Day 9 – God Speaks Through His Spirit
As you begin to spend time with God, settle yourself somewhere quiet and comfortable. Take a few deep breaths. Spend a few moments gathering your thoughts, becoming aware of God’s presence with you and in you.
Journal for 5 minutes on yesterday’s reflection and practice. What did you think about and learn? What challenged you? Did God say anything to you throughout the day?
Then, begin today’s devotional.
Read: 1 Corinthians 2:9-10
"But as it is written,
What no eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no human heart has conceived--
God has prepared these things for those who love him.
Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God."
When God speaks, He always reveals something to us (i.e. says the words), interprets what they mean, and applies them to our lives, indicating how we ought to change as a result. God speaks today to His children by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In John 10:27, Jesus promises: “My sheep hear My voice…[and] they follow Me.” The Spirit of God lives inside us as an inner tutor, teaching us how to know what God’s voice sounds like, according to 1 John 2:20. God primarily speaks to us through the Bible, His revealed Word (the logos). We use the Bible as the means to judge all other “words” we get—from inward promptings or from conversations with other believers. People who tell me they want to learn to hear God’s voice but don’t love the Bible are misguided.
See, some people feel that those who dig deeply into the Word are as dry as an Oklahoma dust bowl. Nothing should be further from the truth; as I read the Word, I discover miracles, healings, angelic visitations, and manifestations of the Holy Spirit where people danced, wept, laughed, leapt, and fell down by God’s power. If it’s in the Book, I’m going to study and believe that manifestation of the Spirit is for today, too. Moreover, I’m going to pray that I can experience the same things the early Church did.
Along with His Word, God will use circumstances, dreams, visions, angelic visitations, and nature as “hearing aids,” enabling us to tune into the Holy Spirit’s leading. But usually I’ve found He sends impressions—a “growing knowing” on the inside via spontaneous thoughts and feelings. In other words, the Holy Spirit’s guidance (especially as I pray in the Spirit) comes through an inner sense, rather than by an external, audible voice.
Prayer/Journal/Today’s Practice:
Pray: “Holy Spirit, please speak to me today something fresh and genuine.”
Write down in your journal what you perceive. You will learn to trust the dialogue you have with the Holy Spirit as you record these impressions over time.
Ask God for clarification: “Lord, what are You trying to say to me? What does it mean?” God’s Spirit always speaks repetitively, echoing His messages multiple times through various sources. He always speaks repetitively. He always speaks… You get the idea.
Test the message you receive against what you know of God’s character. A word from Him will bring hope, not discouragement; conviction, not condemnation.
PRAY before you act! Never act on a “word” blindly. You may not know the timing for its fulfillment, but God does.
By Dr. Clint Bryan, Assistant Professor of English