Hear and Obey

Rhema TeamAugust 2022 WOF, Holy SpiritLeave a Comment

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IN THE LAST issue of “Seed Thoughts,” I wrote about the importance of shutting out the distractions in the world around us. I reminded readers to listen to the Holy Spirit Who is there to lead, guide, and direct our lives. I want to continue on that same subject this month.

My father-in-law, Kenneth E. Hagin, taught on this subject often. He referred to it as listening to your spirit. Years ago, when I was learning this, I first endeavored to decipher how to listen to my spirit.

People often think the thoughts that come to them are their thoughts and not the Lord speaking. Of course, we know the devil can bring thoughts to you as well. His thoughts are always negative. Thoughts like, “You are not going to make it this time” are thoughts from Satan. So know when those negative thoughts come, they are not from God but from the enemy.

The Lord wants to help you in your everyday life. I often ask people, “Have thoughts ever come to you such as ‘You might want to go a different direction home today,’ and you ignored them?” You thought those were your thoughts, so you went your usual way.

The Lord wants to help you in your everyday life.
Lynette Hagin

Then you encountered a traffic jam caused by an accident, and you were an hour delayed in getting home. I then tell them, “That was the Holy Spirit trying to assist you.”

I have learned to pay attention to impressions and thoughts when I have not been thinking in that direction. I have come to realize that it’s the Holy Spirit nudging me, leading me, and protecting me.

Many years ago, the houses of two well-known ministers in Tulsa caught fire, and the damage was tremendous. One family had just bought smoke detectors but had not installed them yet. One was lying in the laundry room when the alert went off in the middle of the night. That alarm actually saved their lives.

Several months later, I was going about my normal routine for the day. I wasn’t thinking about the fires that had happened. I wasn’t even praying. But I always have a listening ear to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Out of nowhere, these thoughts came: “The enemy is trying to destroy the lives and homes of ministers in your town. Take authority over your house.”

When I saw my husband that day, I relayed to him those thoughts. We very calmly proclaimed Psalm 91. We quoted verses 9–11 (NIV ʼ84), “If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the Lord, who is my refuge—then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”

I would encourage you to read the entire 91st psalm. My husband and I apply many verses of that psalm often.

Several months after that prayer, Ken and I were awakened in the middle of the night by our alarm company. A phone call in the middle of the night is, of course, alarming. When I answered the phone, the person said, “Your smoke alarm is going off.” There was no smoke in our bedroom, but I could smell smoke. You can usually tell the kind of fire by the smell of the smoke. We recognized the smell as an electrical fire. We looked around the house and could not see where a fire was, but the smell was strong.

We finally called 911, and the firemen came to do a more thorough investigation. They looked and looked to find the source. Finally, they located it. A fire had started in the motor of our furnace unit, which was in our laundry room. The laundry room was adjacent to our bedroom. The firemen said, “An electrical fire started here but it mysteriously extinguished itself.”

Of course, we knew the real reason. The Lord had warned us ahead of time, and we had taken authority over any fire that would try to come to our dwelling. John 16:13 says, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

I encourage people to learn to pray offensively rather than defensively. It’s better to pray before something happens than after the event occurs. The Holy Spirit is there to warn you. I encourage you to instantly heed and obey His instructions.


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Lynette Hagin

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