CENTRAL THOUGHT
Deep spiritual maturity is hinged on the ability to hear God’s voice correctly.
HYMN: I AM THINE, O LORD, I HAVE HEARD THINE VOICE.
INTRODUCTION
Hearing Gods voice is the sum total of our fellowship, communion, and relationship with our Father. It entails him speaking to us, at His discretion, for instructions that may bother on our general well-being, specific assignments, rebukes, and being incorporated into the deeper secrets of His overall plans and programs for the future. It also includes the special privilege of being able to reach Him, at our own discretion, and converse with Him of issues about which we are in doubt and on which His opinion will be accepted as sacrosanct and, therefore final. Bible history and stories tells us that in both old and contemporary times, men and women that have moved the hands of God and stayed long with Him, have been those who have been able to secure the voice of God, and therefore, His opinion on issues that have sharpened the destinies of individuals, families, regions, and needless darkness, from individuals nations of the world. Unfortunately, today many of us still grope in to churches or anywhere some perceived solution exists, in search for God’s voice concerning our failing marriages, dwindling businesses and sources of livelihood, disappointments in church and society, and general backwardness.
Fortunately, it is in the character and desire of God for Him to speak to us. In the past, He spoke to His people largely through prophets/seers by the media of visions, dreams and vocal communications. Today He has graciously added the agencies of the written Word and the Holy Spirit to the means by which He seeks that we hear His voice.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this study are:
1.) What it means to hear God’s voice?
2.) Some media by which God speaks to us
3.) How to cultivate this attribute of hearing God’s voice and
4.) What are the benefits of being able to hear from God?
BIBLE TRUTH
Q1. WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE?
This literally involves God speaking to any of His children audibly enough for such a person to hear clearly with his/her natural sense of hearing (the care) about a matter in which He (God) does not want His opinion to be misunderstood. This action, as can be seen from the above references, is usually initiated by God Himself, with the frequency, time and place being His exclusive rights. However, we may hear God speaking to us as we read His word with the right attention, concentration, reverence, and privacy. It could also mean God, through His Spirit in us, communicating messages to us by strong understandable impressions that cannot be ignored, in our moments of deliberate quietness, meditation and prayers. Most commonly it takes the form of a dialogue that demonstrates the intimate relationship that exists between Father and child.
Q2. DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING WAYS, AMONG OTHERS, BY WHICH WAYS GOD SPEAKS TO HIS PEOPLE.
a)Visions and Dreams (Numbers12:6-8, Joel 2:28)
These are God’s methods of getting messages across to His people by deliberately interfering with their sleep or rest pattern. We must immediately note that: (i) it comes at the discretion of God, in line with 2 Peter 1:19-21. That someone is employed to “see visions” for you is a deceit and has no place in the will of God. (ii) God intervenes with dreams and visions when He wants to ensure that there is no error of judgement or interpretation in the message He wants to pass across to us. Left alone to decide, God knows that our decisions on the matter under consideration would contradict His will with monumental consequences and so He intervenes by this medium. Breaking into the Gentile world with the gospel, through Peter and Cornelius presents a perfect example (Acts 10:9-22). (iii) The word of God must be given the freehand to examine the accuracy and acceptability of ALL dreams and visions. This puts this medium in its proper place of supplementing the written revelation. Where there is no agreement between the two, the Christian must be courageous enough to take sides with the written word. This is the only way to avoid the pitfall of the hijack and adulteration of this medium by the enemy into which many unsuspecting Christians have fallen.
b)The Written Word.
This is the revealed word, expressed in the Bible, which is the “heart of God made legible” (Deut.29:29 & John 1:1-2). It is a finality in content but its interpretation is beyond mere mental ability (2 Cor.3:6). It must therefore be studied and mediated upon through the assistance of the Holy Spirit before it can become the source of God’s voice to us (Joshua 1:8).
c)The Holy Spirit
This has an expert knowledge of all things and has been graciously assigned to make our body His dwelling place, thus connecting us to an infinite source of knowledge. It represents the new testaments approach of God’s method of hearing His voice (John 16:12-15).Unfortunately, many seem to be more comfortable with dreams and visions, than submitting to being led, taught, and guided into all truth by the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:26, Rom.8:14).
Q3. HOW DO WE CULTIVATE THE HABIT OF HEARING GOD’S VOICE? Perhaps the most distinguishing aspect of King David, that made him so successful in most of the battles of life, was his ability to always ascertain the voice of God before taking a decision on most matters. Similarly, if we are to “go far with God” we must learn how to adopt the same approach in handling the issues of life. For example, when we need to take decisions on the following areas of life:
a)When there is distress and confusion arising from failure(business, academic, political, etc.)
