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Do you ever hear someone say that God 'told' them or 'led' them somewhere? Do you wish you had that sort of connection? Or maybe you doubt it is actually possible.
I've been there. When I was a baby Christian (a term I use for being new in my faith) I struggled with this. I wanted so badly to hear from God but didn't even know where to start.
I can now confidently say that I feel God leading my life every day. Do I always get it right? No. Not always. It's something you get better at with experience. You can get better at it too. Feeling connected to God can center your whole being no matter the storms around you. Today, I'm going to share the 6 steps I use to discern what God is saying to me.
Step 1: Come Near
"Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded." -James 4:8
'Come near to God' is not only an invitation but it is a promise. God is always with us. He wants you to commune with Him. He already knows exactly what you are going to say but He still wants that connection with you.
Coming near to God means being authentic with Him. He already knows your every thought and every motive. He knows your heart inside and out so what do you have to lose? Coming near means you are in friendship with God. You come to Him with problems, for guidance, and to pour your heart out.
Coming near to Him can happen in many ways. It can happen during prayer, during praise and worship or while spending time in His word.
Step 2: Come Clean
Drawing near to God can sometimes bring you to a place of conviction. But that's ok because you're right where you need to be to work through it. The only real place to find cleansing is at the cross.
Getting right with God and being humble go hand in hand. Coming clean gives me a second to check myself. Where have I been sinning against God? What can I repent of? Doing this not only deepens my relationship with God but also helps me to grow into my most Christlike self.
Step 3: Submit to Him and Walk in His Ways
"Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:5-6
You might be thinking how can I know what God's ways are? You check the manual of life, the bible. God will never lead you to do anything that doesn't agree with His Word. Spending time in your bible every day is so important. Not only is it a 'light in your path' (Psalm 119:105), but it's often the way God is communicating with us.
So many times, I have been pondering and praying on what to do in life and the very next day I come across a bible verse showing me exactly what I need to do. Sometimes His message will come to you through a sermon, or a conversation. You will feel a peaceful feeling come over you when this happens. Our God is not a God of confusion, you will feel a clarity.
That being said, submitting is the most important part which leads us to Step 4.
Steph 4: Trust in God and His Timing
"and we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28
We are not always going to like where God is leading us, but He knows better than we do. His 'ways are higher than our ways' (Isaiah 55:9). Sometimes we hear nothing because it's not the right time. We have to be patient! We often want to rush God, but His timing is perfect.
The bible talks a lot about having a hardened and rebellious heart. We have to drop our stubbornness and lean into what God is doing in our lives. His plans are so much better than ours.
We also have the Holy Spirit to guide us, which is a whole blog in itself. God gave us this gift so that we could walk in His ways even when it's difficult.
Step 5: Listen
"In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning, I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly." -Psalm 5:3
This may seem the most obvious, but we need to LISTEN. For me, this is the most difficult part of prayer. My mind starts wandering. I have found it helps to have a post-it note set to the side so that if something important comes to mind I can jot it down for later and then get right back to listening.
However, he speaks to us, we need to slow down and listen. Don't rush prayer or bible study. Meditate on it. One of the most beneficial things a Christian can do is set aside some time every single day to get alone with God, read and study His Word, and pray.
If he's showing you a bible verse, don't just read it once and jump to conclusions. Figure out what it means. Ask yourself, 'what is the context of this verse or passage in scripture? How can I use it as a prayer?'
Step 6: Be Confident
"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." -Hebrews 4:16
In the Old Testament people had to go somewhere to pray. When they got there, they were completely separated from God's presence by a thick veil and many levels of security. You had to take your prayers to a priest to pray for you. This veil that was physically torn in half the moment Jesus died for our sins.
Now, we can and should pray to God anywhere at any time. He wants to be close to us. He wants us to come to Him with our every need, thought and emotion. Even the difficult ones. Knowing we can lean on God, our provider, for absolutely everything should put our hearts in the best posture to hear from God.
So today, I challenge you to get alone with God. Pour out your heart and listen. He will lead you where he wants you to go, which is exactly where you need to be.
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