Recognizing God's Voice and Following His Lead

Via my wife Glenda from a writing by Lawrence Sloam.

This came from the posting of a friend this morning. I was so taken by the clarity of it, I had to pass it along. Too much of the time, we just do not take the time to sit and truly listen, with the ears that He has given us. Nor do we take the time to see the vision with the eyes He has given us. Please take time to read this, I believe it will be a great blessing to you all!! As Paul prayed for the Ephesians, I pray for you;

Ephesians 1:17-23 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the Knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.

And what is the exceeding greatness of His power with authority to us-ward who believe (by means of receptivity), according to the working of His mighty power, Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the Heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And has put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church, Which is His Body, the fulness of Him that fills all in all."

VIA Lawrence Sloma:

Jesus declared, "This is Eternal Life that they may Know [God]" (John 17:2). Unfortunately, many in the Church miss the great blessing of fellowship or intimacy with our Lord because we have lost the ability to recognize His voice within us. Though we have the promise that "My sheep hear My voice," too many believers are starved for that intimate relationship that alone can satisfy the desire of their hearts.

I was one of those sheep who was deaf to His Shepherd until the Lord revealed four very simple keys (found in Habakkuk 2:1, 2) that unlocked the treasure of His voice....see more

Key #1 God's voice in your heart often sounds like a flow of spontaneous thoughts.

Habakkuk Knew (a word meaning intimacy or intercourse with) the sound of God speaking to him (Hab. 2:2). Elijah described it as a still, small voice (I Kings 19:12). I had always listened for an inner audible voice, and God does speak that way at times. However, I have found that usually, God's voice comes as spontaneous thoughts, visions, feelings, or impressions.

For example, haven't you been driving down the road and had a thought come to you to pray for a certain person? Didn't you believe it was God telling you to pray? What did God's voice sound like? Was it an audible voice, or was it a spontaneous thought that lit upon your mind?

Experience indicates that we perceive spirit-level communication as spontaneous thoughts, impressions and visions, and Scripture confirms this in many ways. For example, one definition of paga, a Hebrew word for intercession, is "a chance encounter or an accidental intersecting." When God lays people on our hearts, He does it through paga, a chance-encounter thought "accidentally" intersecting our minds.

Key #2 Become still so you can sense God's flow of thoughts and emotions within.

Habakkuk said, "I will stand on my guard post..." (Hab. 2:1). Habakkuk knew that to hear God's quiet, inner, spontaneous thoughts, he had to first go to a quiet place and still his own thoughts and emotions. Psalm 46:10 encourages us to be still, and know that He is God. There is a deep inner knowing (spontaneous flow) in our soul/spirits that each of us can experience when we quiet our flesh and our minds. If we are not still, we will sense only our own thoughts.

Loving God through a quiet worship song is one very effective way to become still. (Note II Kings 3:15.) After I worship and become silent within, I open myself for that spontaneous flow. If thoughts come of things I have forgotten to do, I write them down and dismiss them. If thoughts of guilt or unworthiness come, I repent thoroughly, receive the washing of the blood of the Lamb, putting on His robe of righteousness, seeing myself spotless before God (Is. 61:10; Col. 1:22).

To receive the pure Word of God, it is very important that my heart be properly focused as I become still because my focus is the source of the intuitive flow. If I fix my eyes upon Jesus, the intuitive flow comes from Jesus by way of inspiration or revelation of Christ Jesus. But if I fix my gaze upon some desire of my heart, the intuitive flow comes out of that desire. To have a pure flow I must become still and carefully fix my eyes upon Jesus. Again, quietly worshiping the High Priest-King, and receiving out of the stillness that follows quite easily accomplishes this.

Fix your gaze upon Jesus (Heb. 12:2), becoming quiet in His presence and sharing with Him what is on your heart. Spontaneous thoughts will begin to flow from the Throne of God to you through Christ, and you will actually be conversing with God the Father through our Priest-King the Lord Christ Jesus!

Therefore, when you want to hear from God, tune to chance-encounter or spontaneous thoughts.

Key #3 As you pray, fix the eyes of your heart upon Jesus, seeing in the Spirit the dreams and visions of Almighty God.

Habakkuk said, "I will keep watch to see," and God said, "Record the vision" (Hab. 2:1,2). Habakkuk was actually looking for vision as he prayed. He opened the eyes of his heart, and looked into the spirit world to see what God wanted to show him. This is an intriguing idea.(This was the son of mans practice daily as He depended on the Holy Spirit for all He was to say or do.)

God has always spoken through dreams and visions, and He specifically said that they would come to those upon whom the Holy Spirit is given or is received by (Acts 2:1-4, 17).

I had never thought of opening the eyes of my heart and looking for vision. However, I have come to believe that this is exactly what God wants me to do. He gave me eyes in my heart to see in the spirit the vision and movement of Almighty God. There is an active spirit world all around us, full of angels, demons, the Holy Spirit, the omnipresent Father, and His omnipresent Son, Christ Jesus. The only reasons for me not to see this reality are unbelief or lack of knowledge.

