Are You Listening?

Sadly, many of today's Christians don't have a clue how to hear Gods voice. That doesn't mean they don't have the ability, or that He isn't speaking to them. In fact, it's quite the opposite! God is continually speaking to us! He wants and open line of communication with His children!

One of the main questions pastors across the world are asked is, "How can I hear God's voice?" It's a valid question. How can we serve a God who calls us to relationship if He never speaks back? Prayers go up, but maybe all you're left with is the sound of your own thoughts. All to often, this is because you don't know how to recognize WHEN He is speaking to you.

RELIGION DESTROYS RELATIONSHIP

There are so many ways the Lord is communicating with us. That being said many of today's churches fail to teach people how to listen. This is due to the lack of education in certain denominations that do not teach the pastors themselves how to hear the Holy Spirit. This is a trap the enemy has tried to keep the Church in for centuries. Religion has tried to separate the body of Christ from having a direct line of communication with our Heavenly Father. When we restrict the Holy Spirit or control how much we allow Him to move, we grieve the Spirit of God and the people suffer. HOSEA 4:6 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. COLOSSIANS 2:8 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Zechariah 7:11 11 “But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear.

Above all else, God wants a relationship with you. Ultimately its our responsibility to press into who He is and be ready when He speaks. Once we accept the truth that He is continually speaking to us, there are no excuses or blame that we can put on others for why we don't hear his voice. If we seek Him we will find Him everywhere!

HOW DOES GOD SPEAK?

We are living in a crucial time in today's world. It will take knowing Gods Word and hearing His voice to be victorious. It's time to let the Holy Spirit run freely among us, allowing him to work in and through the body of Christ. For this to happen, we must learn how to recognize when He is speaking to us. We can't continue to live in silence, especially because He is speaking all the time and we're not listening!

At this point you may be asking, "Ok.. if God is peaking continuously, how exactly does He speak?" Listed below are a few of the ways He speaks to us. We must learn to exercise our spiritual senses and be watchful at all times, that way we stop missing Him when he speaks!

1. THE BIBLE The number one way God speaks is through His written Word (John 1:1). If you're begging God to speak to you, but never pick up the Bible, then it's time you change your approach. If you don't know where to begin, start with the passages written in RED! Jesus is speaking in those verses, and if you want to know who God is and what He thinks about you, that's where you start. As you continue reading God's Word, if certain scriptures seem to jump off the pages at you or reveal something new, He is speaking! 2. OTHER PEOPLE Pay attention to your conversations with people. This doesn't just mean on Sunday mornings or when you're listening to a sermon online. God can speak through the most unexpected of people. When truth is spoken, your spirit knows. Don't brush it off - and don't ignore what your children say. God opened the mouth of a donkey to speak to a man once (Numbers 22:21-39). Who is to say that God won't speak to you through a person you consider a "donkey" and shock you too! 3. STILL SMALL VOICE The still small voice within you is how He speaks to you all day. His spirit is continually in your thoughts. He may bring someone to your mind out of the blue, if this happens start praying for them. He may be telling you it's time to forgive them. He could drop a business idea into your heart, or it could be as simple as the desire to perform an act of kindness for a stranger. Start paying attention to your thoughts. Those that come seemingly out of nowhere that bring peace, encouragement and love are a good indicator that He is showing you Himself. All evil, jealous, impure and self-indulgent thoughts are not of God and the Bible says to cast them out (2 Corinthians 10:5). 4. DREAMS Dreams are very important (Acts 2:17). God often speaks to me through dreams. If you've ever woken up and something within you knew that it wasn't because of the pizza you ate before bedtime, God might be trying to show you something. Ask the Lord about the dream, and see what He reveals to you. If you continue to have trouble understanding, seek a Godly person out and share the dream with them. They may have the gift of interpretation and you'll find your answers that way. 5. VISIONS Visions are like dreams only your wide awake, it's like a movie played out before you. If this happens, it's often meant for the purpose of prayer or encouragement for the Body of Christ. If the Lord ever gives you a vision, He may want you to intercede for someone or proclaim His vision for the Church. (Acts 2:17) 6. ANGELS Many people have had angels visit them with a message from God, and yes it still happens today!(Hebrews 13:2) 7. CIRCUMSTANCES God may be trying to speak to you in your current circumstances. Have you found yourself going around the same mountain time and time again? Then something's got to give. You have to make a change. It could be something with your children, your finances, Health etc... 8. AUDIBLE VOICE This is nothing to be afraid of! It's also not something that only happened in the Bible. God does still speak in an audible voice!

JOURNAL ENTRY 1

What I'm about to show is is from my personal prayer journal. The first example was something I got in agreement with other believers who were praying for rain as well. He fulfilled what he said he would!

APRIL 2, 2015 - God spoke to me as I was crossing the Runaway Bay bridge, he told me he was about to fill up all the lakes. So I rejoiced and said thank you Lord, and begin to find people who would be in agreement with me. MAY 2, 2015 - awesomeness, lakes are filling up!!!💕 God is faithful💕

JOURNAL ENTRY 2

The second example is something God spoke to me a few years back, and then He fulfilled exactly what he told me He would. What's even more amazing is that He gave me a scripture to back it up with!

MARCH 5, 2015 "This is this time that unanswered prayers are being answered. They will no longer delay This is the time of MIRACLES being poured out. This is truly a year of Jubilee" MARCH 10, 2015 - "This is the time when you are going to see prophecy fulfilled in your lifetime not as in the days of old when it was a far off."

JANUARY 1, 2016 - The Lord reminded me of the prophetic word he spoke to me in 2015, and then today showed me where he said something similar to Ezekiel

EZEKIEL 12:25-28 25 For I am the LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and perform it,” says the Lord GOD.’ ” 26 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 27 “Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ 28 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak will be done,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”

My God! My God! I wanted to jump through the roof! People of God you, need to have an expectation of good overtaking you. You need to live with an expectancy to hear and see and receive great things from God! He is good and has great plans for you! Seek him and you will find him. Fall on your face before the King, read His Word and I promise you He will speak to you! He never lets his children down!

Prayer Father, you are marvelous! We rejoice in who you are! We cry out to You and ask that You Open our eyes and ears that have been blinded and silent for far too long! We want to see and hear YOU! Give us a heart to obey with joy and watch You do wonders. Give us the gift of unwavering faith, and the courage to stand against opposition and watch it fall in defeat before us. We thank you with the assurance that what You have said, IT SHALL BE DONE & IT WILL HAPPEN! Amen