THE PRINCIPLES OF HEARING GOD’S VOICE
How does God speak?
Does God still speak to His people?
If I speak to God, will He hear me?
These are things we are going to consider in this message.
Revelation 2:29 KJV
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
As we look at this passage, we see that God speaks. It us one thing for God to speak and another thing to perceive God while He is speaking.
It is one thing for God to speak and another thing to understand and discern whether the voice you heard is from God or the instruction you received is given by God.
Revelation 2:29 KJV
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
The question now is that, Do you have a listening ear?
It is not everyone that claims to be a Christian that has a listening ear. As a matter of fact God does speak, but it is only few that perceive when He speaks.
And those that are living by a direction given by the voice of God, men usually think of them as fools because their decisions, choices, pursuits, aims in life and standard of living are very rare. And this is because they are hearing the voice of God.
But don’t misunderstand me. God will never ask you to do or live in a way that is against His will. Whatever God asks you to do will be in line with His word. We must not misunderstand what I’m trying to explain to us.
God does speak but it is important for us to be careful and ask ourselves this honest question: ‘Am I actually hearing the voice of God or not?’
We need to take this seriously if we are going to be hearing the voice of God.
God does speak to us but it is only a few that perceive when He speaks. Most of the time God passes information to us but we are not available to hear Him. If I want to tell you something and you are not available to hear it, you can’t hear it. Until when you are available is when you can be able to listen to what I am saying.
How can you hear what I am saying if you say, “Oh, I am very busy now. I have something to do. You won’t be able to hear me. Likewise, when it comes to the things of the spirit, we can only hear God’s voice if we are available for his voice. We can’t hear His voice if we are not available. Even though God may speak but your availability in hearing God’s voice matters a lot. If there is any failure in availability there will be failure in perceiving what God is saying.
So those are the foundation you really need to understand when it comes to hearing the voice of God. This is because if you don’t understand the foundation, you may not get what I am trying to explain. So foundation matters a lot. The Bible says that, if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do.
Don’t forget it is not good enough if you are the only one reading this message. It would be good and better if your friends and families are reading this message with you, so that they can also be blessed with God’s word.
This is the question many people have been asking. ‘How do I know if God is the one speaking to me?’
‘How do I know if it is the voice of God that I heard?’
These are what we are going to talk about today.
God has designed the ears of man not only to be hearing the voice of man but also to particularly hear the voice of God. That is, the purpose why God has given you your ears is not just to hear from the physical realm – the voice of men, the voice of the birds singing, the sounds of animals and so on. No! God gave us ears so that you may hear His voice. The purpose of the ears is to hear, so the purpose why God created man and gave him ears is so that man can hear His voice.
If God spoke to the men of old He’s also interested in speaking to us. But the question is, are we available to hear His voice?
That is why our taxes in the book of Revelation Chapter 2 verse 29 says:
Revelation 2:29 KJV
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
That is your ears have been given to you to hear God’s voice. But now even though your eyes have been given unto you, you have a choice to here there are a lot of messages in the spirit realm but the ears of believers today are not ready to hear those mysteries and truth that will set their lives on fire.
The question I want to ask you today is this: are you hearing the voice of God? If you can only hear from the physical realm and you can’t hear the voice of God, you are dead to the spirit realm and you need to work on your Christian life.
But as a child of God you are not an orphan. Your heavenly Father is not dead. He’s alive and is interested in speaking to you, but are you available to hear Him?
When we go back to the genesis of man, we saw how God relates to them. Each day, the Lord will come down and fellowship with them. That is, the purpose of God’s creation is for intimacy with God so that man can hear God; so that man can receive direction and instruction from God. That was the purpose of the creation of man. God created man in His own image.
And the purpose God created man in His own image is because God have ears that He uses to hear the songs of the Angels when they sing to Him. When we speak to God on any issue or matter, He hears with His ears. So now, He gave man ears so that when He speaks to man, man can be able to hear. But the question is this: are we available to hear His voice?
If you’re not available, there are a lot of messages that will move your life forward; that will open doors of prosperity and breakthrough that you will miss. The person that fails to hear God’s will remain in one spot; miss direction in life; is in danger. I have never seen a man that is in danger than a man that is not hearing the voice of God.
Many that are in trouble today; many who are crying today is as a result of failure in hearing the voice of God. That is why it is important for us to understand that God has given us these ears so that we can be able to hear His voice.
