The key to hearing God’s voice is silencing self, the noise of the world’s evil influence, and the secular opinions of those who do not know God. We can best learn to trust that the Holy Spirit is speaking to us when His voice is all we are STILL to hear. How do I recognize His voice? When we shut off all screen time, we silence the voice of the demonic, which is the lies, and all that contradicts God’s Word. In obedience, as we sit STILL, with ears to ready to hear, all we’re left with is His voice. The Holy Spirit is already speaking but to recognize His voice, we must shut down all devices, and silence our own doubts.  With intention, we set aside daily time to hear what the Spirit of God is saying. As His friend, and in frequent fellowship, we know God and His voice. We choose to not drown His voice, but reverently silence all else to be still on purpose to listen and know God. We practice stillness as we read the Bible and wait for the clarity of His given divine understanding. We become familiar with God’s wisdom and we draw close as His friend. The Holy Spirit guides our thoughts to align with God’s intent, His will. Matthew 6:6 “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Jesus taught by His example to get away privately, and by removing all distractions, He heard the Father’s will. With purpose we pray in secret as a discipline.  We pray in secret to not gain the praise of others. The Holy Spirit develops our reigning ear in private sessions. Be still, and know.

The character of Joseph was developed in prison before he was appointed to a high position of influence. To hear the voice of the Holy Spirit we must be still to hear with clarity. “Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10 The voice of God is heard as we read the Holy Scriptures.  With ears to hear, listen to what the Spirit wrote through the pen of an obedient listener. Psalm 46:4-11 “There is a river whose streams (Holy Spirit) make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. (Abide with Me) God is WITHIN her, (Israel) she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations He has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields with fire. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” NOTE: God is within! We are secure in Him, and by His will, we abide in His never defeated, divinely protected fortress. Be still and know God’s voice throughout scripture. Hallelujah!

Ask the Holy Spirit to open your ears to hear God’s purpose, His meaning in this instructive Word.  Psalm 20:5-8 “May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.” Confidently, this I know: The Lord gives victory to His anointed. He answers him from His heavenly sanctuary with the VICTORIOUS POWER of HIS right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we TRUST in the NAME of the LORD our GOD. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we RISE UP and STAND FIRM.” Wisely, we are instructed by God to NOT trust in our ways, methods, rituals, armies, intellect, personal power; influence or in our own understanding. We stand firm in our knowledge of God and that His ways are superior to our ways. REJOICE in the truth. Today, we are anointed to hear and comprehend the deep things of God. Paul wrote,  1 Corinthians 2:10-13 “These are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have RECEIVED (past tense) is NOT the spirit of the world, but the SPIRIT WHO is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, NOT in words taught us by human wisdom but in WORDS taught by the SPIRIT, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.”

Lord, I am listening as the Holy Spirit speaks. My sense is sharpened by Your Word, that I hear the Holy Spirit.  I gladly listen. 1 Samuel 3:10 “Did you call me?” The biblical framework to develop clarity and confidence in hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit was given. Hearing God is not a skill to be acquired, but a spiritual sense already possessed by those who are born again which must be sharpened through intentional practices. Keys to hearing:

1) In Silence and Stillness, the Holy Spirit is always communicating, but we often miss Him due to the noise of the flesh (self), the satanic (lies contrary to God’s Word), and the secular distractions. Our responsibility is the discipline of regular private prayer. We remove all distractions, and quiet the “inner chaos” of our own thoughts to become sensitive to the Spirit.
2) The Holy Spirit works in perfect alignment with Scripture. God speaks to us most reliably in His Word. We gain Wisdom, and direction by His Whisper, and the Wonders we see have His handprint. Do not build a spiritual practice based on personal subjective “whispers” or “wonders” without first establishing a foundation in the written Word of God.
3) Obedience to listen and respond to the voice without hesitation. The “law of stewardship,” is our responsibility. Holy Spirit takes those who are faithful, deeper, after they act on what they have already been given. True sensitivity is defined by immediate action rather than debate or delay. Paul was forced to be stilled.

Paul is credited with writing 13 letters, mostly while in prison. Romans; Galatians, Philippians, Ephesians, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, Titus, 1st and 2nd Timothy, and Philemon. The consensus among scholars is that the Apostle Paul was born around 5 AD. After being ship wrecked, and brutally beaten, Paul died around 62 to 68 AD.  Before his execution, Paul wrote most of his letters in his fifties to early sixties. Tradition holds that Paul was martyred in Rome,  around 64-68 AD, during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Nero.  Eusebius, a historian recorded that Paul was beheaded. As a Roman citizen, Paul was spared from the tortured execution styles that were reserved for non-Roman citizens, like Jesus, the Christ. Titus 1:1-2-9 “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time. An OVERSEER manages God’s HOUSEHOLD, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” We are all overseers of God’s household, the temple of the Holy Spirit. Romans 1:1-5
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— the gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son, who as to His earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the SPIRIT of HOLINESS was appointed the Son of God in POWER by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.” Praise God, the same Spirit of Holiness dwells within us.

1 John 1:7 “If we walk in the LIGHT, as HE is in the LIGHT, we have FELLOWSHIP with one another, and the blood of Jesus, HIS Son, purifies us from all sin.”  It is believed that the Apostle John was born around 6-10 AD. John lived his final days in seclusion on the island of Patmos.  John wrote the book of Revelation during the reign of Emperor Domitian (81-96 AD). His exile and the writing of Revelation are often dated to around 95 AD. Scholars believe that John was 80-94 years old when he died. 1 John 2:17 “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” Hold tight to what you know.  1 John 2:20-21 “You have an anointing from the Holy One, and ALL OF YOU KNOW THE TRUTH. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because YOU DO KNOW it and because no lie comes from the TRUTH.” A revelation is when our spirit  accepts what we already knew.

Unlike Paul and John, we do not need to be chained or exiled to hear the Holy Spirit speak to us. This Encounter Podcast featured David Diga Hernandez and John Bevere discussing the concept of the “holy fear” or “awe” of God as a vital, often overlooked mindset for spiritual maturity. The Definition of a Healthy Fear, is to treasure God’s Word with fear and trembling. We must allow the Holy Spirit to test us that we remain in awe of God. In this life we get to suffer with Christ as we obey, and serve under Him.  The “fear of the Lord” is not about being terrified of God in a destructive way, but rather having a profound, reverential awe that produces wisdom and keeps believers on the “narrow road” of faith. Our encounter with the Holy Spirit changes us, and we never want to go back to the distracted person we once were.  THE FEAR OF THE LORD is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit as our hunger for more of God.  The church today sometimes “dumbs down” God to a “buddy” figure, leading the flock to a loss of respect and, in some cases, causing people to drift away from their faith. John Bevere shared testimonies of how the presence of God manifested in large gatherings, in Brazil (1997) and Malaysia, where attendees experienced deep repentance and a sense of being “clean” inside. Be intimate with God like Joseph, Isaiah, Moses, Paul, and John. Throughout history ordinary individuals were humbled and awestruck when they encountering the holiness of God.  The episode concluded with a time of prayer and ministry, inviting viewers to move past a superficial relationship with God, repent for any irreverence, and embrace the “spirit of the fear of the Lord” The two ditches of faith, #1 legalism, #2 Lawlessness. Be disciplined, be still and pray. Receive what God made known to your spirit, already and praise Him!