David “encouraged himself in the Lord” and “enquired” of the Lord (1 Sam. 30:6-8). Go to the Lord in prayers and take no further step until you hear definitely from above. You may include a fast period if so disposed but it is recommended.
b)Choosing a life partner(marriage).
Not as complex or fearful as often presented. “… and a prudent wife is from the Lord”(Prov. 19:14). It is when you want to choose for yourself that you run into difficulties. Wait for the Lord to do the choosing and you will have peace.
c)When there is a seeming delay in the manifestation of our request from God (e.g. Pregnancy/child bearing).
With an intimate relationship with God, it would not be offending to request for an explanation on the delay. He surely would speak back to you. Abraham had several visitations form God assuring Him of His intention to keep His promise and that explains his resilience in faith (Gen. 17:15-18, Rom. 4:17-21). Before going to adopt a child or help God with a housemaid, like Sarah did, ASK God.
d)At the dawn of new day.
After the normal daily prayers and necessary quotations of comfort on each day, is it superfluous to ask “but Lord, how do I spend today?”. An answer from the Lord that made the day and its entire content will be both comforting and quite guiding.
e)When there is a seeming or lingering controversy (doctrinal, marital, political etc.)
Before God no controversy exists. The Holy Ghost is the expert in the resolution of all crisis and seeming controversies. Go to Him and He will lead you into all truth including indecent dressing (like trouser wearing and non-covering of hair to church) by females supposed Christians (John 16:13).
f)Spiritual offices
For the administrative offices of Bishops and Deacons etc. it may not be an evil ambition to be one except when the motive or intention is to “FEED ON THESHEEP” instead of feeding the sheep (John 21:15-17, 1 Tim. 3:1-13). Even at that there is absolute need for you to discuss your ambition with the Lord. On the more crucial offices of the Apostle, Prophets, Teachers, Evangelists, and Pastors, allow God to make His choice. It is God’s exclusive prerogative to choose these set of officers (Acts 13:1-2, 1 Cor. 1:1, 1 Cor. 12:28, Eph. 4:7-11). In the absence of such clear and purposefully defined placement by God, let us be content with the call and ordination to the general ministry of reconciliation (Mark 16:15-18, John 15:16, 2 Cor. 5:17-19).
Q4. ARE THERE BENEFITS IN SEEKING TO HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD BEFORE GOING FORWARD? Exodus 33:11-17, 1 Samuel 30:6-8 & 18-20, Acts 16:8-9, 1 Tim. 4:8
We are sure God’s “general”, Moses, would tell us that to be a successful leader of people and God’s people in particular, you must be able to hear God’s voice on a consistent basis. We are sure that David would tell us that to be consistently victorious, we must be able to access God and hear from Him at very short notice. We are sure that apostle Paul would tell us that if we want to be successful in ministry we must be able to hear from God in order for our outreach programs to be specific and on target. Hearing God’s voice, which is an attribute of godliness is therefore, “profitable” unto all things.
DAILY LIVING APPLICATION
To hear from God is to be assured of His presence and participation in the issues we have brought before Him. That immediately presupposes that you are a born again child of God and baptized in the Holy Ghost. It is a lot easier and safer to ask God “how do I do it” than to ask Him to approve and bless what we have chosen to do by ourselves. We would not be able to stampede God into taking sides with our decisions when His opinion was not sort from the beginning. Therein lies the mystery behind most of our unanswered prayers. Therefore, let us cultivate the early habit of depending, absolutely, on Him by ensuring that we go not ahead unto the execution stage of anything we seek to do without first securing His Fatherly counsel and approval. This we can develop by daily taking off significant time to discuss with Him in prayers and waiting to hear His response.
MEMORY VERSE
John 10:2-3
“But the that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out”.
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Monday: Be connected to the source of all knowledge by ensuring that you are genuinely baptized in the Holy Ghost.
Acts 19:1-6
Tuesday: Learn to feed on the scriptures consistently and chew its cud by meditation.
Joshua 1:8
Wednesday: Learn to pray in tongues without necessarily becoming a nuisance to your neighborhood. Jude 20
Thursday: Learn to interpret your own tongue by keeping quiet before the Lord to receive the ministration of the Holy ghost.
1 Cor. 14:13-15
Friday: Pray today for something very specific and wait for a response from the Lord.
John 16:24
Saturday: Learn to confirm the correctness of every revelation or voice with the word of God. Take a side with the word if there is a disagreement.
1 John 4:1-6