Hearing the voice of God teaching and testimony        

This is a teaching on hearing the voice of God which will to start show five different scripture examples of hearing God’s voice. I will then share my own personal testimony of how I would hear God’s voice. The first one I am led to use is the burning bush example in Exodus chapter 3, and I am using the first 8 verses. In this example God used a burning bush to get Moses’ attention and then spoke to him about the plight of the children of Israel and how Moses was to be used to deliver them.

(Exodus 3:1)  Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

(Exodus 3:2)  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

(Exodus 3:3)  And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

(Exodus 3:4)  And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

(Exodus 3:5)  And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

(Exodus 3:6)  Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

(Exodus 3:7)  And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

(Exodus 3:8)  And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

This conversation between God and Moses then goes on for about three chapters (through Exodus 5, approximately) but as it would turn out God would indeed use Moses to deliver Israel eventually from the Egyptians despite Moses resisting this calling to deliver Israel from Egypt initially. They would also eventually reach the Promised Land of Israel that is spoken of in verse 8 as well.

Here is Samuel’s calling, and how he heard from the Lord. The Lord had to call Samuel repeatedly because he thought Eli was calling him and not God, so the Lord has had to call people several times just because they thought it was someone else. I am sure I have made this mistake too. Thankfully, as with Samuel the Lord is so patient to us and will call repeatedly as needed until He gets our response. This passage is from 1 Samuel chapter 3

(1 Samuel 3:1)  And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

(1 Samuel 3:2)  And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;

(1 Samuel 3:3)  And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;

(1 Samuel 3:4)  That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

(1 Samuel 3:5)  And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

(1 Samuel 3:6)  And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

(1 Samuel 3:7)  Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

(1 Samuel 3:8)  And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.

(1 Samuel 3:9)  Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

(1 Samuel 3:10)  And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

(1 Samuel 3:11)  And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

(1 Samuel 3:12)  In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.

(1 Samuel 3:13)  For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

(1 Samuel 3:14)  And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.

(1 Samuel 3:15)  And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

(1 Samuel 3:16)  Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.

(1 Samuel 3:17)  And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.

(1 Samuel 3:18)  And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.

(1 Samuel 3:19)  And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

            My next example is where is with Jeremiah the prophet who was called to prophesy judgment and repentance to Judah, an attempt to bring Judah back to the Lord and then Jeremiah prophesied the Babylonian captivity when Judah would not repent and because of the evils of Manasseh. Jeremiah was persecuted for delivering God’s  message to Judah, but he heeded the voice and the call of God despite its cost and resulting persecution. This is Jeremiah chapter 1.

(Jeremiah 1:1)  The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

(Jeremiah 1:2)  To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

(Jeremiah 1:3)  It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

(Jeremiah 1:4)  Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

(Jeremiah 1:5)  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

(Jeremiah 1:6)  Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

(Jeremiah 1:7)  But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

(Jeremiah 1:8)  Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

(Jeremiah 1:9)  Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

(Jeremiah 1:10)  See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

(Jeremiah 1:11)  Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.

(Jeremiah 1:12)  Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

(Jeremiah 1:13)  And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.

(Jeremiah 1:14)  Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

(Jeremiah 1:15)  For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

(Jeremiah 1:16)  And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

(Jeremiah 1:17)  Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.

(Jeremiah 1:18)  For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

(Jeremiah 1:19)  And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.

Another scriptural example for this essay is the one from 1 Kings Chapter 19 where Elijah sees all these manifestations including wind, fire and earthquakes but God is not in any of them but Elijah does hear the voice of God in His still, small voice instructing Elijah to anoint various successors including his own and two kings, one of Israel, the other of Syria.

(1 Kings 19:11)  And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:

(1 Kings 19:12)  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

(1 Kings 19:13)  And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

(1 Kings 19:14)  And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

(1 Kings 19:15)  And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

(1 Kings 19:16)  And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.

            My last scriptural example is from Acts chapter 9 where first Saul (later Paul) heard Jesus come to him on the road to Damascus and then Ananias too who was told to come to Paul in Damascus and pray for him to recover his sight as he was blinded at his initial encounter with Jesus and baptize him in the Holy Ghost. Saul (Paul) would later go on and be one of the most powerful apostles ever and responsible for over half of the New Testament (most of the epistles, in fact). Had not both Saul and Ananias heeded God’s voice none of this might have ever happened as it did

(Acts 9:1)  And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

(Acts 9:2)  And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

(Acts 9:3)  And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

(Acts 9:4)  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

(Acts 9:5)  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

(Acts 9:6)  And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

(Acts 9:7)  And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

(Acts 9:8)  And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

(Acts 9:9)  And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

(Acts 9:10)  And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

(Acts 9:11)  And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,

(Acts 9:12)  And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

(Acts 9:13)  Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:

(Acts 9:14)  And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.