The way God related to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden is also applicable to us. It is God’s desire that all of His children should be hearing Him. That is the desire of God.
“I have been asking God” “I have been talking to Him” “I want Him to speak to me” “I want Him to give me instruction” “I want Him to direct me but I’m not hearing” “I’ve not been able to Hear him.”
You may say, “I’m available because I attend church programs,” “I’m available because I am a worker.” You don’t understand what I am talking about.
Do you create a realm that is available for hearing God’s voice? Are you operating in a realm that attracts God’s voice? Are you operating under heaven that opens the window of God’s voice?
These things are very important.
This is why I want to pray for you that from today you will be hearing the voice of God in Jesus name.
You must understand that you need the voice of God in making choices and decisions.
I remember when I was still a young Christian and was still going to my former church, my pastor told us a short story. And after sometime, God explained it to me. How did God explain it to me? God began to open my eyes as to why that thing happened to that brother. He had finished his higher institution then he was going to the school to collect some important documents. While he was on a bike, a vehicle from nowhere just crushed him down and he died. After four years of schooling and an extra year of serving at the end of the day he died with the documents he died with his certificate. It is a very terrible story.
I was like, “How can God allow such a thing? And the Lord ask me a question, “The course that he read in the university, am I the one that asked him to do it? There was a delay in his admission to the university and because of that he just picked any course and went to study it in the university
God allowed failure his life you know, in order to protect him from that tragedy and danger. But this man was seriously in a hurry, “Look at my mate they are all going to the university. Will I just remain after at home? I need to go! I need to go!”
And God used various means to talk to him, “Why can’t you be patient?”
But they advise him to pick any course and picked the course. But on that day he died. Who is to be blamed? He is the one because he did not hear the voice of God. God spoke but he did not listen.
We need the voice of God in making choices. We need the voice of God in making decisions. The choices and decisions of those that are hearing the voice of God may sound and look stupid before ordinary men, but when they remain unshakeable because they heard the voice of God, men will think of them to be wise later.
Immediately you hear the voice of God and you are doing what the voice of God asked you to do, that does not mean that it will immediately produce positive results. There is a process to success. Challenges and trials will surely come, but by enduring because you know God spoke to you and you heard His voice, it will produce positive results. The endurance produces positive results.
Ordinary and carnal men always think of a man that is hearing the voice of God to be stupid because of he choices and decisions. “How can he do this?”
You know I have told you of a man that God told in a dream that he should buy a big store and be storing salt in it. That is, he should be buying salt and be storing it in the store. I’m sounded so foolish to people when they heard of it. And they were like, Are you sure you heard the voice of God?”
But he went to see his Pastor about it. His pastor told him to obey what God asked him to do. He started getting the salt and putting it in the store. And people were like, “What is wrong with you? Salt is everywhere and you’re having a storehouse for salts? What kind of foolishness is that?”
But the man did not listen to what people were saying. He kept on putting salts in that storehouse.
Until one day, there was famine and guess what kind of famine? Famine of salts. Salt became so scarce that having little salt is considered as having gold. Salt became so cost like gold. And now, God told him, “You can now start selling.” That was what led to the prosperity of that man.
In the beginning people thought he was a fool. Lets Let’s consider the story of Noah. Rain has never fallen before and now God spoke to him to build an ark for He will send rain upon the earth. But the people were like, “What’s wrong with you, Noah? Water does come from the ground. How dare you say that there’s going to be rain. You’re deceiving yourself.”
But did rain fall? Yes, it did fall. Even though it didn’t rain immediately, but the rain did fall. Why? It is because he heard the voice of God and refused to be distracted.
For every divine instruction, there is a distraction and discouragement projected so that you will not obey that divine instruction. But if you refuse to be distracted and discouraged, fixing your eyes on what God said, the result is sure.
The very day you start to hear from God, things that makes others to be afraid will not shock you, because God speaks to you. Things that make others to be perplexed, God has already revealed them to you. It will not shock you.
Nothing happens so shocking to those that are hearing the voice of God because God has already spoken to them; unless if God doesn’t want to show them.
Do you remember the story of Elisha and the Shunammite woman? When her son died Elisha said, “God has his this thing from me.”
So sometimes, God may not open your eyes to see certain things – He may not speak to you.
