Getting Started This Week | How Do I Hear From God | Week 3

Focus of the Week:

God speaks to us. He is intimately aware of every aspect of our lives. Not only does He speak through Scripture and Prayer, but also to us through the Holy Spirit.

This week will look like last week for those that were with us. Instead of written content each day to read in addition to scripture, we are diving deep on day one giving scripture for each following day. This lets us read and hear more from God's word directly and reflect and journal on His words.

Notes on the practices:

Journaling and reflection both help to slow down and be mindful of what is being read. Both are similar practices; feel free to journal reflection questions or reflect on journalling questions. These are here to be a guide, not a task. Let the Holy Spirit lead you to whatever He may want to highlight for you specifically.

Getting Started:
 
Another way we hear from the Lord is through the Holy Spirit. Hearing from the Spirit isn't like hearing a single note of music; it is more like listening to a complex symphony. He surrounds us as the omnipresent God, and yet He also dwells within us. His steadfast guidance is available to us in moments that can feel like the prompting of our conscience. And the more we grow and mature in Christ, the more we become attuned to His voice as He seeks to guide our actions and decisions.

But how can we be discerning and get better at recognizing the Spirit? Perhaps it is best to start with realizing what hearing from the Spirit will not be like. Hearing from the Spirit will never contradict Scripture. Hearing from the Spirit will not be motivated by selfishness. That is, a feeling of "what am I going to get out of it," won't be part of hearing from the Spirit.

Knowing and understanding this, we can begin to recognize that the Spirit does speak in alignment with God's holy Word (2 Timothy 3:16–17). His words remind us of the rich teachings of Christ that our confused or lost paths might be made straight again (John 14:26). Perhaps you've had this experience - a moment in your day where a fragment of a verse encountered comes to mind, draws you back to God, and discloses something of value for you or others. That encounter also reveals something else about the Holy Spirit: His work magnifies Christ and brings glory and honor to the Father (John 16:13–14).

Friends, we could go on and on unpacking the beautiful mystery of the Spirit. But the best thing about hearing from the Spirit is realizing that knowing the Spirit is knowing God. He does not speak on His own behalf, but on behalf of God the Father and God the Son. So, by knowing the Spirit and hearing His voice, we get to know God even more! Through the Spirit, we are able to know the great and wondrous creator who longs to have a personal relationship with each one of us.

Let this be the starting point:

Ask God to speak through the Holy Spirit to direct you this week.

"The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you."

Romans 8:11 NLT

Spend time each day this week reading and rereading the passage of Scripture. Spend time in prayer as you reflect and journal aspects that stood out to you as God speaks to us through His Spirit. Join us next week as we explore how we hear from God through people around us.