Many of the bad things that happen—or good things that should have happened but didn’t—are often a result of a failure to pray. That’s why learning to wait before the Lord and praying out the mystery of God’s plan for your life is so important!
The Bible says that when you pray in tongues, you are praying mysteries to God.
1 Corinthians 14:2
2 For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
The Moffatt translation says you are praying “divine secrets in the Spirit.”
Sometimes the Holy Spirit will impress you to pray about certain things concerning His plan. You will sense an unction or “urge” to pray. But if you ignore His promptings and busy yourself with natural affairs, that anointing will lift. And you may wonder if you ever sensed His voice to begin with!
Determine to always stay sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s gentle promptings. It may take time to discover His guidance and direction for your life. So remain before Him until your mind is quiet. This requires waiting long enough in prayer for your physical senses and emotions to be brought into captivity, so they don’t dominate your thoughts. Then you will be able to hear from your spirit.
Constantly feeding your spirit by meditating on God’s Word and fellowshipping with the Lord is critical to developing spiritually.
Spending time with God in praise and worship will quiet your mind and strengthen your spirit. That’s why devoting much time ministering to the Lord will greatly aid you in developing your spirit! Linger in His Presence and worship Him for everything He is and has done for you.
Ministering to the Lord means to drink in of His glory and let Him saturate every part of your being. It helps you to hear from Him! For instance, Acts 13:2 says, “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said.” You create the atmosphere in which the Holy Spirit can speak to your heart! When you spend time just loving Him, it’s much easier to quiet your thoughts and emotions and focus on Jesus.
It takes time to quiet yourself. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Let your body and mind become quiet. Allow your emotions to subside until they don’t color your thinking. Once everything is still, listen way down in your innermost being to what the Holy Spirit is saying. Even if your mind seems foggy, the Lord will enlighten your spirit and give you the guidance you need.
Don’t permit spiritual laziness and stop short of what the Lord is saying deep within. If you are spiritually lethargic, you could end up following your own soulish desires, thinking all the time you were following God’s plan!
Who’s Talking?
Learn to distinguish between your soulish thoughts and desires and the Lord’s leading in your spirit. To do that, you must become well-grounded in the Word, which is the only way to distinguish between soul and spirit (Heb. 4:12). Becoming established in what God said will also help you recognize the voice of Satan and the subtle lies he speaks to your mind to deceive you (John 8:44; Rev. 12:9).
Remember that God speaks to your spirit, and what He says lines up with His Word. Always examine your leading in the light of the Bible. God will never lead you one step beyond the principles in His Word!
Investigate your motives for what you are considering. Ask yourself: Why do I want to do this? Is it for a selfish benefit or because someone else is doing it? Is this something my soulish nature wants to do or something God wants me to do?
Sometimes it takes a lot of time in God’s Presence to settle those questions. You can’t always do it in one session of prayer. It may take long seasons of waiting before the Lord to get your
motives pure and priorities sorted out according to the Word. Then you can distinguish between the clamoring of your soul and the voice of your spirit. You will be able to tell the difference between your desires and what God wants for you. Then from deep inside, direction and guidance will rise up. You will say with confidence, “Now I know what to do!”
How the Bible Plays a Role
Constantly feeding your spirit by meditating on God’s Word and fellowshipping with the Lord is critical to developing spiritually. As you diligently seek Him for guidance and direction, you will see and understand God’s plan for your life.
Many Christians miss it by staying in the mental and physical realms—forgetting that the spiritual realm is the ground out of which all else grows! When they become agitated, they run to people for counsel. But if they would only stop, get quiet, and fellowship with the Lord, they would hear Him speak. Peace, contentment, and satisfaction would flow from their spirit into their minds and emotions. Their questions would simmer down and become as nothing. Even their bodies would respond in joy and health!
If you want to be led by the Holy Spirit, always be willing to respond to His leading, even if it doesn’t agree with your reasoning, expectation, or desires. Stay teachable and open to anything the Lord tells you. He will show you His ways and direct you into His plan!
Faith in Action
Be Still and Know
Determine to develop your spirit and always follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. As you do, you will be able (in greater and greater degrees) to walk in victory and experience the fullness of the Father’s plan for you.
1) Get still on the inside
2) Meditate on God’s Word
3) Pray in the Spirit
If you do these three things long enough, you will get deeper over into the Spirit and be able to differentiate between your soul and your spirit. You can become so attuned to the Holy Spirit that you will know exactly what He is saying to your spirit as you seek Him for guidance and direction.
Author
Kenneth E. Hagin
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One Comment on “How to Hear From Heaven”
Pastor Hagin,
Your teachings and preachings have been very encouraging and rewarding to my walk with God. Throughout my struggles and challenges of life, I found the WORD of GOD to be real and effective in bringing victories to my situations.
I thank GOD for you, and RHEMA ministries in Jesus name, Amen!