(Acts 9:15)  But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

(Acts 9:16)  For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

(Acts 9:17)  And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

In this above example Saul heard God’s voice by vision, and it blinded him as Saul was confronted by Jesus over persecuting the church. Nonetheless Jesus did eventually turn Saul/Paul from being one of the church’s biggest foes and persecutors to one of its biggest assets and that Paul would write most of the epistles in the New Testament. All this shows the power of hearing God’s voice. The teaching examples show some of the variety of ways that God can speak to us. These include dreams and visions, through unctions, through miracles and through the Holy Spirit, even arranging certain circumstances to come to pass, messages at church and other places, through messages from other people and more but especially through hearing His still small voice. There are so many ways that God can communicate to His people. God’s voice will have these effects on the hearer, it will bring peace, cause one to be still, encourage, comforts, adds understanding, and convicts those who He is speaking to, depending on why He is speaking. Generally Satan’s voice does the direct opposite of what God’s does, and focuses on condemning and on the past which God has long since forgotten about. You can hear God’s voice better by praying in tongues and worship which boost the volume of God’s voice and sometimes fasting can quiet the other competing voices, which come from the flesh and from Satan both of which can easily drown out God’s voice. I am now sharing a personal testimony of hearing God in the various ways He spoke to me to help illustrate the ways He can speak to all of you.

I committed my life to the Lord in the fall of 2007 six years ago fully and soon thereafter, in early 2008 God started to speak to me saying “I have big things for you” over and over again. And although I have gone to schools differing years and am now going to school again and gone on mission trips in 2011 and 2012, he is again witnessing to me that again, and I am led strongly to believe He still has yet to do these big things, and from the people He has sent to befriend me on facebook I am led to believe that these big things could be missionary trips and even a long term calling overseas. I don’t know if He will ever let me get married- only He knows. He has given me a few dreams to support the idea of going overseas on mission trips and such, too. All through these six years I have enjoyed reading the bible and I just know He has spoken to me through His word to enlighten, encourage and even to convict and cause me to repent of sins, and ask for His help to break strongholds that are active in my life. I still love to read the bible and God knows that I do, and I am certain that I will hear from him more, especially since I pray in tongues a decent amount.

In 2008 he had me go to various church services too at three different churches and more to help start really grow me in Him. In 2009 my big thing there was Him having me do spiritual retreats all during the year to help grow me as well as take a couple of classes. That was the year he really put on my heart the desire to serve others in various ways, a desire that is still strongly in my heart now four years later.  I love to help and do things so others do not have to do so. He at first brought me to a Christian retreat to have me help the woman who owned it, and I did serve there, as well as at the church some where I worked. I especially then was immature about NOT being able to serve and do things for others, and I am still not perfect there and in need of growth on that issue. I think I can wrongly take the fact that someone has something and wants to do it themselves as a rejection of me personally when they are independent and or do not really need help, they are not rejecting me but just do not need the help and I pray this spirit of rejection would leave me in Jesus Name and I would mature more in the serving desire, gaining wisdom on when one can and cannot. God blessed me in 2010 by arranging that a card was put in my landlady’s car so I could attend New Life Bible college in the summer which I did and was really strongly blessed. Little did I realize then (or maybe I did then, too) that I would end up going to school there full time a little more than three years later. I was blessed by the teaching and loved to serve especially in the soup kitchen, which I missed when I was gone. I was put off by the then very formal dress code(it has changed) and back then they charged tuition for all four years. In hindsight also I don’t think I was ready or perhaps spiritually mature enough either to take on the four years of schooling here.