In order to see, we must look. Daniel saw a vision in his mind and said, "I was looking...I kept looking...I kept looking" (Dan. 7:2,9,13). As I pray, I look for Jesus, and I watch as He speaks to me, doing and saying the things that are on the Fathers and His heart. Many Christians will find that if they will only look, they will see, in the same way they receive spontaneous thoughts or inspirations of revelation. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us (Matt. 1:23). It is as simple as that. You can see Christ present with you because Christ is present within you. In fact, the vision may come so easily that you will be tempted to reject it, thinking that it is just you. But if you persist in recording these visions, your doubt will soon be overcome by faith as you recognize that the content of them could only be birthed in Almighty God.

Jesus demonstrated the ability of living out of constant contact with God, declaring that He did nothing on His own initiative, but only what He saw the Father doing, and heard the Father saying (John 5:19,20,30). What an incredible way to live!

Key #4 Journaling, the writing out of your prayers and God's answers, brings great freedom in hearing God's voice.

God told Habakkuk to record the vision (Hab. 2:2). This was not an isolated command. The Scriptures record many examples of individuals' prayers and God's replies (e.g. the Psalms, many of the prophecies, Revelation).

I call the process "two-way journaling," and I have found it to be a fabulous catalyst for clearly discerning God's inner, spontaneous flow, because as I journal I am able to write in faith for long periods of time, simply believing and being in a state of receptivity of God. I know that what I believe I have received from God must be tested. However, testing involves doubt and doubt blocks divine communication, so I do not want to test while I am trying to receive. With journaling, I can receive in faith, knowing that when the flow has ended I can test and examine it carefully, making sure that it lines up with Scripture.

You will be amazed when you journal. Doubt may hinder you at first, but throw it off, reminding yourself that it is a biblical concept, and that God is present, speaking to His children. Relax. When we cease our labors and enter His rest, God is free to flow (Heb. 4:10). Sit back comfortably, take out your pen and paper, smile, and turn your attention toward the Lord in praise and worship, seeking His face. After you write your question to Him, become still, fixing your gaze on Jesus you will suddenly have a very good thought. Don't doubt it; simply write it down. Later, as you read your journaling, you, too, will be blessed to discover that you are indeed dialoguing with God.

Some final notes: Knowing God through the Bible is a vital foundation to hearing His voice in your heart, so you must have a solid commitment to Knowing and Obeying the Scriptures. It is also very important for your growth and safety that you be related to solid, spiritual counselors. All major directional moves that come through journaling should be confirmed by your counselors before you act upon them.


Thanks Lawrence.....

During our sharing of various writers books, papers or articles we do so in an attitude of prayer and worship and the Lord directs us to add to or change some words or even add phrases for emphasis. As we have done in the above article. All in order and to the praise and the Glory of God through the Lord Jesus Christ our High Priest and LORD.

The Mystery of Godliness apart XXII

By Major W. Ian Thomas

This will close the book. Hope that it has been a blessing to all and maybe help clear up any misgivings or lack of understanding.

Perhaps you are a businessman and you imagine that once you have entered your office you have become the boss. Everything you say now becomes law! You had better repent by giving this business over to God. The resources are not yours anyway. Everything belongs to Him. And, if you are someone who works in an environment where the Spirit cannot remain in control of your life, then you need to get out of that business before it becomes too late to enter into the Kingdom-Life of God. (Matt. 22:1-14)

In what part of your life do you seem to get by without depending on God {not God as a “come along helper” to your plans and desires, as so many ask Him to do, but God as the “originator” and “source” of your plans, activities and desires}? That is the place that needs to change! Right there! You had better repent. You cannot find the Kingdom-Life until you have stopped walking in the strength of the flesh.

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His Rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it… For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works… Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest… (Heb. 4:1, 10-11 Emphasis added, for further enlightenment look at our other blog link in the left hand top side of this page)

You have been “made alive” in Christ to be exclusively at His disposal. You now need to fully present yourself to Him to be an instrument of His Righteousness, so He may control your activities and display the Light of His Life through your character. Can you honestly say in your own experience, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ Lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh {in a mortal body} I live by faith in the Son of God”? (Gal. 2:20 Emphasis added)

The Capital “I” needs to be crucified with Christ so that God may have complete possession of your body. The degree to which a deliberate, voluntary attitude of faith has permitted you to reckon yourself to be dead “with Christ,” and the degree to which you have stopped living by “the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Eph. 2:3), will be the degree to which the redemptive plan of God has taken place within your life.

Your worth is directly related to how much you have permitted the Spirit of God to reveal the Son’s Life through you. Everything else is a dead loss and comes in last place or quits or falls out of the race set before us. In the end, everything of the flesh must be burned in the testing fires on the Day of Judgment.

When you are willing to fully surrender your body to become a vessel of Christ’s Kingdom-Life, then the Son of God will fill what you are – nothing, with what He is – everything. Only then will you be something!

