God wants to communicate with us and bring us into a relationship with Him. He is good and has good plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11). He wants to give us His wisdom so we can prosper and succeed in life (Proverbs 4:5-13). To hear God’s wisdom, we need to know how to hear God’s voice. We need to quiet ourselves down and remove distractions, focus our eyes on Jesus and tune in to the spontaneous flow of thoughts, and pictures from the Holy Spirit (https://cwgministries.org/four-keys-to-hearing-Gods-voice).
God speaks in many different ways, i.e., God’s Word, the Rhema Word of Christ, the inward witness of the Holy Spirit, through the Holy Spirit’s gift of the Word of knowledge, the Word of wisdom, and prophecy, through creation and nature, and in dreams and visions. We can hear God’s voice because we are His sheep and follow Him (John 10:27). He is just waiting for us to come to Him so He can reveal things to us (Jeremiah 29:12-13; 33:3)! Reading and meditating on God’s written Word is one of the best ways to learn how to hear and recognize God’s voice.
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then, you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye. Psalm 32:8
My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. Proverbs 4:20 – 21
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16
The Rhema Word of Christ is when the Holy Spirit breathes on the written Word (Logos) and quickens it to our spirit as a fresh word for the day, time, or season. It is the spoken Word of Jesus communicating personally with us (Luke 5:5; John 6:63).
The inward witness is that quiet knowing, urging, or prompting and leading arising within us as the Spirit of God influences our spirit (which occurs after you are born again). Romans 8:16 says; the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit. Directions from God come from inside of us, not from the outside. The Holy Spirit speaks to our spirit, and our spirit translates it into a thought. A thought might come to your mind, and you may even wonder: was that me, Lord, or was that you?
When we spend time in His Word, in prayer, and worship with Him every day, we learn to hear and recognize His voice. The written Word and the inward witness are two different things; however, they never contradict each other. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth (see John 16:13). One Word from God can change our lives when we act on it and apply it!
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21
The Holy Spirit can reveal wisdom to you through His gifts of prophecy and the Word of wisdom (1 Corinthians 12:7-10). He gives you wisdom by divine revelation that is an answer or solution for a particular problem within the plan, will, and purpose of God. This wisdom is supernatural (not the natural or general wisdom to handle life’s affairs and can’t be learned; James 1:5). A Word of wisdom speaks to the future and can be manifested through the vehicle of prophecy as well as by a vision or dream or may operate together with the Word of knowledge. When a Word of knowledge comes with instructions, it is a Word of wisdom (Genesis 6:13-18; 19:29: 45:5-8; Acts 8:26-29; 9:10-16; 21:12-14; 27:10, 23, 24; Revelation 1:10-20).
A Word of knowledge is a supernatural revelation by the Holy Spirit of specific facts about people, places, or things in the mind of God that He wants us to know at a particular time about something in the present or past.
Biblical prophecy is God’s expressed thoughts (accessing the heart, mind, and voice of God) spoken in a known tongue to build up people (1 Corinthians 14:3). It is hearing God’s voice through someone else or in a dream or vision.
God-given dreams often speak to what is going on in our lives. Dreams are a channel of communication and an invitation to a relationship with Him. They may bring instruction, wisdom, healing, deliverance, warning of danger, save lives, need for course correction, confirmation, keep us humble (reveal pride), reveal God’s will, speak prophetically to our destiny, and reveal the glory of God, etc. (Job 33:14 – 18; Psalm 16:7)
For more information on dreams, visions, and their interpretation, see my previous blog at Https://alexiscarucci.com/2020/07/01/calling-all-dreamers/
God also speaks to us through the wise counsel of others. So we mustn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked (Psalm 1:1). We are to go to the Lord first and ask Him for the wisdom that we need. He will then show us how He wants to reveal His wisdom to us. He may choose a mature friend or mentor established in the Lord to give advice. We are not to run around asking everyone what they think we should do! Follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in choosing who to share with, then bring their recommendation back to Him in prayer to see if this is what He wants you to do.
The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom and his tongue talks of justice. Psalm 37:30
A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel. Proverbs 1:5
Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors, there is safety. Proverbs 11:14
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise. Proverbs 12:15
Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors, they are established. Proverbs 15:22
Listen to counsel and receive instruction that you may be wise in your latter days. Proverbs 19:20
For by wise counsel, you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of counselors, there is safety. Proverbs 24:6
We need to translate wisdom into action by asking the Holy Spirit to show us how to apply God’s wisdom, follow His leading, and obey.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Proverbs 4:7
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that Jesus has been made wisdom for us. We thank You for all of the ways that You speak to us to impart Your wisdom. Today we declare that we will apply our hearts to wisdom by meditating in Your Word. It is Your Word that gives life and makes our way prosperous and has good success. Thank You that we gain access to Your wisdom and understanding by meditating on Your Word. We will not let Your Words depart from our eyes but keep them in our hearts. Lord, thank You for wise counsel today in our lives. Thank You that you bring the right people into our lives and remove the wrong ones. We declare that we are not aligned with the wrong people in the name of Jesus. We thank You and will obey You in our relationships and heed wise counsel. We declare that we will listen to Your voice and follow You. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for revealing wisdom and showing us how to apply it in our lives. In the name of Jesus, Amen
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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