GOD is still speaking today, especially through the Holy Spirit, and those who have matured spiritually are able to follow His guidance and direction because they know His voice. I am talking about his voice, apart from visions and prophecy.
BY PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI
If you’re to get direction in life from God, you must be able to hear Him. The reason many believers struggle to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit is because they’re dominated by their senses. The primary way in which the Holy Spirit guides us is through our human spirit. Many, however, often think the Spirit of God will lead them through their mentality. Psalm 37:23 –24, “The steps of a good man (righteous, born-again) are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.”
If you’re not familiar with his voice, how then will he order your steps? The primary way in which God speaks to us is through the written scriptures as we have them in the Bible. The Bible contains the full counsel of the Lord. It may have been written by men and women of blood and flesh like you, but they received their inspiration from the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).
As you study the scriptures, you’re able to understand the general will of God concerning you as a believer. In Christianity there is a way of life, and you find that way through the scriptures. As you study them, God will be speaking to you through them because all scripture is inspired by him (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Understanding the word of God is important because this will help you when God begins to speak to you in the other available ways. He will never say anything that is contrary to, or in conflict with, the written word. In this light, intimate knowledge of the scriptures becomes important.
Sometimes you may feel like the Lord is asking you to do something. If you’re not sure, it’s always important to check if that thing lines up with the scriptures. If it violates the word of God, then it’s most likely that it’s not the Holy Spirit speaking to you.
When God begins to speak to you apart from the written word, you will know, courtesy of the inward witness in your spirit. It’s an inexplicable knowing — a strong conviction deep in your spirit (John 10:4–5).
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
We know from the scriptures that Jesus is the good shepherd, and we’re the sheep of His pasture. I love the analogy of the shepherd and the sheep. The lambs don’t follow the voice of the shepherd, but of the bleating older sheep that know the voice of the shepherd. It is only when they have grown, gotten some experience with the flock that they learn to follow the shepherd on their own.
God often starts leading you through the inward witness. Romans 8:16, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit…” This is an inward intuition, or something you may call “a check” in your spirit. If God is agreeable to what you want to do, as you pray about it, you will begin to feel peace with the idea.
If you have been saved, you know that you’re a child of God. Someone doesn’t have to come and give you a prophetic word to that effect. You just know, because “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself…” (1 John 5:10).
The Holy Spirit can also “impress” ideas into your spirit for we learn in Proverbs 20:27 that “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.” The impressions you get in your spirit are part of the “still, small voice” in which God spoke to Moses at the burning bush. Sometimes your thoughts may conflict with an idea or impression that God drops into your spirit because it may not make sense.
The Bible, however, encourages us to follow the unction in our spirit rather than the arguments in our minds. Reasoning too much often makes it difficult for you to hear God. Someone can come to you with a proposal that you may think will be the best deal of your lifetime, but take time to pray; go into a quiet place and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you concerning it before making any rash decision.
Sometimes the voice of the Holy Spirit in your heart is like the flow of spontaneous thoughts, feelings or impressions. You can be just sitting at home and, in a flash, think of someone close to you. Perhaps God will be telling you to pray for them.
Besides the voice of your own human spirit, which we’ve just discussed, the Holy Spirit has a voice. This is a more authoritative voice than the “inward witness” and your conscience. Sometimes it’s so real that it’s almost audible. It was just like the case in which the young boy Samuel heard his name being called out and he thought it was Eli the priest when, in fact, it was the Holy Spirit (1 Samuel 3).
Usually, this voice is so plain you’d think there’s someone in the room with you when you’re alone. This, however, is a rare phenomenon.
Feedback: [email protected]
