Habakkuk 2:1-4 Amplified Bible
God Answers the Prophet
2 I will stand at my guard post
And station myself on the tower;
And I will keep watch to see what He will say to me,
And what answer I will give [as His spokesman] when I am reproved.
2
Then the Lord answered me and said,
“Write the vision
And engrave it plainly on [clay] tablets
So that the one who reads it will run.
3
“For the vision is yet for the appointed [future] time
It hurries toward the goal [of fulfillment]; it will not fail.
Even though it delays, wait [patiently] for it,
Because it will certainly come; it will not delay.
4
“Look at the proud one,
His soul is not right within him,
But the righteous will live by his faith [in the true God].
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Adeste Fidelis! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.
God is constantly speaking to people.
But too often, they miss out on hearing God’s messages because they seek His guidance only occasionally – usually when they are going through a crisis or they are about to be facing a major life decision – family, health, finance, career.
Then, with a dire need to hear from God, people will become confused and then become sad, and frustrated when they do not clearly hear what they should do.
They start to wonder when and how to hear from God and why they are not.
It does not have to be that way.
God wants everyone to hear His messages clearly, and it’s possible to do so.
The key is to forget about formulas and gimmicks for hearing from God, and to focus instead on developing the kind of relationship with God will empower you and me to hear God speaking regularly.
The closer you get to God, the more you can enjoy ongoing conversations with Him, both listening and hearing from Him, and the more God will use those conversations to transform you into the person He wants me, you to become.
Simple Keys to Hearing God’s Voice
There are a few simple keys that can be found in Habakkuk 2:1-2, which unlocks the treasure of hearing God’s voice.
Using these simple keys together allows the hearer of God’s voice on a daily basis.
Being intentional about hearing God’s voice is a critical step.
In Habakkuk 2:2, Habakkuk knew the sound of God speaking to him.
Elijah also described this as a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:12-13).
Do you know that we can listen to God in an inner audible voice?
God does speak that way to us at times.
However, we find that God’s voice usually comes as spontaneous thoughts or flowing thoughts.
Have you ever experienced driving down the road, and had a thought come to you to pray for a certain person or situation?
Don’t you think it’s God’s voice telling you to pray?
It’s not really an audible voice most of the time.
Instead, it’s a spontaneous thought.
It’s God who is already giving us a prophetic discernment to pray for this person.
Usually, humans are able and capable to experience, Holy Spirit-level communication as spontaneous thoughts, impressions, and visions, and Scripture communicates in many ways.
For example, one definition of ‘paga’, a Hebrew word for intercession, is “a chance encounter or an accidental intersecting.”
When God gives us a burden for specific people, He does it through ‘paga’, a chance-encounter thought “accidentally” coming into our minds.
The inexperienced prophet might consider it a chance encounter, spontaneous or owing thoughts.
Even Satan can plant deception in our minds through spontaneous thoughts.
Paul tells us to take captive of those thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Have you encountered evil thoughts coming to you in the middle of prayer and worship times?
There are different things going on in our minds.
Humans are usually responsible for analytical thoughts.
Spontaneous good thoughts come from the Holy Spirit, and spontaneous evil thoughts come from evil spirits.
God’s thoughts line up with Scripture and His different names and roles: Comforter, Counselor, Teacher, Giver of Life, Healer, and Deliverer.
God’s thoughts edify, exhort, and comfort you.
They are pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, good fruits, and are unwavering (James 3:17).
On the other hand, Satan’s thoughts line up with his different names as well: Accuser, adversary, thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan’s thoughts condemn, bring despair, rejection, fear, doubt, unbelief, and misery all together. Satan’s thoughts also bring jealousy and selfish ambition (James. 3:14-15).
Studying, Pondering, Meditating, Ways to Regularly Hear from God
1. Recognize that God created you for a very personal relationship.
By design, the way we hear best from God is in the context of a friendship with Him.
God intends for us to figure out His will freely and intelligently as you engage in regular conversations with Him.
God’s will is to be personally present with you and speaking with you moment by moment as you go through life.
Then we’ll grow to understand Him more and become more like His Son, Jesus.
2. Consider your motives for wanting to hear from God.
Honestly reflect on why you want to hear from God.
Is it because we are truly open to whatever God has to say and committed to putting His guidance into action and fulfilling His purposes, even when doing so is so fully, completely and utterly enveloping, overwhelming, challenging?
Or is it for a selfish reason, such as wanting to feel righteous or comforted?
Confess and repent of any wrong motives.
Ask God to give you an openness to hear and respond faithfully to what He wants to tell you.
3. Make your goal more than just hearing God.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:33
While it’s important to hear from God, that shouldn’t be your ultimate goal.
Instead, make your main goal to become a spiritually mature person in a close relationship with God.
That’s the only way we’ll clearly and correctly hear what God has to say to us.
4. Know that you’re important to God, but be humble.
Have the confidence that God is willing to speak to you just as powerfully as He did to the ancient people in the Bible, because He values you, me, just as much.