In fall of 2010 I started looking for more education for the short experience made me very hungry for God. God would patiently close all the wrong doors, as He has many times, often taking my peace away and other ways, to say to me that this choice is not the right one. He has done that for me so many times and I am blessed. Eventually He arranged for me to end up going with Youth with a mission for a year and a half and two schools. One of my most powerful experiences of hearing from God happened in 2011 where He really took my peace away about going to Nepal then and I ended up not going there with the rest of the team. He had something better for me in the states, and He know I was not ready or mature enough for such a trip overseas at that time. All during the year 2011 and even summer 2010 I was blessed with wonderful teachings and also several powerful prophetic words spoken over me by ministers and even a fellow student one time. I believe all will come to pass as they all are related in one way or another to each other and speak of my eventual calling. I am really blessed to have such words spoken over me, concerning me teaching, seeing manifestations, healing and more. God did arrange for them to occur too in different states where I was living at their times and will bring all to pass. He used the schools I was in, my independent study, the churches I was at to speak to me and grow me. In differing ways, including email and also direct communication, He directed my steps in 2011 and 2012. One way was a direct voice telling me when the discipleship training school went to Texas for a special week of schooling due to a teaching not making it there due to visas and the Texas people unable to come, the Lord then spoke then saying He wanted me to do the School of the bible powerfully and sure enough in the fall of 2011 He brought that to pass, closing all the other doors that could have taken me out of it.

That school continued my growth and also gave me my first real taste of teaching people in churches in 2012. He had me start sharing more and more on facebook from photos to videos and such. In 2012 also He brought me into contact with a woman in Florida who was planning a crusade. I found her on facebook (Teresa Wiggins) and then at the end of the bible school I would end up going to her, specifically for the crusade, little knowing or dreaming that God would have me stay there for another ten and a half months after the crusade was over. I personally enjoyed the crusade and the travel(I love to travel) but God had His purposes to keep me in Florida. Over time I would go to church less and less, however, and was bored a good bit, as apparently I need a highly structured life to really thrive and there and apparently it wasn’t structured enough for my liking, alas. Howbeit I did serve the people whom I lived with, who were loving a good deal doing dishes especially after the big meals and walking and washing the dog a good bit, and even in 2013 the Lord enabled me to serve online, and then start sharing teachings by notes online, of which now I have many hundreds. He has had me do many salvation teachings and also used me to make up my own end times messages with His help and also share other peoples’ end times messages. He also has brought me many, many ministers online by facebook and many, seeing I suppose the anointing on these teachings and words, now want me to go to their respective countries to teach and preach, and now I feel like the time is coming at hand for such mission trips, and it won’t be one, and some will be very long. He also is not finished with my education either, apparently. I thought He said while I was in Texas that I did not have time to finish my schooling (before the rapture, presumably) but as 2013 went on I started to get hungrier and hungrier for Him, missing going to church and all, which I did not go that much and where I did go was a huge church Cavalry Chapel Ft Lauderdale with 1500 people or more at times in one service.

In July then I get this email from Norville Hayes ministries which I had signed up for in 2010 and this announced that the school had made its first two years with free tuition and upon emailing them by contact I had learned they also had relaxed their formal dress code a great deal. These two factors combined with being reminded by God of how blessed I was in 2010 were more than enough to encourage me to submit an application for the school then, which I did. Three weeks later I found I was accepted so praise God so plans were made to get me to go up here again. I have again been blessed with both teaching targeted for me and prayer and believe strongly that God is going to use this to deliver me from most all of my issues and to really set me on my calling, which will include many mission trips overseas to see souls won for Christ, and people including pastors and church leaders in Africa and India discipled and trained better to teach themselves, growing in their faith in Jesus. These trips and experiences which will happen in breaks are the big things that the Lord has been witnessing to me all along, and these will persist up until the Lord comes to rapture His bride, something which could be any day or anytime but if he tarries in His coming I have an exciting education and then calling to look forward to. I just pray many more can hear about Jesus before the rapture does take place and am thankful for the stuff I have online which can be used for that purpose. To this end I will now especially strive to hear God’s voice to ensure I am exactly where God needs me and when He needs me there, so I don’t rush His timing on anything, which alas I have already (2011, for example). I am completely trusting God to provide me all the provision I need to make each and every one of His trips to all of the places I feel called to: Kenya, Uganda, perhaps other African nations (South Africa for example), also India, Nepal and even places like Pakistan and Bangladesh. India, Pakistan, and even Nepal and Bangladesh have many, many unreached which can be reached for the gospel and I believe they will be reached to for God’s glory but of course there also is persecution, but I believe God will protect me in all of these undertakings until He returns for His bride from school and more. God gives me peace and still witnesses to me constantly about having big things for me. He loves me and He loves you too, enough so to send His Son to die for you on the cross so that You can get this incomparable relationship and hear his voice. I am now including a pray which you can pray with me and ask Jesus into your heart and begin this wonderful relationship with which nothing can compare

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness. I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin. You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess Jesus as our Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we will be saved. Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved. Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself. Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.

Amen.

God bless you and yours