How can I listen God will?

[LILY]

I think I have not been listening God will? I was praying for different things, but It seems I got the wrong message. How can I understand better what He is trying to tell me? How can I be sure any decission I am taking is with God consent? I will appreciate your advices . I really want please HIm. LILY

[Pathways Of Grace]

Can you hear me now?

"Be still, and know that I am God..." - Psalms 46:10(a)

"Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen" - Hebrews 13:21

What did you say?

Have you ever thought to yourself that you really don't know what God wants you to do about this or that concern? Or perhaps you have spoken to a friend that says, "If I just knew what God wanted me to do I would do it"? In each of these incidents it is concluded that you just can't "hear" God and what He is trying to say. That it is too difficult to get connected and know what God wants you to do.

Some even goes as far as to say that you can't hear God anyway. Cessationalists will tell you that He doesn't talk to us anymore at all, citing a function of the Holy Spirit that does not manifest in the present day, that that time has passed. Or that you can only follow what is in the Bible, as it is the only voice God has given us to listen to. These are the things many professing Christians truly believe, however, this is far from the truth.

What keeps us from hearing God, besides our own unbelief, is that we are too busy with life to stop, be still, and know Him. A good starting point here is to know what know means. It is very interesting and enlightening study. The following definitions are taken from the OneLook Dictionary Search (accessible online):

1. know; verb: be familiar or acquainted with a person or an object
2. know; verb: be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
3. know; verb: be aware of the truth of something; have a belief or faith in something; regard as true beyond any doubt
4. know; verb: have fixed in the mind
5. know; verb: have firsthand knowledge of states (state of being), situations, emotions, or sensations
6. know; verb: perceive as familiar
7. know; verb: be able to distinguish, recognize as being different
8. know; verb: know the nature or character of
9. know; verb: accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority

Let's take a look at each of these nine aspects of what it means to "know" someone or something. In this case to understand how to know God, and what we should do so that we will know Him. We will then begin to get an understanding of how to hear God and to be guided by Him in our lives. In other words, how we can effectively build a dynamic, and interactive, relationship with God.

Let's get acquainted

(1. know; verb: Be familiar or acquainted with a person or object)

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." - John 7:37&38

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." - John 6:35

First we must know that God exists and that He can, and does, function in our lives. In other words, we must first be followers of God and the Lord Jesus Christ in order for us to have a relationship with the same. How can we have a dynamic communication with someone that we don't even believe exists or are familiar with in the first place? So we must then know that God is there and be acquainted with who and what He is. This, of course, is the first step we must take.

We are not here to explore and discuss Salvation and becoming a Christian. This is for those who are already Christian, and are seeking a more real relationship with Him. Where there is no separation and where they can hear His voice and know His will. And again, to establish a dynamic relationship between us and God. And when I say God, in this sense I am speaking of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The triune God of our faith, and with whom we have a divine heritage through Christ Jesus.

So what we have so far:

1. We must know that God exists and that He functions in our lives

But do I really know you?

(2. know; verb: be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about)

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." - II Timothy 2:15

Now that we know God existence, we must understand what God is all about, how He does things, and what He expects of us. There is only one way to get that information, and that is through research and study. We can't do things that we are supposed to do if we don't understand what those things are. We are held to a different standard under Grace, however, the law still has the effect of judging sin when we are not living by Grace. So we must understand what this living under Grace is all about, otherwise we are judged under the law. And remember all mankind falls short of the glory of God.

Remember that it is the Word of God that gives us the power to understand how to live life. II Timothy 3:16 states, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" Our purpose, when we are truly Christian, is to live a life of righteousness that we may gain an holy reward and be with our God eternally. It is why we are walking this walk of faith.

So if we don't know what faith is, what Grace is, what God expects and what His laws, promises and unctions are and do; then how can we apply them in our lives? We aren't able to, so therefore we must understand them in order to live by them.

1. We must know that God exists and that He functions in our lives
2. We must understand the principles of our faith and God's truth

I believe in you

(3. know; verb: Be aware of the truth of something; have a belief or faith in something; regard as true beyond any doubt)

"Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done."
- Matthew 21:21

The second step is that we must have faith in God. In order to have faith in God we must first believe in what God is all about. This of course leads us directly to Christ, in whom we must place our trust. Trusting Christ is an act of belief and faith. First that we believe in what He teaches, and then having faith that what is taught is the truth, that it has the power to effect change in our lives for the better. That the heavenly goal is real and tangible - without doubting the truth of it.
This is the walk of Christianity for this is our walk of faith. In this we build an awareness and regard for the truth, without doubt because we now are beginning to know that God is real. We believe in Him, the truths He teaches and have faith in Christ Jesus and trust that in doing so will place the power of God in our lives to effect dynamic change.

