As a believer, you have a responsibility to become sensitive to the Holy Spirit's inward leading. That is God's design for you! He wants to guide you in spiritual and physical matters (Rom. 8:14, 16). He wants to help you in your relationships, emotions, thoughts, and even finances.

God wants to give you wisdom in every situation—big and small. He is interested in everything you do. Maybe conflict developed between you and another person. Begin to seek the Lord about the matter. As you listen to your heart, the Holy Spirit will show you the source of the problem and give you wisdom on how to change the friction.

To successfully train yourself to hear from God, you must first listen to your heart and always follow the Holy Spirit's leading—no matter what. Once you let Him guide you, you can take steps to develop your spirit, so you are more conscious to the Holy Spirit's direction. Five keys to follow to better hear from God.

1. Meditate on the Word (Joshua 1:8). The word meditate means "to focus one's thoughts on, to reflect on, or to ponder over." Don't just superficially read the Bible! Meditate on the verses that stand out to you as you read the Word. Continually think on and speak those scriptures throughout the day. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you more insight into their meaning. Do this until they become real in your spirit. Then when problems arise, the Lord will remind you of what is in your heart. Those scriptures will give you the direction and comfort you need.
2. Practice the Word. Many believers talk about the Word, but not many do it. In Joshua 1:8, God told Joshua to meditate on the Word and obey everything written in it. As you do the Word that's in your heart, you will prosper and have good success.
3. Walk in love. Walking in love is essential if you want to receive direction from the Holy Spirit. Forgiving others is also an important part of the love walk. Never hold a grudge against anyone. Do not allow the negative words spoken to you or about you to stay in your heart. Not walking in love limits your ability to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying. You also diminish your ability to act on your faith. Love is the divine energy that causes faith to work (Gal. 5:6).
4. Put the Word above everything. As you meditate on and practice God's Word daily, you are giving it first place in your life. Jesus said, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63 NKJV). You should feed on scripture until your heart and mind are saturated with the life of God. Then when you face a trial, you won't wonder what to do. The Word will reign so supreme that the first words out of your mouth are what the Lord says about the situation.
5. Instantly obey the voice of your spirit. When your mind and heart are full of the Word, it is easier to practice this fifth step in developing your spirit. God communicates with you through your recreated spirit, not through your head. He does this through the Holy Spirit. So you learn to obey His leading as you heed the voice of your spirit.

When you know the Holy Spirit has spoken to your heart, instantly respond to what God has told you to do. Your mind may not understand it, but by doing this, you will grow spiritually and do great things for the Kingdom of God.

If you continually put these five keys into practice, it won't be long before you will know what to do in every situation of life.

A Call to Arms 2020

There is still time to make plans to join us at the A Call to Arms Men's Conference, November 5-6. Registration is $45. Bring your son(s) ages 16-18 for only $30! Register today at rhema.org/cta or call 1-866-392-0972.