However, do not let pride creep into your soul, because you must be humble in order to faithfully receive and respond to the messages God has for you and me.
5. Don’t try to force God to tell you something.
No matter how much you want to hear from God about something or how hard you may try to convince Him to speak to you.
We will only hear from God when He chooses to communicate with us.
Focus on developing a respectful relationship with God and wait for His timing to deliver messages to you.
Also, if God chooses not to give you specific guidance about something you’ve prayed about, what you’re considering is within the Bible’s moral principles,
we can confidently go ahead and make our own decision about what to do and still be within God’s will.
6. Recognize that God communicates in many forms.
God may choose any one of many different ways to communicate to you, me, according to what’s best at particular times and in particular circumstances.
You may sometimes hear God’s message in dramatic ways, such as through angels, visions, or miraculous events.
But more often, we will hear God speaking through our thoughts, and He will use ordinary practices such as reading and studying the Bible, praying quietly, learning from circumstances, or seeking counsel from other Christians to reach out to us as you think about them.
God will also use dramatic, even miraculous means to get our attention when necessary, but His goal is for you and me to be so closely connected to Him that you and I will pay attention whenever He speaks to us.
Usually, God speaks through what people have described as a “still, small voice” (1 Kings 19:12-13) to encourage those He loves to choose to keep walking closely with Him through life.
7. Renew your mind.
Since God often speaks to you through your mind and wants you to develop what the Bible calls the “mind of Christ” (the ability to make decisions as Jesus would), it’s crucial for you to follow the Bible’s urging in Romans 12:2:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
As we invite the Holy Spirit to renew your mind every day, He will cleanse it from such dirt and clutter as false beliefs and attitudes, unhealthy feelings, and misguided plans.
Then the Holy Spirit will minister to us, intercede, work to replace all of that spiritual mess with true thoughts that more genuinely reflect God’s purposes.
8. Invite the living Word to help you when you read scripture.
The Word of God is a living, creative force – Jesus Himself – and He is actively at work when you read God’s written word – the Bible – prayerfully.
Hebrews 4:12 Amplified Bible
12 For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged [a]sword, penetrating as far as the division of the [b]soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.
As we read the Bible, as we study the Bible, we ask Jesus to make the Bible’s words come alive for us and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, become conduits through which He sends His thoughts, faith, and love into your soul.
1 Timothy 4:12-14 Amplified Bible
12 Let no one look down on [you because of] your youth, but be an example and set a pattern for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in [moral] purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to public reading [of Scripture], to preaching and to teaching [the sound doctrine of God’s word]. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, [that special endowment] which was intentionally bestowed on you [by the Holy Spirit] through prophetic utterance when the [a]elders laid their hands on you [at your ordination].
Then discipline yourself to focus on what He sends you and strive and work to orient yourself towards a pattern of faith so it will begin to transform your life.
9. Recognize God’s voice above all others.
By experience, you can learn to recognize God’s voice when He speaks, and to confidently respond to what He says.
When thoughts recur, pray about them to discern if they may be coming from God.
Keep in mind that God will never send you and me any message that contradicts the Bible’s principles.
Also, God’s voice carries the weight of authority within it, and expresses a spirit of compassion, peace, confidence, joy, assurance, reasonableness and goodwill.
If you think or believe that God may speaking to you, ask Him to confirm so as we study and meditate on the Bible, as we are alert to the circumstances we’ll encounter, or as we experience the Holy Spirit’s impressions in our mindsets.
10. Set aside time regularly to listen for God’s messages.
2 Timothy 2:14-15 Amplified Bible
An Unashamed Workman
14 Remind the people of these facts, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God to avoid petty controversy over words, which does no good, and [upsets and undermines and] ruins [the faith of] those who listen. 15 Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.
Make a plan to discipline your mind and your heart and soul, make a habit of intentionally and expectantly listening for whatever God may want to tell you.
It’s more important to become a person who listens regularly to God than it is to constantly ask God to give you guidance.
Set aside sometime today to begin listening for God’s voice and hearing his promises and plans for you.
Perhaps even keep a journal to remember the things he brings to life in you.
You open your Bible, but quickly become distracted.
You want to dig deeper, but you don’t know where to begin.
Frustrated, you close the book.
It’s not that you don’t love God—in fact, you long for more intimacy with God.
Maybe God is calling you to deeper waters . . .
Imagine yourself purposely, randomly, opening to a passage of God’s Word and by spending time, its becoming so engaging that you actually lose track of time.
Imagine yourself digging deep, and deeper still into God’s Word and seeing it, and hearing it come alive in amazing ways you had never experienced before.
Imagine starting each day—not with a tiny nugget of truth you hope will get you through—but through hearing a fresh encounter with our living Savior.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and kindle in us the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit and we shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy Your consolations. Through Christ our Lord. Alleluia, Amen.
Adeste Fidelis! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 