Knowing God's Voice

Today, I want to share from a devotional our church offers each quarter. As I read it this morning, I was reminded of why KNOWING God's voice is so vitally important. 

Here are seven occasions when knowing His voice will protect and benefit our relationship with him and His plans for our life:

1.) Hearing from God before you entertain the ideas of others. 

-Why? Because their ideas are not His commands. Don't make commitments and end up bound by promises you can't keep. You must love others, but be led only by God's Spirit. 

2.) Hearing from God before you listen to the complaints of others.

-Why? Because you are not responsible for their happiness. Your need to "fix" others in order to feel good about yourself is called "co-dependency". Give them to God!

3.) Hearing from God before you consider the needs of others. 

-Why? Because their needs are driving them; only the plan of God should be driving you. 

4.) Hearing from God before you respond to the requests of others. 

-Why? Because you must discern what is behind their requests. Check the soil before you sow the seed. 

5.) Hearing from God before you share your dream with others. 

-Why? Because it's not enough to have a dream, you must have a team. You need people to help you, cheer you on and lift you to a higher level. The right people motivate you to grow stronger, think better, work harder, and risk more. They compel you to continue! 

6.) Hearing from God before you seek the approval of others. 

-Why? Beacuse people with an agenda will flatter and manipulate you. Hearing from God's voice will keep you from falling into their trap. 

7.) Hearing from God before you make significant changes. 

-Why? Because it's not your job to decide what God wants you to do, but to discover it and do it. 

"His sheep follow him because they know his voice."

-John 10:4