Hearing God's Voice
The very first point on this subject is that God does speak to us! Here's how.
Just as knowing a person is a composite of things shared (e.g., dialogue,
values, experiences, friends, hobbies);
we know God through everything he shares. A few striking areas:
- Creation - We know the Artist through his art.
- The Intellect - Natural reasoning abilities, for all truth is God's truth.
- The Bible - The Author wrote himself into his-story.
- Christians - I.e., those Christians who genuinely connect with the Author.
- Conscience - Our inner prophet that speaks peace in prayer.
- Spiritual Sense - Intuitive sign-reading to discern "coincidences."
- Direct Personal Revelation- This really happens. More on it below.
When these elements harmonize, we can know we are hearing God.
Responding to these produces the "fruit of Spirit": joy, self-control, love, purity, hope, self-forgetfulness, peace, humility, unity, generosity, patience, honesty, service, etc. Fruit is cultivated over time, and represents a hindsight confirmation we're in the vine.
Love is the key. And lovers spend time in each other's presence.
You come seeking My insight, yet I say to you I am your all in all—I am already in all you do and say. You never have to look for My direction and grace for didn't I promise I would never leave you or forsake you? Do not increase your fretting trying to find Me or seek additional directions. I know what you need when you need it, and exactly what you need it for.
I would long that you merely seek the rest of coming into and being in My presence. It is there we can commune—where you will find peace, joy, wisdom, healing, direction—anything of the abundance of My flow in your life. Often it is when you strive to hear from Me that you will miss out on what I want to say. I always long to connect at the inner depths and it is a challenge for you to hear Me when you exert the control and are not a surrendered vessel, open to My truth, My light.
Do what it takes in the natural for you to find peace for I am never too far from My created world that you cannot find Me there. Sometimes a walk, or a drive or some other less concentrated act can bring you to the door of our communing. Go there if need be. For every prayer time is simply the time where I desire to connect to you intimately, My beloved.
I always want our times together to go both ways for though
you have much to say to Me, I have so much more I long to impart in you to
bring you deeply to the place of being like Jesus, to share in this awesome
love of the Trinity that knows no limit. I have a waterfall of love
for you, of the riches of My grace—every time we commune—which is
all the time, but, in our more intimate times together in prayer, praise and
worship. I want you to know it, to sense it, to feel it, experience
it—to know the love of God which surpasses all human understanding. Then,
you will know I am a real and present God, alive and well and as close as
your heart. Others will see this in you and will desire what you are.
Share with them your good news and let us work together to share the
Kingdom of My love.
The words above are an example of a direct message received by my good friend Dan Goggin. The messages usually arrive during worship, in first-person, which is how other friends of mine also get them. Hard to believe? Read on! See the next page, Charismatic Gifts.