But this is my point: The very day you start to hear the voice of God, things that makes others to be afraid will not shock you because God has spoken to you.
Hearing the voice of God is a definite and glorious experience that every believer must have. You have choices to make in life – choice of relocating; where to buy land; who to marry; course to read in the university and so many other areas that you need God to speak to you in order to know what to do.
“I have been praying. I want God to speak to me. But ever since I’ve been praying, I did not hear Him.”
Then be patient. Don’t be in a hurry. He will surely speak.
There are voices that flows into our hearts on a daily basis, but the question is, have you been able to discern the voice of God? Have you started hearing the voice of God?
The problem that so many people have found themselves in today is as a result of failure in hearing the voice of God. They wouldn’t have found themselves in that problem if they had waited patiently and allow God to speak to them. But failure to wait put them in a situation that almost wasted them.
This is why the very day you start to hear the voice of God, you become a fool before men. But later they will know that you are wise because your choices, decisions and everything about you will be different.
There are people that have made delicate decisions that affected their destinies because of failure in hearing the voice of God.
The common question in christendom today is, “How do I know the will of God for my life?” “How do I know that God is the one leading me?” “How do I know that God is the One that spoke to me?”
I pray that the Lord will open your ears today and you shall hear His voice in the name of Jesus.
You need to understand that as a beloved son and daughter of God, others may be doing some certain things that are not necessarily a sin, but despite that they are not sin, does not mean that you also can do it. This is because it may not be the perfect will of God for your life.
There is nothing sinful in getting married, but it is by hearing the voice of God that you will know who to marry.
Although there is nothing sinful in renting a house, but hearing the voice of God will lead you to where you should rent that house.
Although it is not sinful to do business, but it is the voice of God that will choose that business for you. There is nothing sinful in studying in the university, but He is the one that will choose that course for you to study.
There is nothing sinful in having a job, but He will be the One that will direct you to that job.
It is not sinful to have a church or a ministry but He is the One that will divinely instruct you if it’s a church or a ministry. If God says, “This is a ministry,” and you turned it to a church, you will suffer for it. The consequences may not manifest immediately, but later it will manifest.
This is because there is a purpose for every instruction of God. When God says, “This is the way I want you to go,” if you go the other way you will face the consequences. Things may be working out well in the beginning but the end will always be terrible. That’s why it is important to be obedient in hearing the voice of God. When God speaks, it is important for you to be obedient.
There are people who are founders of churches but God didn’t say they should be founder of a church, but that they are to work under someone. But out of pride and greediness, they established their own church. They will pay for it. The consequences may not come that very moment.
Although it is not a sin to have a shop but it is the Lord that will guide you to where to rent the shop.
But in all these areas I mentioned, people are always in a hurry – “I want it now!” “I give the Lord three days and if He does not speak, I will do whatever I like.” They talk as if they are threatening God.
It is not a sin to buy land but He will be the One that will tell you where to buy that land.
But in all these areas, it is important for you to understand that despite the fact that it is the will of God doesn’t mean that there will not be challenges to try that decision.
Matthew 4:1 (KJV) “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”
You see what the Bible says? It says that, “Jesus was led by the Spirit …”
But you see even though it was God that led Him there, the tempter came.
So you must understand that even in following the direction of God, challenges will come. Sometimes God will ask you to something but you’ve been experiencing failure. The fact that you’ve experienced failure several times does not mean that you are a failure. There are some things God allows in our way to really challenge us and test us whether we have really made up our minds to obey Him or not.
The devil will always come to shake you but what will keep you moving and give you boldness to challenge God is your conviction.
“I know that God spoke to me,” “I know that God is the One that asked me to do it,” “I know God is the One that instructed me,” “I actually heard the voice of God.”
This is what will keep you moving.
Making a right choice doesn’t mean that there will not be challenges to shake you or stop you from making that right choice.
It was the will of God for the children of Israel to leave the land of Egypt. But remember that when they left the land of Egypt, they were confronted by the Red Sea.
I don’t know the Red Sea of your life that is confronting you right now even though God is the One that led you to that path. There may be some obstacles stopping you presently that represents the Red Sea, but that does not mean that God has not spoken to you.
But the bottom line is this: ARE YOU HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD?
That thing you’re doing, visit the will of God for you to do it?
That person you want to marry, is it the will of God for you to marry her/him?
