Mishearing God

WELCOME TO THE ~~Mis~~hearing God SERIES

After you experience this series we invite you to visit the "unspoken blog" for more personal insight into God's Word.

Click here to link directly to this exciting series or go to the HOME page and click on "UNSPOKEN BLOG" found at the bottom of the HOME page.

~~Mis~~hearing God (part 1)

I am going to release a series of blogs giving small amounts of advice on how to find and know God’s will for you life. This series will be designed to aid you in discerning God’s answers to your petitions and in knowing His “perfect and pleasing” plan for your life.

When it comes to emotions and prayer, one must bring extreme caution and Biblical wisdom to the table. Many a people have misheard God and the consequences are often devastating. Examples of this can range from a murder (e.g. the recent murder of Dr. Tiller) to a marriage. Many sincere individuals have thought God was saying “yes” to their requests when in fact God was saying “No” all along.

I can personally testify that I have made many fleshly decisions while believing the entire time I was in God’s will. I have also observed many people make unwise choices the whole time assured by the fact that they have “prayed about it”. How can we be so easily deceived? What precautions can we take to ensure that we are hearing God correctly? Are there signs to show that He has given the “ok” to our requests?

Since God is the one whom we are praying to and since it is concerning His will, I think He the most qualified on the subject:

“Hear, O my people, and I will speak…”

(Psalms 50:7)

“… that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2)

“Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

(Ephesians 5:17)

Often times we do not hear because we do not listen. We do not hear God’s voice because we can not hear it. If our ears are not in tune, all we will pick up are signals from the flesh. Oh but how different the flesh is perceived to our ears! The flesh’s voice does not come with a dark evil tone or a noticeable satanic vibration. Rather it appeals to our earthly desires. Satan sounded very smooth in the Garden of Eden and he appealed to Eve’s desires. The first step we must take when searching for God’s will is the selfless step of sacrifice.

This selfless step of sacrifice is shown by our Savior.

Jesus was petitioning God to find out for sure what His perfect will was for His life. Here is what Jesus prayed, “Not my will Lord, but yours be done.”

One way to discern God’s “ok” from a fleshly “ok” is to have a true heart for God’s will. God’s answer will come when the individual sincerely prays, “God, even if it is not in your will to (fill in the blank), then I will still be satisfied and follow your choice.”

We can begin to hear God when we are completely satisfied with Him despite His answers. Come to His throne with Him on the throne. Before you pray, purpose in your heart to follow Him even if He denies your request. That’s when God can begin to work in your life and bless you.

Prayer: “Not my will Lord, but yours be done.”

Study: Luke 22:39-48 / Psalms 37:3-7

~~Mis~~hearing God (part 2)

“I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind- for this is your reasonable act of worship. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:1-2 connects the first step of sacrifice to the second step of searching.

Think of an Easter egg hunt. If you really want to find where the egg is located, then you must go and search for it. If you are going to look for an item in your house, you must first get off the couch and leave your original spot to begin the quest.

Searching for God’s will requires the same action. We must leave our present state of mind and begin searching for God’s mind. Therefore, I am going to make a very crucial statement regarding the will of God.

If you are not in God’s Word, you are and will continue to be out of God’s will.

You will never know God’s answers to your prayers, never know His direction for your life, and will never be in God’s blessing if you do not read Scripture.

God’s will aligns perfectly with His word. The Holy Spirit’s direction for your life coincides beautifully with His written directions.

Romans 12:2 tells us that our minds must be transformed before we can ever know God’s plan for our life. Our minds are “renewed” and “transformed” by a daily meeting with God through His word.

“Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (Psalms 119:105)

God’s word shows us His plan for our lives. Often times in daily scripture readings God will show us His answer to our prayers. When we delight in His Word, then our desires become His.

God is trying to bless us and show us His will, yet we cannot hear Him because we have closed off all means of communication. God speaks through His Word. I cannot over emphasize the importance of this in our daily lives.

After you take the selfless step of sacrifice begin the step of searching the Scriptures.

Prayer: “God show me your will as I search your Word daily"

Study: Jeremiah 29:11-14

~~Mis~~hearing God (part 3)

“Ah! That feeling confirms what I’ve been praying for! It’s a sign. I’m going to take that as a yes.”

Impatience produces problems. Remember Abraham? (Genesis 15-16) He was impatient with God’s promise and looked for ways to reinterpret what God had said. I’m sure thoughts went through Abraham’s mind like this, “Mmm…that’s it! I’ll sleep with my servant! I have a good feeling about this. I guess this is sort of a peace that came from God… yeah, must be a ‘yes’ from God. Plus my wife confirms it – wise counsel from a friend and with accountability. I should have known this years ago.”

Sounds crazy right? How could Abraham mishear what God so clearly said? Impatience (and trying to interpret God’s will apart from Scripture) was a huge part of the problem.

Sometimes God wants us to search for Him and know that we really want His will in our lives.

I used to have a ring tone that made a pretty distinctive sound. One day I was in the shower and waiting on a phone call from a friend. While shampooing my hair, I thought I heard my phone ringing. I quickly dried off and ran to answer the call…. Which was non- existent. My mind was so focused on receiving the call that I interpreted every sound as my cell phone. I have checked my phone a minimum of five times during some showers because I’ve been so anxious for a text or call. When one is impatient, even the slightest showerhead noise or bathroom curtain can be interpreted as a phone call.

Our interpretations of God’s answers are no different. So many impatient people (my self included) interpret anything as God’s answer. The slightest feeling or bumper-sticker is taken as an excuse to follow the path you want.

“Even zeal is not good without knowledge, and the one who acts hastily sins.” (Proverbs 19:2 HCSB)

Hasty decisions are usually not in God’s will. If you are trying to decide to buy a house, take more than a minute to pray about it. If you are trying to decide on a career, take more than a day to pray about it. If you are trying to decide to become romantically involved with someone, take more than a month to pray about it.

If you are patient, when God gives His answer, you will know its God’s ring tone and not a showerhead.

“he sins who hastens with his feet.” (Proverbs 19:2 NKJV)

If you are contemplating making a crucial decision, take more than a mere moment to access the issue. Use prayer, Scripture, wise counsel, and God’s timing.

Prayer: “God, I will wait on your will and your answer. I trust your timing.”

Study: Psalms 27:13-14