Paul
writes to Timothy 'I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which
is in you' (2Tim 1:6)
so,
to help the church with this, Heavenfire offers this brief word, because
“Is
not my word like fire,” declares the Lord' (Jeremiah 23:29)
Hearing from God
“He who belongs to God
hears what God says” John 8:47
Easy, isn’t it! Maybe
some readers are confidently asserting “Yes, it is!”, but others are just
as likely muttering “Not for me, it’s not”. I can relate to both of these
positions, strangely enough. I’ve found it can be so easy to hear God’s
voice sometimes, then at others it seems such a struggle!
I’ve been really blessed
in hearing the clear voice of the Lord since the time that I chose to
follow him. Way back then I heard his audible voice so clearly it stunned
me, and as I grew in spiritual maturity I also learned to hear the less
distinct, still, small inner voice. Over the years, some highly respected
ministers have affirmed the prophetic edge to my ministry which comes
from hearing from the Lord, and yet still today I struggle at times to
hear what he wants to say to me. Let me illustrate the dilemma.
Sometimes it seems so
‘natural’, so ‘everyday easy’ to hear and recognise God’s voice, especially
when he wants to use me to reach someone else. In March 2008 I ministered
to a flight attendant whilst on my way to India. Back then I may have
written or spoken about leading her to return to the Lord, then healing
her colleague of stomach pain whilst in the galley at the back of the
‘plane. Well, yesterday as I was sorting through my mission file I came
across the email address she’d given me. I felt a spiritual nudge to contact
her and as I decided on this the Lord spoke. He told me to say to her
that he knew of her pain and confusion over a certain relationship, and
that she could trust him to work it out if only she would follow his guidance.
Later last night I had a jubilant response from her confirming that what
I’d told her was exactly what she needed to hear. She was having a rough
time, with lots of decisions to make, but said that her faith had been
strengthened by my words. It’s an example of a definite, clear and accurate
word of knowledge and prophecy that wasn’t at all hard to discern.
But then why has it
recently been so hard for me to hear our Father’s voice for myself, on
an issue that is so very important to me? Normally it’s as easy as having
a conversation. Since returning from my last visit to India I’ve been
asking the Lord why my application to renew my visa hasn’t been dealt
with yet. It has left me in limbo, unable to plan another trip. It has
been a really tough time for me because India is still so very much on
my heart. When God removes a ministry, it is my experience that before
he does so he removes the burden for that work from my heart. He hasn’t
done that with India. I’ve been eagerly listening for his news of what
is happening about that visa, and when it will come. That’s been the problem,
and it has stopped me from hearing his voice!
A couple of years or
so ago I was ministering in the States. Also speaking was a younger man
with a recognised prophetic ministry, who had prophesied the Asian tsunami,
the Mount St Helen’s eruption, and more. Yet it was me the Lord used to
speak to his wife in a manner so powerfully precise that her tears flowed
like a river. Why?
You know how scripture
says to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith”
(Heb 12:2)? Well, sometimes we take our eyes off Jesus and put them on
the outworking of our faith in him – on our ministry, our expectations,
on the answer we are yearning to hear. We know that, don’t we, but we
never seem to be alert that it could be us doing it! My guess is that
the American prophet had his eyes on his growing national ministry and
had failed to see something closer to home. As for me, and my visa preoccupation,
I took my eyes – or rather, my ears – off what God wanted to say to me,
and instead I was listening for something that he wasn’t ready to talk
about. In this sense the voice of God is "like a fire", but
without its noise! The roar and crackle of the fire of ministry can, if
we’re not careful, drown out the voice of God’s guidance, as Elijah discovered.
“After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And
after the fire came a gentle whisper. … Then a voice said to him, “What
are you doing here, Elijah?” (1Kgs 19:12-13).
It’s like when you think
you hear a sound in the night, and you listen intently for that sound.
Instead all you hear is the beating of your own heart. If any of this
is happening to you, you need to quieten your heart, soften your breathing
and just let the sound (or let God’s voice) come to you. Just be ready
to hear it, not focussed elsewhere or distracted by your own agenda.
We also need to be able
to listen to others who hear from God on our behalf. It often seems easier
to hear from God if we’re less personally involved in what he might want
to say! We need regular time with people who are listening in at heaven’s
gates on our behalf.
Many years ago the Lord
told me about his plans for my ministry. They would involve India, the
USA, and elsewhere. I don’t think that either of the former are finished,
but still there’s an awfully big elsewhere waiting for his word “Go”!
I have come to realise that I should not have been asking “When India
again?”, but “What now?”. If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll
always get what you’ve always got, and I want more! I’m presently exploring
various indications of his call to Pakistan and Kenya, and perhaps a return
to the USA, that I’ve received from other believers. Now I’m not letting
my own noise – even the noise of ministry fire - get in the way of God’s
voice! I hope and pray that you are hearing him clearly, or that you will
do so from now on!
Chris.
January 2010
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