit, emotionally distraught, fragmented in mind and find that after a time of meditation with the Lord, you feel energy, power, strength, and renewed enthusiasm for life. God works from the inside out to refresh you. And the result is that you have an eagerness to get up and get moving and actually do what the Lord has revealed to you. You feel an eagerness to follow the Lord and receive all that He has prepared for you. You want to do His will and walk in His ways because you know that it will be for the glory of His name and for your eternal benefit.

These five manifestations of renewal confirm that you have spent time with God. His precise answer may not have been revealed to you during your meditation time, but you have the assurance that God has heard your petition and that His answer is on the way! You feel confident that, as you continue to listen, you will hear all that He has to say to you.

If you spend time with the Lord and don’t experience these five manifestations, I encourage you to spend more time with the Lord. Go back to the beginning and ask the Lord to reveal to you which step you may have missed or shortchanged in the meditation process. Sit again in the Lord’s presence, and do this as often as necessary until you feel peace, have a positive attitude, sense a deep personal intimacy with the Lord, are aware of inner purification, and have a passion to obey His word to you.

Taking Time to Meditate

Now is the time to do this! If you are doing this study alone, identify a time and place when you can shut yourself away with God to hear from Him. If you are doing this study in a group, discuss with others in your group how and when you intend to spend time sitting before the Lord.

Identify the issues that are of greatest concern to you. They are the petitions that you are taking into your meditation time. Be aware that these petitions may change as the result of reminding yourself about God’s work in your life, reflecting on God’s nature, or recalling God’s promises.

And then enter into a time of deep fellowship with the Lord. After you have done so, reflect on how you felt about that experience and what direction the Lord gave you for your life. You may want to make a note in your Bible or perhaps discuss it with your group. Be as specific as you can in identifying your feelings and the insights you have as a result of meditating before the Lord.

Today and Tomorrow

Today: Listening to God involves intimate times of conversation, as with a close friend.

Tomorrow: I will make an appointment with God within one week.

Table of Contents

Preparing to Hear from God

God Has Something to Say to You

Why God Speaks to Us

How God Has Spoken

The Primary Ways God Speaks Today

How God Gets Our Attention

The Hallmarks of God’s Messages to Us

How to Tell If the Voice Is God’s, Not Satan’s

Our Predisposition to Hear

How to Listen Actively

Sitting in God’s Presence