With the old flesh-life out, and the Kingdom-Life of Christ in, how wealthy God will have made you! This is the Pearl of Great Price! Good friend, before you lay this book aside, embrace this life of faith. Great and precious are the promises to those who live by childlike dependence on God for everything. (2 Pet. 1:3-4) Submit yourself to Christ so that He may give you all that He has prepared for you in the Heavenly realms. (Eph. 1:3) He waits to share this wonderful Mystery of Godliness with you!

{We therefore} present to you the word of God in its fullness – the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. (Col. 1:25-28)

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing… Blessed is the man who endures temptation {in the time of testing}; for when he has been approved {to come out of the wilderness of human sufficiency}, he will receive the crown of Life {the Kingdom-Life} which the Lord has promised
to those who love Him. (Jam. 1:4, 12 Emphasis added)

We have come through this by personal experience and have stood the testings, trials and tribulations and still they come as the LORD perfects us with His teaching and revealing of our Salvation within. All to the Glory and Praise of an Endless Life in the presence of God. Even while here on earth in our present state as a receptive creature of God's making.

The Mystery of Godliness apart XXI

By Major W. Ian Thomas

…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8 Emphasis added)

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man {the flesh-life} was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with {destroyed}, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died {to the flesh-life} has been freed from sin {the old life of self-sufficiency and self-will}. (Rom. 6:5-7)

Once Paul had finally come to the end of himself and had died to the ways of human effort {the old Adam-life, dealing with the external}, the risen Lord was able to manifest Himself through his mortal body. Paul was enabled to experience a complete victory over the old Adam-life by entering into an experiential relationship with Christ in His crucified life. It was by passing through this real death to the old self-life that he was able to begin sharing with Christ in His risen Life. It was then that he could honestly say, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20) And it was then that he could become “more than conquerors through Him who Loves us.” (Rom. 8:37)

Paul received what he referred to as “the abundance of Grace and of the Gift of Righteousness.” This abundant measure of Grace enabled him to “reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” He discovered that Christ’s risen Life was “much more” powerful than the flesh-life he had originally inherited from Adam.

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one {Adam}, MUCH MORE those who receive abundance of Grace and of the Gift of Righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (Rom. 5:17 Emphasis added)

How Much Are You Worth

We must never permit anyone to deceive us into believing that God has placed some set limitation on what Jesus Christ can do through us in this world. Through our dependent faith in God, we can put His Divine power and authority to work within our inner being to conquer everything that prevents the Son from displaying His Kingdom-Life of Love through our mortal bodies. He “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power, authority that is at work within us.” (Eph. 3:20 Emphasis added)

Since God can do more than we can imagine, let us not let carnal minds – minds that are still under the sway of the devil’s lies – limit our understanding of what He can do. “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27)

Yes, there will be a physical resurrection of the body “when the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” (1 Cor. 15:53) And this resurrected body will completely free us from the sufferings we have experienced in this cursed world. But we can still enter into a real participation with Christ in His Divine nature while we remain in this world. And even if it is only a dim likeness when contrasted to His Glorified Life, God does have the power to manifest the same victorious life, through us, that Jesus displayed by the power of the Holy Spirit through His mortal body. We are therefore expected to buy the heavenly Pearl – His Kingdom-Life – by following Him through the cross. (Matt. 16:24-25)

There are two ways for someone to live. The first is to live “to and for self,” and thereby “walk after the flesh.” The second is to live “to and for Christ,” and thereby “walk after the Spirit.” It is not just a matter of degree, it is a matter of kind. Your life will either have self at the center {even when serving Christ} or God at the center.

There are some who think they can serve both self and God. But Jesus Himself said, “No one can serve two masters.” (Matt. 6:24) You will either live by human effort according to “the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Eph. 2:2-3), or you will live by faith under the control and power of the Holy Spirit. The choice, according to the Scriptures, is yours! And you will need to be very careful about your decision "if" you are to avoid being deceived like Adam and Eve.

If you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live {in the Kingdom-Life}. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Rom. 8:13-14 Emphasis added)

Which of these principles governs your behavior? Remember, there is a “form of godliness” that does not come from the “power” or authority of God. (2 Tim. 3:5) Therefore, we are not asking you about the degree of righteousness you have developed. The principle from which your behavior springs is what matters. Are you living by human effort, or are you living by the Spirit?

To help you answer this question, you should remember that the essence of sin is independence and self-sufficiency: “Everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
(Rom. 14:23) Are you totally surrendered to the Will of God and are you continually depending on Him to manifest His Life and works through you? Or, in your service to God, are you still independently directing your activities and living by your own human wisdom and efforts?

Every area of your life in which you have not learned to be wholly dependent on God is an area that still requires repentance. Are you still trying to become righteous through your own concerted efforts? You need to repent. Are there people you are still trying to change by ruling over them as the Gentiles do? You need to repent? As long as you are depending on human methods, human efforts and human wisdom to correct the world, you are not living by faith in God’s power or authority.