That work that you’re doing, is it the will of God for you to do it? Is it the Lord that allowed you to do it?
It is important for you not to take a step in every matter of life until God asks you to take a step. This is because if you take a step without His direction, it may end up in regret. Like the brother I earlier spoke about, that died on the very day that he was to collect his certificate at the university.
God is constantly speaking to His people but they often miss out His messages for them. This is a very serious point. God often speak but most of the time, we do miss God’s message for us. How do we miss it? It is because at that time, we are not available to perceive His voice.
Now somebody that God wants to speak to is playing football when he’s supposed to be praying, tell me how will he be able to hear? He won’t.
At that very moment, God passed a crucial instruction but he is not available to hear, because of what? He was too busy to hear the voice of God.
God is constantly speaking to people but they often miss God’s messages for them because they only seek His guidance occasionally. That is, once in a while. You know, when the situation is so crucial. But they’ve forgotten that in every choice of life, whether the decision is big or small, you must allow God to guide you and direct you in what to do.
And usually when they are going through crisis of making a major decision, they want to hear the voice of God at this time. They become so confused and frustrated. And when they don’t clearly hear what they should do, the next thing they do is to take any step they think is right. At the end of the day, when the consequences come and they begin to regret, they will now understand that it’s because they were in a hurry they could not perceive when God was speaking.
How do we know that God is the one speaking to us? That is, how can we be able to discern the voice of God?
I have come across people that say, “God say I should tell you this.” And at times some of them are true – God actually spoke to them. While others are not from God. And the reason why I was able to know this is because of three (3) things:
- The Gift of Discernment.
- Some of the instructions they said God said are not scriptural. God will never ask you to do or tell you anything that goes against the scripture.
- God said, “I am not the One that said it.”
Like somebody called me and said, “Hello, I want to ask you a question. Is it true that God sent you to me?” I said, “No, God did not send me to you. If God sent me to you, I will call you.”
He now said he asked because somebody was prophesying and the person said, “I have sent my son, Jude to you.”
And I told her, “God did not send me. I didn’t hear anything from God in that regard. You know me, that if God actually said anything, I would have called you by myself.”
So there are people that will say, “God says” “God says.” And that is what many people are using to rob people in the church of God. And people who are deaf to the voice of God will do whatever they hear that those ministers says God says.
I remember a pastor I met in port Harcourt. The pastor will say, “Now, the Spirit of God says that we should raise up our hand.” As we raise up our hand like this, the man will start talking and talking. And we will start bringing ours hands down as our hand are paining us. And at the end of the day, he will ever forget that he said we should raise up our hand. He will be doing something else.
He did not hear any voice. God did not speak to him.
So, if we don’t hear the voice of God, we are going to fall victim into many traps. We will be victims of the deception of the false prophets. And that’s why it is important for us to be very careful. A pastor told one of his church members – a sister, “God says I should marry you.”
But the sister says, “No, you’re married. He said, “No. God says that the other wife is old.” He said the destiny of the ministry is in her, so she is the one he should marry. And because of ignorance, the sister went ahead. Thank God that the lord delivered her at last.
So through “God says” a lot of people have been deceived and their lives have been messed up. That is why it is important for us to be able to understand the principles of hearing the voice of God and how we can be able to perceive when God speaks to us.
PRINCIPLES OF HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD
- YOU MUST HAVE A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS CHRIST.
This Is the foundation. You must be genuinely be born again. The Bible says, “If the foundation be destroyed. What can the righteous do?”
If you are not genuinely born again, how can you be able to hear the voice of God?
God speaks to sinners through conscience by warning them to repent from their sins. But there are some privileges that only those who are genuinely born again have access to. My question to you is that, Are you truly a new creature?
Are old things genuinely passed away?
And has everything become new?
This is because this experience is meant for those who are members of the family of Christ.
To be hearing the voice of God regularly is an experience that is meant for those who are members of the family of Christ.
I am not asking you whether you have been ordained as a pastor or worker or whether you are taking holy communion.
What I am asking is that, Have you experienced a genuine conversion? Have you been converted genuinely? Have you been changed and transformed genuinely?
Those are the questions that you need to ask yourself. “Am I truly born again?”
If your salvation experience is questionable, you may not hear His voice. This experience is meant for those who are genuinely born again. Though, there are people that will go to pastor and say, “Pastor, pls let me hear God. I want God to speak to me.”