1. We must know that God exists and that He functions in our lives
2. We must understand the principles of our faith and God's truth
3. We must have faith in His truth and believe without any doubts


Heaven on my mind

(4. know; verb: Have fixed in the mind)

"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." - Matthew 6:22

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." - Isaiah 26:3

Here we understand that we must constantly be aware of our relationship that we are building with God. This is accomplished by setting our minds on godly or heavenly things. Too often we are consumed with our own lives, in other words, we are NOT stilling our world in order to focus on God (more on this later). Work, family, and other concerns fill our lives so fully that we lose sight of our connection with God. It is important to note that the very quality of those concerns, is firmly founded on our connection with God and how He does or does not interact in our lives.

So it is important to be mindful of not only our connection with God, but how it impacts and interacts in our daily lives and to apply our relationship with Him to our other relationships that we have in life. We don't have life and then add God, we have God which adds quality to our lives. This is how we draw closer to Him, in that we place His will in the living center of our existence and effect powerful and lasting change in our lives. It is when we leave God out of the equation that we lose our ability to connect with Him and hear His voice.

It is in following these steps to know God that we firmly connect ourselves to Him and begin to understand His purpose, power and plan for our lives.

1. We must know that God exists and that He functions in our lives
2. We must understand the principles of our faith and God's truth
3. We must have faith in His truth and believe without any doubts
4. We must place God in the center of our lives

Feel the love

(5. know; verb: have firsthand knowledge of states (state of being), situations, emotions, or sensations)

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." - Matthew 22:37-40

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28

Let's be frank here, love is the key to everything. You serve God because you love Him, you obey God because you love Him, you wish to know God because you love Him and in all this God is constantly and consistently loving you. That is why you want to hear His voice, because in knowing that He loves you and that you love Him, He will only tell you the things that will bring joy, hope, peace, abundance, and all the blessings of God into our lives. This is the key that opens the door to everything!

Love is one of the most talked about aspect of Christianity in the Word of God. And yet, it is the most neglected subject spoken of from the pulpit and from the heart. You see love is a power that brings God into our lives, and is that not what we are talking about? To know God is bringing God into our lives.

Love has many aspects, but the one that most people, Christian or otherwise, have a problem with is that love is unselfish, in other words it is self-sacrificing. This takes most people beyond that which the wish to give of themselves. Yes, parents, spouses, siblings, et al, do practice love, however, as it is in many cases, it is a conditional love. It has conditions upon which it acts. I can love if this or if that. This is not the love God has for us. Christ came and was condemned to died a death in which He had no guilt! Simply because He loved us and wished to set us free from the bondage of sin. The ultimate self-sacrifice!

And this is the love that we are to have within ourselves, one to another, and more importantly, between us and God. Love makes it so that God is directly in our lives because we have placed our love in Him and He in us. That is how we are called to His purpose and how all things work together for good.

1. We must know that God exists and that He functions in our lives
2. We must understand the principles of our faith and God's truth
3. We must have faith in His truth and believe without any doubts
4. We must place God in the center of our lives
5. We must make love the cornerstone of our faith

Just you and me Lord

(6. know; verb: Perceive as familiar)

"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." - Romans 7:4

"Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." - I Corinthians 12:27

Now this may seem like we have already covered this area, about being familiar with God, but in fact this is something new. This perceive as familiar is about the relationship that we are building with God. It is the familiarity that comes with routine, discipline, consistency and oneness in spirit. Oneness in spirit you say? Why yes, it is crucial to our relationship with God. Let me explain.

When you are one with God, or one is spirit with Him, the connection is as real as the fingers on your hand, the breathing of your lungs. He effectively becomes part of you, and just as familiar as the aforementioned. You don't think of your fingers as separate from your body do you? Neither will you think of God as separate from your life when you reach this point in getting to know God. It is in the of applying these steps that you build this oneness with God - it is your relationship with God.

All that you have been doing up to now has been building this relationship. It is not only how you hear God, it is how He actually becomes dynamically part of your life. He becomes part of you as you become part of Him. It is this familiarity, or oneness in spirit, that actually gives you the ability to hear God.

1. We must know that God exists and that He functions in our lives
2. We must understand the principles of our faith and God's truth
3. We must have faith in His truth and believe without any doubts
4. We must place God in the center of our lives
5. We must make love the cornerstone of our faith
6. We must walk in the oneness with the spirit of God

Getting to know you

(7. know; verb: Be able to distinguish, recognize as being different)

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?"
— II Corinthians 6:14.

