In Part One, we discussed the need for Making Time to Listen if we want to hear from God. The other vital areas that we mentioned were the Bible and Prayer. God is not silent. He is constantly seeking to communicate with people. Like a radio station that is tuned to the wrong frequency, though, we often miss what He is trying to say. We can, however, learn to tune in to the frequency that the Holy Spirit is operating on.
3. Counsel– Are we willing to listen to our leaders? Proverbs says, “Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without the advice of others.” (20:18) You might not be planning for war but you are planning out your future. The key to getting good advice and counsel is to get it from someone who is a little further down the road of life than we are. It is not that our friends can’t advise us, it is just that often our friends are at a similar point in life and they are our friend. They can’t see as far down the road as someone who might be more objective.
This is one of the things that people miss out on if they are not involved in a good local church. Pastors and leaders are great people to get counsel and advice from. They have our best interests at heart and want to see us succeed. Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.” Of course, this idea of submission and obedience to authority is not always popular. It is certainly easy to obey when the leader says what we want them to say. It is much harder if they suggest something that we don’t agree with.
4. Take a Step– God’s will and direction often become clear when we start moving. My pastor, Dean Sweetman, often says, “We move, God moves.” In other words, as we start stepping out in faith, we find God begins to guide us, speak to us, and open doors for us. When we are trying to hear God’s voice and find out what He is saying to us, it does not require much faith to just sit and pray. As we said in Part One, prayer is very important. At some point, though, it is time to move. That is where faith comes in. As we pray for guidance and ask God to speak to us, we will find that as we take a step that is when things start to become clear.
How do you hear God’s voice?
Would you like to be part of our team as we prepare to move back to Brazil? Here is the link. Obrigado! (Thank you!)