They go to prophets to inquire.
I want you to think of this: how beautiful it will be if your yourself are hearing that voice.
Imagine someone that went to the pastor because something terrible has happened and the pastor did not say, “Ahh, oh you spirit husband.”
And the woman said, “Which spirit husband? My problem is not spirit husband.”
If he can be able to perceive and hear God’s voice yourself, you will not be deceived through what men say they see or hear. But you must understand that you must be genuinely converted.
2. YOU MUST RECOGNIZE THAT GOD HAS CREATED YOU FOR A CLOSE FRIENDSHIP WITH HIMSELF.
He has not created us for a distant relationship. He creates you for a close relationship with Him. One of the secrets that build love in relationship or friendship is intimacy and closeness. If there is no closeness and intimacy, love cannot be built in friendship, love cannot be strong in a family and love cannot be strong in a marriage.
It is by intimacy and closeness that relationship and friendship is strengthened and increased. So you must recognize that God has created you for a close friendship with Himself and not for a distant friendship with Him.
3. YOU MUST HUMBLE YOURSELF.
When Naaman went to Elisha, he has to come down from his chariot and enter the river of Jordan. He had to come down from the chariot of pride. You may not hear God’s voice until you humble yourself. When you’re not teachable and not discipline and cannot be corrected, cannot be instructed, it means you are not humble.
Humility attracts God’s voice. You must understand that the Bible says that he is going to exalt those that are humble but bring down those that are proud.
Luke 14:11 (KJV) “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
By humbling yourself, it makes you available to hear God’s voice. Those that lacks humility in them will lack God’s voice. This is because the Bible says in:
Proverbs 16:25 (KJV) “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
The way of pride is the way of destruction.
4. YOU MUST RENEW YOUR MIND.
You can’t be hearing the voice of God when your thoughts are dirty – bad thoughts; dangerous and abominable. You can’t be able to hear the voice of God.
It is important for your heart to be renewed. You heart needs to be purged because a sanctified heart puts you in a position of hearing the voice of God. Your mind needs to be renewed.
Just imagine a dirty heart, tell me, what would be coming from it?
It is important for you to understand that what you watch or see with your eyes are capable of setting your mind ablaze either positively or negatively.
The reason why some are not hearing the voice of God is because of their eyes. They don’t have a disciplined eyes. Whatever they see, they want to look. And immediately they see that thing that is defiled,the eyes will transfer it into the reasoning and the reasoning will interpret it and transfer it into the mind. There is a storage in the heart and it will store there. By the time they are alone, the projector of the heart will begin to replay those things that their eyes have seen.
There are people that look so beautiful, handsome and gentle but their thoughts are bad and wicked. And when your thoughts are bad, you can’t be able to be hearing the voice of God.
5. TALKATIVENESS AND GOSSIPING
You gossip, spoil your sister/brother and talk too much. How can you be able to hear the voice of God? When all the time you will be talking about people and spoiling their names. How can you be able to hear the voice of God?
It is important for you to understand that talkativeness and gossiping must be avoided.
6. YOU MUST SET ASIDE TIME REGULARLY TO LISTEN TO GOD.
Choose any day of the week. Maybe every Monday at a particular time, you want to be in the presence of God and want Him to speak to you.
Set aside time regularly to listen to God.
7. YOU MUST BE A PATIENT MAN.
God may not speak to you immediately. “God speak now! Speak speak. I want to hear your voice in the name of Jesus Christ.”
The first day, second day, third day, God may not speak. He may not speak immediately you want Him to speak. So you need to understand and need to be very patient. You must be patient in hearing the voice of God.
Even if you are yet to hear the voice of God, I want to tell you that when you have come to God and you want Him to speak to you, you must believe that He has heard you and must expect to hear from Him.
You know, that there are some questions you ask that you expect the feedback. There are some cases you have to wait for feedback from God. You don’t have to be in a hurry and say, “God is not talking to me.”
I’ve told you of a time that I was in the presence of God and I said,”Lord, I will not leave this place until you speak to me. I will not leave until you speak on this matter.”
That day I was just there in the room and it almost the night and we had vigil that day. I had a strong conviction in my heart that day that God has heard me and was expecting Him to speak.
