I cannot tell you how many times I have had someone tell me that they were waiting to hear from God before becoming a client or taking a step forward in their business.
Are you holding back from making a decision until you have some supernatural experience from God?
It’s not Biblical. And I’m going to show you why it is not. We’ll also go over four questions you can use as a filter to help you “hear from God” the right way and know how the Bible really does help you to make decisions for your business.
Prefer video? Check this out.
Who really “hears” from God?
I got to thinking about this topic because I got tired of women telling me they were praying about a particular decision, and in the end, it was just a polite way of saying NO.
You know what I mean, right? I’ve used it, and maybe you have as well. I’m not saying we don’t need to pray so we can make wise choices, but we can’t use the “I’m waiting to hear from God” as an excuse to cover our fear, procrastination, or laziness.
Okay, okay. Maybe you have been taught that you should be able to hear from God.
Who heard from God in the Bible?
Do you realize how RARE it was for someone to hear from God in the Bible? There are just a handful of people.
I think about Abraham and Moses. They talked with God. Amazing, right?
Then there is Jacob, who wrestled with God in a dream. Exciting, right?
Ezekiel and Isaiah had visions and heard God’s voice. Both were overwhelmed in the process, remember?
And, of course, let’s not forget Paul. Jesus actually knocked him down to have a chat with him.
Guess what? You are not Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, or even Paul.
Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.
Hebrews 1:1-2
Where can we hear from God? By reading His Word. Everything we need to know is in the Bible. That is where everything Jesus did is recorded.
How to “hear” God correctly
I can still hear some protests. You might say, “But I can’t do anything until it “feels right.” “I need to get the okay from God.” “I have to have peace about it.” Since when does God use the circumstances of our lives to keep us comfortable? God is using your business to make you more dependent on Him and transform you into His Son’s image.
I feel strongly about the lies that have been told to so many. That being spiritual means you have to be able to hear from God. Let’s look at some of the verses that have been twisted to make you believe those lies.
Twisted Verses
Here are just a few verses that have been twisted to make you believe that being spiritual means you have to be able to hear from God.
John 10:3-5 NLT
These verses talk about salvation. If you keep reading through verse 18, you will see that Jesus himself explains it. It is about the fact that true Christ followers will not be deceived by others and will follow Him because of His sacrifice on the cross.
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.
John 10:3-5
John 4:24 NLT
This verse is twisted to say that if you are not hearing God in your spirit, you are not “hearing from God.” It has to be from a place of inward knowing. Scary.
Jesus is actually explaining to the Samaritan woman that true worshipers from everywhere will genuinely worship God by changing their hearts.
For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.
John 4:24
John 8:47
Imagine someone using this verse to tell you that you are not a true believer because you don’t “hear from God.” In these verses, Jesus is talking to the Jews that were plotting to kill him.
They were people who would not believe in Him and therefore did not understand the message He was bringing to them. It is about understanding and obeying what God tells us.
Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.
John 8:47
Other verses from the Old Testament are also twisted, BUT as I prefaced, Hebrews, chapter one, tells us that we are to pay attention to what Jesus and the New Testament writers have told us. (If you didn’t know, the Old Testament is there to point us to Jesus.)
Are there any verses you believe that you are second-guessing right now? I would love to know in the comments.
How to “hear” God for making decisions
Sooooo, how do we know HOW to make a decision then? How do we plan in our businesses knowing we are following what God would have us do? Easy. . .
Stay close to Him by studying His Word and through prayer. Now I am going to quote from the Old Testament. There is so much you, and I don’t know mentioned in the New Testament that without a proper understanding of the Old, we’ll miss out.
Psalm 119:15-16 says,
I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.
Psalm 119:15-16
This is very important when it comes to “hearing from God” because when you spend time with God and get to know Him super well, when a decision for your business comes up, the Holy Spirit will remind you of what you have already learned about God and His Word.
Are you trying to make a decision right now about your business? Are you trying to decide if you should choose a specific opportunity, invest in coaching, or do something else that is risky and out of your comfort zone?
Decision filter questions
I encourage you to start with your journal. Use a journal to write out ideas, thoughts, and scriptures, allowing you to see your thought processes much clearer.
You can move ahead with an idea when you know it is the best possible choice of action available with the information you have in front of you.
Here are four questions you can use as a filter:
- Is this something that goes against what the Bible says or what the Holy Spirit has revealed to you in scripture?
- Is this something that Jesus would not approve of because it comes from a place of arrogance, immorality, greed, rebellion, or pride?
- What is the effect or fruit of your making this choice? What would the result be?
- Do you need a guide? Someone outside yourself who brings more knowledge and experience to help make the decision?
Clarity comes from ACTION, not from you keeping things inside your head and thinking about them. So, if you need to take some ACTION and talk to someone ahead of you on this road to decision-making for your business, I invite you to chat with me.
Know you can “hear” God
You can decide when you know you have all the facts, stay aligned with God, make clear choices that don’t violate the Bible and seek God’s Will as you go through the process.
Listen, please stop waiting for something that may never happen to you. There were millions of people led by Moses into the wilderness, and God only spoke to him.
Paul’s missionary journeys are the reason you are a believer today. But even he didn’t ‘hear God’ after his time learning from Jesus in Arabia.
God will guide you through many methods. So, you will not have a lack of opportunities to know you are on the right path, in the right direction, with God. And, if you make a mistake, God will correct it, and you will learn a valuable lesson. Nothing goes to waste with God.
Learn more about how Calling Clarity can help you have the confidence to make every decision, stay aligned with God, and know you are in His Will doing what He has called you to do.
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