Have you noticed an increase in the ways God wants to communicate uniquely with you yet?

Have you found that you are starting to recognise His voice more easily?

Hopefully, the answer to these questions is yes? If not, re-read some of my earlier blogs in this series on how to hear God’s voice for yourself and give it a go.

I’m hoping that you have found a friend (courage buddy) who also wants to learn how to hear from God or a mentor who is already hearing clearly from God and can help and encourage you as you step out to share what you feel God is saying.

Once you start hearing God (which you will) the key to moving forward and growing in this area is to be obedient. The word obedient may conjure up feelings of being a naughty child or times when you haven’t followed the rules and may be loaded with negative connotations for you, but in this context it is more about stepping out and doing something with what you feel God is saying or you feel He is asking you to do.

The bible talks a lot about obedience,

John 14:23 Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them’.

God has the best plans for our lives and He wants us to trust Him and follow Him, not going our own way but being obedient in doing what He wants for our lives. He knows us better than we even know ourselves and in my life I’m so glad that I have chosen to go God’s way and not my own because when I have chosen my own way it has always ended up being complicated and full of heartache.

Jer 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

As you grow in hearing God and you start to practice more you will be able to discern His voice from your own thoughts and feelings.

John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

The Holy Spirit will start prompting you with words and pictures to share with people but, the key to knowing if this word or picture is for the intended person (maybe the friend you are with, the sales assistant in the shop you are in, someone at church or even the church congregation) is by doing something about it! YIKES!!

This is the bit where the rubber hits the road as it were and you have to do something! You may feel your heart beating fast in your chest, you get sweaty palms or you start to overthink it. A word of advice on that, don’t overthink it! At this point when you feel you might have something, the enemy would love nothing better than to come along and snatch away the picture, scripture or impression you had or even make you think you’re making it up so He can close you down and stop it getting out there to encourage someone and bring life to them.

Personally for me as I have been growing in hearing God, when I have something to share If I have been slow in coming forward and have over thought it, you can bet your bottom dollar that someone else shares the exact same thing I was feeling (especially in church settings when this is more obvious because you are in a room with lots of other people). I have noticed that if you don’t share what’s on God’s heart He will always find someone else who is willing to be obedient in that moment and one way or another God gets His message out there. In those times I am comforted and encouraged by the fact that I was hearing correctly and I just say sorry to my dad who is always quick to forgive me and the thing is He always gives me another chance to be obedient to His voice. It’s very important in these moments not to beat yourself up about it because you will get another chance.

The God we love and adore would not be the loving dad He is if He only ever gave us one chance, even if we messed it up, would he? If you are a parent you will understand this well as you endeavour to teach your children the life skills they will need for when they leave home. This usually starts with the simplest of tasks like drying up for instance. If on the first few attempts they didn’t quite dry the plate enough, or left it with bubbles on one side you wouldn’t tell them that they couldn’t be trusted and they weren’t to do the dishes again (even though they might actually like that!!) because it wouldn’t be doing them any favours in the long run.

You want your children to grow up and be helpful and capable so you give them as many chances and opportunities to do the job until they have mastered it wouldn’t you? Well it’s the same with God. He is such a patient parent with us and is for us and not against us. He wants us to become more and more like His son Jesus but He also knows that we are only human and that it will be a lifelong lesson we need to learn.

Back to stepping out and I want to encourage you that it’s the most brilliant experience and the best feeling when you share a word or picture or whatever God gives you and you get to partner with Him.  It’s such a privilege when a word or picture hits home and you see the person in front of you connect with God in that moment knowing that they feel seen and known by Him. It makes me feel truly alive when that happens and I know in that moment that this is why I was born, to partner with Papa in loving people well. I love seeing people impacted by a heavenly Father who knows them since before they were born and who loves them with a fierce and passionate love.

As you step out with God and start being obedient with what He gives you He can trust you and give you more.

Luke 16:10 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,

Although stepping out is risky and scary most of the time, what I have found to be true is that this is when God shows up, just when you need Him, in that moment. The more you lean into Him the more you build up an intimate, trusting relationship with Papa, who has the very best plans for your life and wants you to walk in step with Him.

In the words of Franklin D.Roosevelt;

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.”

 

Have fun and listen for the sound of heaven’s applause in every moment that you are obedient and say yes to God.

What’s your Key? Series

Part 1 You’re Invited 

Part 2 My Sheep Hear My Voice

Part 3 Is That You God?

Part 4 Stepping Out

Part 5 Choose to live…Courageously

Part 6 Who’s your Courage Buddy?

Part 7  The Small Stuff Matters

Part 8 Mirror, Mirror On The Wall

Part 9 You Are So much More Than Your Likes