As I alighted from the vehicle on the way to vigil, I received a message from a particular prophetess and she explained what I asked God and said God sent her to me. Can you see that?
So there are some things you ask God that you need to expect feedback. Don’t just say, “He will not say anything.” Then you give up.
Unbelief hinders God’s voice. When you are full of unbelief; doubt and just decides, “Let me just take this step like that,” you may not hear the voice of God.
8. YOU MUST BE A SEPARATED CHRISTIAN.
God has called you out of the multitude. If we want to be like others; follow the customs of the world; you want to follow the ideas of the world; you want to live by the people of the world, you may not hear the voice of God.
You must be a separated Christian. A Christian that has come out of the world, separates from the world unto God.
Called from the world unto God.
Called by God unto God.
Until you live such a live, you may not be hearing the voice of God.
You must be a separated Christian.
9. YOU MUST FULLY AND STRICTLY HATE UNFORGIVENESS.
Somebody offended you, it is mandatory for you to forgive the person. If your heart is a prison where you lock up offenders and there are lots of unforgiveness in your heart, how do you expect Him to speak?
Unforgiveness closes the windows of God’s voice. Unforgiveness closes the floodgates of God’s voice. It is important for us to understand that if there is an unforgiveness in your heart against your sister, brother, wife, uncle, aunt, mother, father etc and a prison is there for them and places a curse on them anytime you remember them, you can’t hear God’s voice.
You must manifest that attitude and nature if God that forgives all sins, regardless of what the sin may be, you forgive and pardon completely and totally. You must fully and strictly hate unforgiveness.
10. YOU MUST BE EARNEST IN YOUR WATCHFULNESS OVER TEMPTATION.
Your watchfulness over temptation must not be weak. This is because that very moment and day God wants to bmsleak to you, if you are engaged in sinful activities, God may be provoked and may not speak to you again.
It is important for you to be earnest in your watchfulness over temptation.
11. YOU MUST BECOME A WORSHIPPER.
That is, develop the habit of singing to God and praising God. You must develop the habit of composing songs of praise.
Don’t say, “I don’t have a sweet voice. I don’t know how to sing.” Who told you that? Your tongue has been given unto you to praise God. Regardless of how terrible and ugly your voice appear to be to you, it is very sweet when you praise God and compose songs for Him. God is always happy with that.
You must develop the habit of composing songs and singing it to God. Be a worshipper.
Now, the question is, How do I know that it is really God?
I know it’s a question that is bothering a lot of people.
“I had that dream and saw that man that told me this.” That day I was praying and my eyes was opened. I saw this. I heard the voice.”
I have discovered that one of the major problems of people is that some actually heard the voice of God but they misinterpret what God meant. They misinterpret the message of God.
It is important for you to know whether it is really God that is speaking or your own imagination.
The question in the minds of many people is that, “Is it really God?” “Did God really speak to me?”
That is the question in the minds of so many people.
It is important for you to understand whether God is the One speaking or not. When you misinterpret what God is trying to say, you’re going to have problems.
Failure to rightly interpret what God means is the secret behind major confusion in the christendom.
This one says, “God says this,” another one says, “God said,” and it seems as if what they say God said opposes each other. And the people are confused, “But God is not an Author of confusion. How can God tell this one A and is telling that one B?”
That is why I don’t really bother myself with revelations people talk about me. Like saying, “I have this dream about you,” “I had this revelation about you.” I am not too bothered. When you pass a message to me, it is my right to confirm whether God sent you to me or not. Do you understand me?
You can’t just expect me to believe that God has sent you to me. I need to find out. You’re not the only child of God, I’m also a child of God. So if you’re said God sent you to me, I need to confirm whether He actually sent you to me. Are you getting my point?
“How can God tell one A and another B? Man of God. I’m even confused. I don’t know who to believe again.” And I do laugh. You know why? It is because I know God has already spoken and I know what God means.
The christianity that many are practicing is not a christianity that is birth in conviction. They are doing it because a revelation said they should so it. No conviction from God; no confirmation from God. They are just doing it because they have been told that, “If you don’t do it, you will burn in hell.”
A pastor told the sisters in his church to be barbing their hair because God said that. A pastor that said that people who knit tie will go to hell because tie is a snake. I asked him and said, “Sir, the Holy Spiirit spoke to you? You heard the voice of God?” He said Yes. I shook my head that day. What a mess!