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;" - I Peter 2:9

We must come to an understanding of those things that are of God and those things which are of the world. The two are mutually exclusive. The things of God are never the things of the world and vice versa. Why? Well in Romans 8:7&8 it states, "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God"

This is important because when we are walking in the world (of the carnal mind) we are unable to "please" God. In other words we are not abiding in His grace and His laws. This removes us from having a relationship with Him because there is separation between Him and ourselves. We have isolated ourselves from His presence and His influence in our lives. So we must circumspectly as the children of God. We are supposed to be different! If the things we do and say can not be distinguished from the world, then by default we must be of the world, after all we would be no different than they are!

This is much like knowing the difference between being inside your house and being outdoors. The scenery is different. Your interaction with your surroundings is different. Everything is different because they are two different places. We can not be inside AND outside at the same time. Neither can we be of God and the world at the same time.

And the alternative, to sit on the fence, is especially offensive to God. Here we read in Revelation 3:16, "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Here we come to understand that God wants us to be either hot or cold. If you are hot (serving and walking with Lord) all is well, if you are cold you have the option of being redeemed to God. But if you are neither then you are not walking with God, nor can you be redeemed. You have placed yourself squarely outside the will of God, either in a personal relationship or the ability to establish one.

1. We must know that God exists and that He functions in our lives
2. We must understand the principles of our faith and God's truth
3. We must have faith in His truth and believe without any doubts
4. We must place God in the center of our lives
5. We must make love the cornerstone of our faith
6. We must walk in the oneness with the spirit of God
7. We must live a life that is dynamically different from the world

Now I understand

(8. know; verb: Know the nature or character of)

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:"
— Philippians 5:2-7

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.... If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." - Galatians 5:22,23&25

In doing all these previous steps we come to realize that we can distinguish the very nature and character of God, the fruit of His Spirit - if you will. It takes us beyond just reading or hearing about the goodness of God, to actually having a living example of it in our lives. We are now living a real and dynamic relationship with God that allows us to get to know Him and not just know about Him. We are closing in on our goal of being able to hear God and obeying.

You can not help but to get to know God if you are following these steps because you are relating to Him on a constant and consistent basis. For example, let's say you have a friend of many years, in time you get to know their moods, their likes and dislikes, what they believe and ultimately how they are going to respond in any given situation. You get a real sense and measure of who and what they are. You understand their spirit.

We will never really know all of who and what God is while here in the flesh. But one day, as we come to the conclusion of our walk of faith, we will see Him (Jesus Christ) face-to-face and be just like Him. We will one day encompass all the good of God in our lives; and sin will no longer hold sway. In this we will have a living example of the spirit and nature of God, because it will be our spirit and nature. And that is our ultimate goal in our relationship with God, to be like Him.

1. We must know that God exists and that He functions in our lives
2. We must understand the principles of our faith and God's truth
3. We must have faith in His truth and believe without any doubts
4. We must place God in the center of our lives
5. We must make love the cornerstone of our faith
6. We must walk in the oneness with the spirit of God
7. We must live a life that is dynamically different from the world
8. We must bear the fruits of God's spirit in our lives

Let thy will be done

(9. know; verb: Accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept his power and authority)

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." - John 14:6

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." - Revelation 1:8

"Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding" - Job 38:4

In understanding the character and nature of God better, we now know that God only intends the best for us. We understand that only He can see the road ahead and provide all that we need to negotiate it successfully. We now know that it is only in following the path that Christ mapped out that we can avoid the pitfalls of sin - and it's reward, eternal death. It is in allowing Him to lead the way, and us following, that we can reach our heavenly goal, the reward of our walk of faith - eternal life.

We know that in accepting His power and authority in our lives that we are not relinquishing control, we are plugging into the power of the universe, to effect change in our lives. We are not losing our will, but gaining God's will. We are stepping up from the mortal quagmire of sin, into joy of a life with God. The only thing we lose is the power of sin over our lives and our relationship with God gives us the power to do so.

The light is always greater than the darkness.

So what have we attained on this journey to know God? We have gained a very real and dynamic relationship between ourselves and God, and all the rewards that come with that. We have gained an ability to hear God and know that hearing is right. We have gained a faith that has taken us from simply believing in God to knowing God. We gain everything!

1. We must know that God exists and that He functions in our lives
2. We must understand the principles of our faith and God's truth
3. We must have faith in His truth and believe without any doubts
4. We must place God in the center of our lives
5. We must make love the cornerstone of our faith
6. We must walk in the oneness with the spirit of God
7. We must live a life that is dynamically different from the world
8. We must bear the fruits of God's spirit in our lives
9. We must stay in the living center of God's power and authority

So who is doing all the talking?

