An amazing and mysterious promise made by Jesus is that as his followers, we should and can hear Gods voice. When he calls, we should listen and respond. When it comes to listening for and Discerning the Voice of God, there are four distinct filters that should be applied.
Number one will always be the Bible in discerning Gods voice. The Bible has every source material which you will need to do so. You have a person you always look up to when you need an example of a person always in conversation with God. An individual will discover that such a person has a very intimate knowledge about the Bible. It will help you translate the invisible, unseen world of God into your physical world.
You are told in Psalm 119.11 that Gods voice is hidden in your heart or upon Gods treasured word to you. This is translated to mean that every time you read from the holy book gives you a chance in obtaining divine raw material. God will use this material to speak to your heart directly. Any time you read invests in you an inner treasure trove.
Number Two gives you the Bible as grounds upon which you will be given a litmus test about discerning Gods voice. It may seem similar to the first one to you but its difference can be found in that it is the stand of objectivity on which he or she will be held. Faith comes through hearing Christ. This means one will never hear anything from God that shall contradict what is written in the holy book.
Often, we get to hear Christians who claim they have heard from God about everything from addictive gambling tendencies to traits of bad relationships. This is often not the truth and when a person says God has told us to perform an act in contradiction of the wisdom in Scripture, the presumption should be it is not Gods spoken word.
The Third Filter determines that Gods voice is best discerned in a community. In Romans 12:2, Paul, in his admonition, is talking to a community, to a lot of people and not just the individual. It even emphasizes in the verse preceding that they ought to offer their bodies to God as living sacrifices. In other words, to discern the voice and will of God, we ought to do it collectively as a community.
Jesus, to add to this in John 10, talks about being a good shepherd while we are his sheep. He calls every sheep by individual name but moves the flock as an entire communal group. This filter covers both communal and individual discernment.
Number four literary shouts how important it is for you to show humility. God hates proud people but loves a humble person. A verse constantly appearing all over the Bible tells you so. If you develop the power to hear your God, it will easily translate into pride. It will creep slowly into your heart before you know it. Humility is the acknowledgement that although Gods spoken word will never err, your understanding is not always correct.
Number one will always be the Bible in discerning Gods voice. The Bible has every source material which you will need to do so. You have a person you always look up to when you need an example of a person always in conversation with God. An individual will discover that such a person has a very intimate knowledge about the Bible. It will help you translate the invisible, unseen world of God into your physical world.
You are told in Psalm 119.11 that Gods voice is hidden in your heart or upon Gods treasured word to you. This is translated to mean that every time you read from the holy book gives you a chance in obtaining divine raw material. God will use this material to speak to your heart directly. Any time you read invests in you an inner treasure trove.
Number Two gives you the Bible as grounds upon which you will be given a litmus test about discerning Gods voice. It may seem similar to the first one to you but its difference can be found in that it is the stand of objectivity on which he or she will be held. Faith comes through hearing Christ. This means one will never hear anything from God that shall contradict what is written in the holy book.
Often, we get to hear Christians who claim they have heard from God about everything from addictive gambling tendencies to traits of bad relationships. This is often not the truth and when a person says God has told us to perform an act in contradiction of the wisdom in Scripture, the presumption should be it is not Gods spoken word.
The Third Filter determines that Gods voice is best discerned in a community. In Romans 12:2, Paul, in his admonition, is talking to a community, to a lot of people and not just the individual. It even emphasizes in the verse preceding that they ought to offer their bodies to God as living sacrifices. In other words, to discern the voice and will of God, we ought to do it collectively as a community.
Jesus, to add to this in John 10, talks about being a good shepherd while we are his sheep. He calls every sheep by individual name but moves the flock as an entire communal group. This filter covers both communal and individual discernment.
Number four literary shouts how important it is for you to show humility. God hates proud people but loves a humble person. A verse constantly appearing all over the Bible tells you so. If you develop the power to hear your God, it will easily translate into pride. It will creep slowly into your heart before you know it. Humility is the acknowledgement that although Gods spoken word will never err, your understanding is not always correct.
About the Author:
Our class teaches that the Bible is the foundation for discerning the voice of God. For spiritual guidance, make sure you register online using this link http://www.livewithinlistenwithin.com/discerning-the-voice-of-god-services.html.
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