Did God really speak?
How do I know that God is the One speaking to me?
How do I know whether the voice I heard is the voice of God?
HOW DO I KNOW IT IS REALLY GOD?
- COMPARE IT TO BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES: Sometimes it seems maybe there are some certain things – some steps I take or things I do, and people will say,”God said this,” and I won’t do it because I know God did not say it. I need to confirm if God really said it. I will not tell them I will not do it. But if I confirm that it is not God, I will not do it. It’s not their business to know whether I did it or not. They have come, something sent them because God did not send them. They just come and say this and that.
And I just say, “No problem. I will confirm from God. I will pray over it.” How do you know whether God truly sent them to you? You must compare it to biblical principles. That is, God will never say anything to you personally which is contrary to the scriptures. He will not do that. He honors His words more than His name. You may have anointing, power and gift of prophecy, but He honors His words more than His name. God that has said that the women hair are their glory will never say that they should be cutting it. It is important for us to get things right.
He is not an Author of confusion. And many are confused because they are not hearing the voice of God. If the Bible clearly states that something is a sin, no amount of explanation can make it right. How can you know whether it is scriptural if you don’t understand biblical principles? How can you be able to test revelation, dream and message from God is your understanding of the scriptures is shallow?
It is important for you to understand biblical principles so that you can be able to detect the lies of the devil and your own imagination. You will be able to know if God is the one. You will be able to know, “It is not God. It is my imagination.” You must compare it.
- COMPARE IT TO THE NAMES AND CHARACTER OF GOD AS REVEALED IN THE BIBLE: Anything God says to you will be in harmony with His essential nature. God will never say anything that opposes His divine nature. NO! “Oh, I need power. And as I was asking for the power, I heard the voice of God and He said I should go and sleep on the grave of Kathryn Khulma for seven days and after that the power of God will enter me.” That is not the voice of God? Does it mean that the Holy Ghost is not available to release power into the life of His children again?
You may say that is a divine instruction. God will never give you a divine instruction that is not in harmony with His divine nature. Get it right. So, by understanding biblical principles, it will help you to discern the voice that is from God. This is because whatever God says will be in line with His character.
- YOU MUST TEST THE FRUIT: What do I mean by that? What effect does what you’re hearing have on your soul and life? Is it making you to hate people and to live in fear? Is it making you to love or making you to hate? Is it making you to forgive or making you not to forgive? What is the effect of what you’re hearing on your life? Is it making you to be judgemental and condemning others – “This one is ready for hell fire.” “This one hell fire is sure.” If the effect of what you’re hearing makes you to be judgemental, be careful. Are you actually hearing the voice of God? Which effect does it have on your life? Word from the Lord will quicken your faith and increase your love, peace and joy. It will not make you to live in fear.
- GOD’S VOICE COMES WITH UNSHAKEABLE CONVICTION: The voice of God do come with unshakeable conviction. That is, there is a kind of conviction that follows it that makes you sure God spoke to you; that God is the One. “How do you know it’s God?” And you say, “I know. I have this strong feeling. God is the One that spoke to me.” God’s voice comes with unshakeable conviction – no doubt.
- SHARE IT WITH YOUR SPIRITUAL COUNSELLOR: That is, with the people you look up to as spiritual fathers. Some people say that having a spiritual father is a sin against God. Paul said, “Timothy, my son.” Was Paul.the biological father of Timothy? No! But Timothy was his son in the Lord. You must share it with your spiritual counsellor. “I heard this voice,” “I saw this,” “I really want to be sure whether God is the one that spoke to me. Pls pray along with me, I really want to be sure.”
- YOU MUST TAKE IT TO GOD IN PRAYER
HOW DOES GOD SPEAK TO US?
- GOD SPEAK TO US THROUGH THE AUDIBLE VOICE: That is, you heard His voice audibly. The way you hear when somebody is speaking to you.
- GOD SPEAK TO US THROUGH A SMALL STILL VOICE: A voice that sometimes come from the right ear or left hear or from behind you or the voice will come so quietly. But there is a conviction that follows that it is the voice of God.
- GOD SPEAK TO US THROUGH VISIONS TRANCE AND REVELATIONS: He shows vision, revelation or trance.
