Tuesday, August 6, 2013

How Do We Know God's Will?

In a recent class I was in, we were discussing how to listen to God's voice - which is the topic of today's devotional. We were reminded that we have to learn to hear His voice and to filter out the noise of the world so we can KNOW what is really from God. That's the hard part!

In our class study guide, we were told that it is often helpful to begin by using words of Samuel (from I Samuel 3:10): "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening."  Other questions to ask when we feel that God is leading us/speaking to us are:  
        "Is it consistent with Scripture?"
        "Is it consistent with love?" 
        "Is this action selfish or loving?"
The major point in my understanding of spiritual formation is that it is necessary to stop and listen. This is different than our prayers of asking. It is making it a top priority to spend time in silence and solitude listening for what our Lord is telling us to do. What I have found out from my own experience and that of a number of friends is that it isn't likely that we will hear a loud voice saying our name and then what to do. Many times it is a gradual process that occurs over a period of time when things become clearer as far as God's direction of our lives. 

What do you use as a guide when you think God is speaking to you and leading you in a particular direction?

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