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 Hearing the Voice of God and Fulfilling God's Purpose for Your Life (book by Eric Gondwe)
6. THROUGH FELLOWSHIP While the early disciples assembled together in fellowship, God spoke to them through the Holy Spirit. “While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them,’” (Acts 13:2) God can speak to us for our individual benefit or our corporate benefit as we assemble together. It does not have to be a church fellowship. Jesus said, “Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them,” (Matthew 18:20). Jesus comes in our midst and begins to speak through any one or more of us wherever we “come together.” He may speak through the person speaking in our gathering or from within us from the inside. Jesus is also able to heal people physically and spiritually since his power is also present when two or more assemble in his name. “When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus… the power of our Lord Jesus is present,” (1 Corinthians 5:4) 7. THROUGH PROPHECY The Holy Spirit can speak through a godly person or people on a matter concerning an individual. “But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort,” 1 Corinthians 14:3. Agabus prophesied about Paul (Acts 21:10-11). Paul and other elders prophesied to Timothy. “Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith,”1 Timothy 1:18-19. “Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you,” 1 Timothy 4:14. Prophecies like circumstances and wise council are worth being sent back to God to back it up with other confirmations. “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world,” 1 John 4:1. More content available in the Second Edition of the book: Click here to acquire it 8. THROUGH VISIONARY LEADINGS (INCLUDING THROUGH VISIONS) A vision is a message from God that the recipient ‘sees’ clearly with the mind and many times accompanied by voices. Steven saw Jesus before dying,(Acts 7:55). Paul saw Jesus standing near him and encouraging him over his difficult assignments (Acts 23:11). God spoke to Ananias in a vision about Paul (Acts 9: 10-11). Visions were very common in the New Testament era and will remain very common in our last days. “In the last days, God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions,’” Acts 2:17, Joel 2:28. Being led in a visionary way includes many other avenues besides being led through a vision. It includes being led: i) through inner convictions, ii) through a burden, iii) through a deep passion, iv) through a deep understanding, and v) through a clear sense of direction in a particular area. Thus a visionary leading could be through any one or a combination of these avenues, including being led through a vision. Divine leadings in a visionary way that do not include visions are God’s most used avenues in speaking to us than through visions. Most of us can relate to at least one of God’s visionary related leadings except for visions. Think of all the millions of God’s servants he’s used to spread the gospel throughout the centuries. Where they all led by visions in their callings? Absolutely no. Only a tiny percent ever even experienced a single vision in their lifetimes. Yet God effectively led them through visionary leadings outside visions in touching nearly every corner of this world with the gospel. Today Christianity is the fastest growing religion in the world primarily through evangelism, says the U.S. Center for World Mission. The second fastest growing religion is Islam. Islam’s growth is primarily through higher than average birth-rates and consequent higher population growth in Muslim regions. Thus we’re seeing a lot of ministries and Christ centered activities growing today because so many of God’s children are being led by the Holy Spirit through various visionary ways. There are people voluntarily living less comfortable lives, in less comfortable careers, or in less comfortable regions with no complaints about their decisions. They could run back to their materially comfort zones but they feel more at home and in God’s will where they are. The common denominator of areas and matters we feel at home is that we understand them to be part of God’s will for us. We’re able to relate to God’s leading through any one or a combination of the avenues of his visionary leadings. These visionary leadings outside visions constitute God’s “gentle whisper” to us (1 Kings 19:12 (called “still small voice” in KJV)). They are not as glamorous with a lot of pomp like visions yet he prefers to use these avenues than visions. More content available in the Second Edition of the book: Click here to acquire it 9. THROUGH DREAMS Nearly all that’s been said in the previous section on visionary leadings applies to this section. It may not be worth repeating. “And having been warned in a dream, they (Joseph and Mary) returned to their country by another route,” (Matthew 2:12). Dreams that are from God will be very memorable. They seize our attention to figure out what God is saying. Such outstanding dreams are worth taking to God in prayer, asking him to reveal to us what he means. Some outstanding dreams thought to have divine origins may turn out to be mere dreams. Other dreams may be from Satan trying to deceive us to believe they’re from God. The main matter is that a believer must be able to determine what’s truly from God and what’s not. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me,” John 10:27. Jesus said his sheep reject the voice of stranger once the stranger speaks in an earlier passage to the above verse. “They will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice,” John 10:5. Thus the stranger, who is Satan and his fellow fallen angels (demons), does speak to us. Being born again does not give us immunity from Satan speaking to us. It’d be nice if he didn’t have verbal access since there’d be no temptation and any possibility of falling. Since we’re still in this fallen world where he was cast down he’s able to try to influence us. What he doesn’t have access to us our eternal destiny. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand,” John 10:28. Distinguishing between God’s voice and that of the stranger is easier than we imagine it is. Some may assume only the spiritual elite can separate the two voices. The fact is that it’s the work of the Holy Spirit in us. His work is enhanced as we grow in God’s word and walk closer with God in submission to his will. It does not take one to be a pastor or have a ministry title to have a closer walk with God. Every believer has equal opportunity to walk closely with God, abiding in him and his word. There are no favorites. More content available in the Second Edition of the book: Click here to acquire it 10. THROUGH INNER PEACE One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is peace. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law,” Galatians 5:22). Once the peace of Christ is ruling our hearts over a certain matter it is one of the signs that we can go ahead. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace,” Colossians 3:15. Peace suggests that the issue has the Holy Spirit’s approval. When there is some restraint in our hearts like Paul felt (Acts 16:6-7) the Holy Spirit is not allowing us to go ahead on a matter. Lack of peace is like a signal that the Holy Spirit is sending to warn us. More content available in the Second Edition of the book: Click here to acquire it Book on hearing from God: Hearing the Voice of God and Fulfilling God's Purpose for Your Life © 2008 Eric Gondwe
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