Ever feel like your yelling at God but He's not listening?
There are two ways we hear God.
1) Prompting. Which is like a push in a particular direction. A direction God wants us to go. Like when we have an indecision, and suddenly it becomes clear. And we know how and who it came from because we have become familiar with the feeling when this happens. What feeling? A feeling of peace that is beyond all understanding. This is God reconfirming to us who the prompting came from.
2) Now the voice part falls into 2 categories. Audible and non-audible. The audible event of communication is very rare. Not many have experienced this. The non-audible event of communication is more common. It's like when we don't know what to say, then suddenly we do. And so we speak and what comes out even amazes us. It's like: Where did that come from? We ask ourselves. This is what's called: The Holy Spirit working through us to relay what God wants. This is why, what was said, even amazes the one that said it.
Now I know what the next question is going to be. How come some get this and some don't?
This is where spiritual levels are involved. Each child of God walks at a different level of closeness to God. The closer you get, the more spiritual gifts are revealed to you. Whether we learn to use them to the fullest is also a learning process. It is usually where we have to learn to trust God more and our-self less. For each gift, also opens a new door of understanding God. Some Christians get stuck at a certain level because they want to hang onto self more than God. We can't get closer to God when we refuse to look in His direction. And when we decide to hold on to our fleshly needs (sin), how do we expect to become more spiritually? Though we are forgiven, it is not an excuse to not strive for the mark that is clearly shown.
How can you tell what level your at? Have you ever saw another christian who was committing a sin that you could see as sin, but they could not? This is because your at a spiritual level that allows you to see that sin for what it was. They were not. And if they are unwilling to listen to correction. More than likely, they will be stuck at that level and will never see what you see. Once you see this type of understanding as a spiritual blessing from God, it will encourage you because you will understand you have achieved something in your walk with God that is beyond the norm.
Higher levels take more commitment.
This is why you see some people do things, that to you, may seem silly. Like stop watching t.v.. Ever heard somebody do that? This is a person who is striving for the mark and is willing to give up something (a fleshly need) to achieve this. When a child of God does this, it gets God's attention. And God looks at this person and determines what spiritual gifts (level) this person is ready for.
Example: A few weeks ago, I decided to throw away my video games that had evil overtones to them. Some thought it was silly. Some understood what I was trying to do. I wanted to strive for a higher level and was willing to sacrifice a fleshly need (sin) to achieve it. I was able to see that it was sin. The ones who thought it was silly, did not.
Sacrificing your flesh to achieve new levels. First you have to understand what spiritual maturity is. To do something, and expect something in return, but not be spiritually ready, will achieve the results your not looking for. It's like trying to take the fast lane of learning but not retaining what you have learned, would you be ready for next level? You have to be spiritually ready, spiritually mature. Which means you need to obtain the spiritual need to want to do this. An action with only expectations, is an action of the flesh and not the spirit.
How do I achieve this? You pray to God and tell Him you wants and needs. And when you have prayed and feel a desire for what needs to be, for this to happen. This is God placing a desire in your heart that is like a fire that can't be quenched. This is when you start to see what stands in your way. You start to see sin that you did not know was sin. And your desire to remove it becomes great. this is also where you will have a spiritual conflict between good (God) and evil (your fleshly wants). You will find yourself wanting to get rid of what is in your way, but you will also find yourself making an excuse to keep it. This is why God calls it: sacrificing your flesh. Because when you do this, a part of your flesh dies so that you can become spiritually stronger.
Example: When I went to throw away my video games, I had a conflict. My flesh did not want to give it up. My excuse? This is my fun, my entertainment. What will my friends say when they want to play and find out what I did? This is also where you'll have to make a decision whether what your friends say is more important than what God says, and more important than the level you want to achieve.
All of this requires you to sacrifice your flesh. Whether you do it will determine how close you become to God. And if you'll reach that level where you will hear God's voice.
