How to Hear God's Voice to Know His Will

Westside Christian Fellowshihp ^ | Feb 5, 2017 | Shane Idleman

[metmom]

Let me begin by applauding your desire to know God’s will; this is often a sign of spiritual health. God guides those who are willing to follow.

When it comes to knowing God’s will, more often than not, unless it’s written in His word, there are no specific answers. For instance, the Bible doesn’t say who to marry or where to work, but it does offer important principles that lead you in the right direction. However, there are other areas that are clearly God’s will for our lives: to be saved and to worship Him, to be holy and set apart for His glory, to be filled continually with the Holy Spirit, to witness to others, to make disciples, and so on. (Refer to I Timothy 2:4; I Thessalonians 4:3-7; Ephesians 5:17-18; and Matthew 28:19.)

Although this article will not outline God’s specific will for your life, it will provide guidance for the journey. The best way to know God’s will is to be filled with His Spirit, pray for direction, and obey His word. For example, I’m alarmed at the number of couples who are convinced that God is leading them toward marriage, yet they engage in premarital sex and are considering living together before marriage. I’m equally amazed at the number of people who don’t have a servant’s heart, who don’t apply the word, who don’t spend time in prayer, who don’t display humility, and yet think the Spirit is leading them.

[metmom]

ping

[Popman]

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

[Tax-chick]

Good article. I find that reading the New Testament over and over is very helpful.

[CommieCutter]

bm

[karatemom]

Thank you for posting this article!! Blessings to you!

[usconservative]

Good read, thanks for posting.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Too much “Theology of Glory” for an old-fashioned Lutheran like me.

Bad theology does not a humble XPian make.

[TNoldman]

I have read both the Old and New Testaments. I need help in understanding why the God of the Old Testament is so controlling and vengeful and the God of the New Testament is so forgiving and loving. This very confusing to me.
I am a Christian and I was Baptised last year at age of 81. I attend a Evangelical Church on a regular basis.

[bk1000]

“I need help in understanding why the God of the Old Testament is so controlling and vengeful and the God of the New Testament is so forgiving and loving. This very confusing to me.”

It is confusing. It has been suggested the vengefullness may have been during a purge of nephelim that the flood may not have killed. The different aspect of God could be explained as the Mosaic law was impossible to keep. Thus man could not attain the glory of God through deeds or actions. With Christ came a new covenant (deal) with God in which faith was required rather than various animal sacrifices. That is a simplification, but one that made some sence to me.

[PeterPrinciple]

I have read both the Old and New Testaments. I need help in understanding why the God of the Old Testament is so controlling and vengeful and the God of the New Testament is so forgiving and loving.

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Some thoughts:

1) They are the same God.

2) Personally, I see the most loving caring God in the OT. Keep Reading.

3) Controlling and vengeful? Substitute Almighty and Holy. See that in the Book of Revelation.

4) Notice the words you use. We want to define God on our terms, Not let God tell us who He is. When you say or hear the words “God to me....................” you are on the wrong path.

5) Everyone likes a loving merciful God. God MUST be Holy, Righteous, sovereign, etc. He is merciful at his pleasure. You can only understand his mercy and love when you begin to understand his Holiness.

6) The fact that you asked, says God is at work. I remember the journey...........................

[metmom]

I have read both the Old and New Testaments. I need help in understanding why the God of the Old Testament is so controlling and vengeful and the God of the New Testament is so forgiving and loving. This very confusing to me.

I understand what you are saying.

I've read the OT and it seems that way too and yet with further reading, you see God warning people time and again for long periods of time to repent and turn to Him.

He doesn't just zap people with no warning. He doesn't want to judge, would rather have mercy, and pleads and implores with people to change their ways.

Sadly they don't and then they reach the point of no return. God brings the judgment He warned about and people are shocked that He'd do it.

Well, He said He would if they didn't change their ways.

And then they are surprised when He actually acts on it?

Exodus 34:6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

2 Chronicles 30:9 For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your children will find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.”

Nehemiah 9:17 They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.

Nehemiah 9:31 Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

Psalm 86:15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Psalm 103:8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Psalm 111:4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful.

Psalm 112:4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

Psalm 116:5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.

Psalm 145:8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Joel 2:1 2-13 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.

Jonah 4:2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.

[PeterPrinciple]

On reflection, I am still on the journey, I remember the early paths.

What if God said to you, “I have always loved you”.

Well he did. Is He telling the truth or are those just words for the moment? Do you believe Him? How do you feel or think on hearing those words? What image is in your mind? How do you respond to that statement?

Well, amazingly, God declared his love in the OT. Read it in context and get back to me. Malichi 1:2

Note the response to God’s declaration of love...........

[DannyTN]

I’ve seen the case made that it’s the opposite.

It’s Jesus who talks about Hell. And the judgements in Revelations are far worse than anything in the Old Testament.

In some cases, God appears to be teaching important principles in the Old Testament and uses severe repercussions to drive home the lesson get His point across.

[MHGinTN]

Your number six ... here is wisdom.

[PK1991]

Thanks for posting that article. It was a wonderful read, especially after a day of feeling discouraged. I love this quote: “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man who is fully committed to him.” On the issue of old verses new, Pope Benedict wrote some very beautiful and insightful books and papers on this topic. One of the Books that deals with this is “Jesus of Nazareth.” A good read for lent. His writings are laser focused and page turners. I loved Pope John Paul II but it took me an hour to read a sentence of his books. Pope Benedict makes you turn the pages. Here is an article talking about his theology on the issue. “http://www.cuf.org/2006/03/the-master-key-pope-benedict-xvis-theology-of-covenant/

[Elsie]

When it comes to knowing God’s will, more often than not, unless it’s written in His word, there are no specific answers.

What a concept!!

Although I've heard that there is a LARGE religious organization that has managed to fill in any perceived gaps in what was written so long ago.

[Elsie]

“The world has yet to see what God can do with a man who is fully committed to him.”

But MOM has said...

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The 15 promises

(Given to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan de la Roche)

1	Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive powerful graces.
2.	I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
3.	The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies
4.	It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of people from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5.	The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6.	Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying Himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise Him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7.	Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
8.	Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the Saints in Paradise.
9.	I  shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10.	The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11.	You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12.	All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13.	I  have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death
14.	All who recite the Rosary are my children, and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
15.	Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

 

"The Most Holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there is no problem,

no matter how difficult it is, wheter temporal or above all spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families...that cannot be solved by the Rosary.

There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary."

Sister Lucia dos Santos

[PK1991]

True; thank you!

[GBA]

A quote from this message:

O come! you who err still in this wilderness saying:

"I have sought My Redeemer but have not found Him;"

find Me, My beloved, in purity of heart, by loving Me without self-interest, find Me in holiness, in the abandonment I desire of you;
find Me by observing My Commandments;
find Me by replacing evil with love;
find Me in simplicity of heart;
sin no more;
cease in doing evil;
learn to do good, search for justice, help the oppressed, let this wilderness and this aridity exult;
let your tepidness enflame into an ardent flame;
relinquish your apathy and replace it by fervour;

do all these things so that you may be able to say:

"I have sought My Redeemer and I have found Him; He was near Me all the time but in My darkness I failed to see Him; O Glory be to God! Blessed be our Lord! how could I have been so blind?"