HEARING THE VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
“Stop! Don’t touch the kettle, it’s hot!” When we were young, our parents would shout at us whenever we came close to injuring ourselves. These warnings were loud, direct and clearly spoken to us. Just like our parents, God desires to speak to us in a clear and direct way through the Holy Spirit. However, we are sometimes surrounded by other voices, which tend to drown out the voice of the Holy Spirit.
We need to recognise the voice of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is present in us, and desires to be involved in every aspect of our lives. Just like a child needs to recognise the voice of his parent, we need to recognise the voice of the Holy Spirit.
We must discern the voice of the Holy Spirit. One key to discerning the voice of the Holy Spirit is that His voice must align with God’s word! What the Holy Spirit speaks to us will never deviate from God’s word.
We must decide to act upon hearing the Holy Spirit. As we begin to recognise the voice of the Holy Spirit, we must also act on what He says. When we respond in obedience to the Holy Spirit, His voice becomes clearer and more recognisable. It also becomes easier to obey what He tells you to do!
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. In an age where it’s hard to discern what is true and what is false, recognising the voice of the Holy Spirit is our protection against the lies of the enemy. Don’t listen to other voices that sow worry and anxiety in our lives! Instead, choose to guard what we listen to and learn to recognise the voice of the Spirit.
Reflect:
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- What are some noises that have taken the place of the Holy Spirit’s voice in your life? How can you reduce the attention that you give to these noises?
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- Begin each day by inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Instead of feeling the urge to constantly speak during your times of prayer, quieten your heart, invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you, and listen for His voice.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank You for sending us the Spirit of Truth. Help me to recognise His voice in my life and give me the courage to obey His leading. Help me to discern and know what to allow into my life, and shut out the voices which are not from You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Read:
John 16:13 NIV
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.