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" - John 10:27

"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise..." - Ephesians 1:14

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." - Romans 8:9

"For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." - Corinthians 2:11

As the above scriptures clearly tells us, God talks to us, and when we are His we can hear Him. God can talk to us as God the Father, God the Son (as stated in John 10:27), and as God the Holy Spirit. In fact it is the Holy Spirit (Spirit of Promise, Second Comforter, and Spirit of God) that imparts most, if not all, of God's interaction with us. God's Voice, if you will. And we also must recognize that this Spirit of Promise dwells right within us! This means that hearing God is as simple as reaching right within ourselves to contact the very essence of God!

So the roadmap of life, the knowledge of all things, the guidance for life, and the power to effect change in our lives is right within us - and always has been since Christ died for the sins of the world. So can we hear God? Of course we can! And as we journey on our walk of faith, we expected to hear Him and listen. It is that still, small voice of God that gives us the power to live a life of faith successfully and attain our heavenly reward.

In the stillness

"Be still, and know that I am God..." - Psalms 46:10(a)

As we have gone through all of this we have found that God is a very active and willing partner in our lives and in our building our relationship with Him. We have learned that He meets us halfway (actually a lot more than half) and helps us to accomplish our goal of knowing Him. Not only do we build our relationship with Him, He is the mechanism in which that relationship is built.

Another key point we must understand is that we learn we must "quiet" all outside influences that are not directly of God, this is how we be still and know that He is God. No, I don't mean finding a mountain top and camping out like a hermit. But rather slowing down our lives and refocusing on God. We must remember the only thing that ever separates us from God, and hence the power of His presence in our lives, is ourselves.

So we must still ourselves from the hectic clamoring of the outside world, as it battles to hold our attention away from God. We must still our minds from the constant focusing on achieving worldly goals. We must still our spirits from seeking the worldly desires of the flesh. We must still ourselves - and know He is God.

Then when all is quiet and He asks, "can you hear me now?" we can answer, "yes!" And that, my friends, is very good indeed!

Be blessed, be loved and be at peace,

Jonathan

[LILY]

Thanks Rowena from the deep part of my heart. You were very clear in your answer and I really need your prays for God's loving hand taking care of the pretty mess I have just done in my life.
If I would know how to listen him , I would not have mistakes in life.
Your experience as Cristian is being a big help for me now. Thanks Thanks
Lily

[LILY]

Thanks JOnathan for take your time helping others. Like I said to Rowena you are being so nice with me, giving to me the answer to my worries. I will read many times both answers and I will learn from both of you. Your answers made me feel very welcome between you.
Thanks
LILY

[nsanja isaaac]

Praise God Sister lily,
you know to listen to God it needs God's grace that you can but with out His grace and His will you can not try prayers and fasting .God bless you

[John D. McDonald]

You have asked a great question.

One of the major reasons has been the failure of those called to the 'ministry', whatever that means.

Those called have been keeping the 'sheep' as 'lambs', keeping them needy to hear their pastors voice, rather than the voice of the one TRUE shepherd.

Remember, Jesus said, MY sheep here MY voice, but pastors are saying, these are MY sheep, and I am their shepherd.

Pastors are saying, you come to my church to fulfill the vision of this church [the pastors vision], and they use the scripture "without a vision the people perish [wander aimlessly]" The truth of scripture is that each person has a vision, and the 5fold gifts are called to equip the saints to 'fulfill' the vision God has given to each one of them.

The first area of equipping is for the pastors to say, you are NOT MY sheep, and I need to teach YOU how to hear God's voice for yourself, and as you begin to hear, I am hear to help you FINE TUNE your hearing. Part of that fine tuning is to step out of the boat, and when you slip the leadership is to be their to not pick you up, but help you up and then debrief so that YOU can see where you missed it, not tell you where you missed it.

Here is wisdom, no one who is 'successful' in ministry or in the world has ever got it right from the start, it never happens...well except for Jesus, but as the word says, HE LEARNED obedience.

Life is a journey of taking a step, and falling, getting up taking another step and failing, each time gathering more assurance until we are running. That is pleasing Him. Do not be afraid of missing it, do not be afraid of making a mistake, or making the wrong decision. The people who are afraid, NEVER acheive anything for they are either dead and in their graves, or they are in a rut of their own making.

Step out and watch Father say, WOW, Lily you make me proud for wanting to be all I have called you to be.

Blessings John

[Michael Scherer]

Dear Lily,
I believe the best way to find God's will for your life is to draw closer to God. To draw closer to God means getting into His Word, the King James Bible and praying and asking Him to teach you through His Word. This He will do. God bless you, Mike

[lynne moore]

God's will is ultimately that we become more like Him-christlike -but i beleive that it is only at the cross where we can exchange our will and seek Hiw-our sin nature and take on His righteousness. Like changing an old coat for His royal coat -by faith Abraham was reckoned righteous...and then enter His plan for yhour life.."promised life!".