- GOD SOMETIMES SPEAK TO US THROUGH ANGELS: By sending His angels to us in the dream or sometimes the angels may come physically. And when he comes physically, the angel may not put on white long garment with wings. He can come like little child sometimes or like a man and will pass a message to you. You’ll think it’s a normal human being but will not know that it’s angel. Just like the case of Mary. The angel of God told her that she’s going to conceive.
Even in the Old Testament we have seen where the angels of God speak to the children of God. I can never forget this experience. I saw in the scriptures that Jesus Christ saw Moses and Elijah and I became desperate to see them. I said, “Lord, I want to see Moses and Elijah.” And I prayed and prayed. And one day, I saw an angel of God that came with sword with him. He said, “God said, I should come and pick you because He wants to speak to you.”
And the angel picked me. That was many years ago. After the Lord have finished speaking to me He said, “You requested I your prayer that you want to see Moses and Elijah.” And He called them and I saw them standing in the sky. He said, “This is Moses and this is Elijah.” I was so happy. So sometimes, God send His angels to us.
- GOD SPEAK TO US THROUGH THE WORDS OF WISDOM FROM HIS MINISTER: That is, the minister say, “There is somebody here, this and this. And this is what the Lord is saying.” And as that word of wisdom comes forth you know you are the one. “This is me. That message is meant for me. God is speaking to me.”
- GOD SPEAK TO US THROUGH HIS WORD: That is, by leading us to the Bible. “Open you Bible to the book of….” And as you open that place, that verse addresses that situation that you are going through at that very moment. At times, God speaks to us by leading us to His word.
- GOD SPEAK TO US SOMETIMES THROUGH DREAMS: By giving you dreams that speak to you about your future, the choice you want to make etc. It may be on any other thing.
- GOD SPEAK TO US THROUGH SERMONS: That is through the word of God.
- GOD SPEAK TO US THROUGH GODLY COUNSELS FROM OTHERS: That is, through godly counselling from other people. Counsels from our spiritual father and counsellor. By the grace of God there are people I have counselled through the Spirit of God and by following the counsels their lives are never the same.
- GOD SPEAK TO US THROUGH STRONG IMPRESSION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: That is, a strong feeling. “I know this is not a carnal feeling.” The feeling is so strong – very strong. But when you’re asked, “How do you know?” “I just know. I have this strong feeling that, that is what to do.
- GOD SPEAK TO US THROUGH PROVERBS AND PARABLES: That is, He can just reveal something to you in the dream and you woke up,”What is the meaning of this?” At the end of the day, you’ll discover that God is passing a message across to you.
- GOD SPEAK TO US THROUGH HIS PROPHETS: God can open the eyes of His prophets and he’ll tell you, “This is what God says.” But whatever God says will come with conviction.
- A SUDDEN WORD OF KNOWLEDGE DROPPED IN OUR HEART: That is, you’re not thinking about it but it just dropped in your heart. Like ‘The Last Chance’ short skit. It just dropped in my heart and I immediately received the revelation of that film. And as we took steps to do the shooting of the film. That movie became our most popular movie ever since we have been producing movies. And it is a movie that brought a lot of people to Christ. So God speak through a sudden word of knowledge dropped in our heart.
You’ve been looking for something, probably your car key everywhere and suddenly you just heard, “Go and check behind that place.” How you know you cannot explain. But the thing just dropped there a d as you go straight to that place you saw it there. Sometimes, it may be when you’re driving. And the thing just dropped in your heart, “Pass that other way,” and you did. And at the end of the day you discovered that the place you want to pass before has serious traffic.
Sometimes you want to go out but it just dropped suddenly, “Don’t go out.” It may not repeat itself. That’s why we must be very careful. And sometimes it may be, “Tomorrow you must fast and you must pray about this and this.” And at the end of the day by obeying that instruction you will now see the reason why and you will say, “Thank God that I prayed.”
Three Things You Must Understand.
- Whatever God says will be consistent with His word.
- There will be strong inner conviction that God was leading.
- It will be proved with circumstances. That is, there are things that will happen that will support that decision.
Don’t forget that the results may not manifest immediately. Sine instructions are like seeds, you have to wait for them to germinate. It is foolishness for a farmer to bury a seed and now say, “This seed is not coming out and now begin to dig the ground to bring it out. It will be proved with circumstances that God is the one that spoke to you. The question so far is that, “Are you hearing the voice of God?”
I pray that today you will start hearing His voice.