“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.”
Wow, what a great time we had in this service!! The way the body ministered together was so beautiful to me. If you were not there or you did not catch it online, I encourage you to watch. Just after 9 minutes into my message I discuss the interpretation of a tongue someone brought during worship, and then several others in the body shared the interpretation they received. It’s a little hard to hear, but you can make it out if you turn up your volume.
The interpretation of the tongue came in the form of a prayer. You can listen to the prayer and then watch the message to see how accurate it was, then watch everyone’s input about what they heard from God during the tongue, it was a beautiful thing.
Click to watch the interpretation on YouTube.
Hearing the Holy Spirit
Hearing the Holy Spirit is about developing a meaningful relationship with God, where we can hear His voice and receive knowledge, wisdom, and direction. Jesus emphasized the importance of this connection when describing the sending of the Holy Spirit in John 14-16.
For me, the process varies, but when I feel the need to be influenced by the Spirit or seek guidance, I follow a general approach. I take a moment to get still, even if I'm driving or surrounded by a crowd. I consciously become fully aware of God's presence. I acknowledge different aspects of His character that feel relevant at that moment.
To fully embrace this moment, I release all stress and anxiety and might focus on a specific passage that resonates with the situation. After calming my mind and regaining peace, I pay attention to the thoughts that arise, specifically distinguishing thoughts of doubt and thoughts of faith.
Thoughts of doubt may remind me of challenges, failures, or tasks I've been avoiding, while thoughts of faith affirm my identity and salvation and lead to correction or guidance. Sometimes, these insights are accompanied by relevant scriptures or wise revelations. I then seek to apply the faith-focused impressions.
The Holy Spirit communicates with me in subtle ways, often through sentences that come to mind as memories, rather than audible messages. This aligns with what Jesus said—the Holy Spirit reminds us of who we are, bearing witness to our spirit that we are God's children, and recalls what Jesus had already taught. It's a reminder that we are joint heirs with Christ, sharing in His inheritance.
From the mix of responses within my mind and heart, I make decisions, recognizing that there can be no fruit or transformation without action steps. When impressed by the Spirit, it's essential to act in faith based on these impressions. But I’m careful to verify that the impressions are scriptural.
This process can be challenging, especially if doubts arise from the heart, as they may hinder the clarity of God's word in your heart and thoughts. Conditioning ourselves to think more in alignment with our temporary flesh or carnal aspects of identity might lead us to rationalize and miss faith opportunities.
To maintain clarity, I make it a practice to document these impressions after moments of peace. Over time, I have developed a track record of following these insights, understanding that the Holy Spirit is available to impress and guide me. Even when I don't receive a unique solution, and the impression is a generic Christian principle, such as generosity or believing the best about others, I trust the word and believe it will produce the intended transformation and guidance.
I have learned to trust the process of God’s word bearing fruit in my thinking. I’m careful to mix in wisdom as much as is available in the moment, and then move.
I do “hear” specific and unique impressions from God from time to time, but that is not the main way I try to hear God. I’d prefer to live in alignment and trust in his Word and general character, and trust that it will just work out. But I am open to direct specifics if that’s what happens.
I have seen too many people become disappointed because their decision didn’t work out they thought they had a word from God on. I have seen couples discouraged because they felt like they had a word on the gender of their baby. I have seen people sit and do nothing, waiting on God to do something because they thought they received a word.
I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t value “words,” I’m just suggesting that words should primarily confirm what you see in God’s Word. The Word will work if you live by it, and if a specific step or decision is needed, you are equipped to make a wise decision without second-guessing yourself.
Try this exercise if you desire to develop a more sensitive spiritual ear to God’s voice.
Practical Application
Based on my message about hearing the Holy Spirit from within, here’s your suggested homework.
Read John chapters 14 through 17
Make a list of all the points Jesus makes about the Holy Spirit as you read
Write a few sentences about what stands out to you the most as Jesus describes the Holy Spirit
Take a few minutes to get an inner vision of what it looks like in your daily life to hear God lead you
Practice it in as many areas of life as you can
