We can walk and talk with God like Adam did in the Garden.
In these last days, it is vitally important to know the voice of the Lord. Our survival may depend upon it. We need to know how God wants to communicate with us and to be clearly able to hear his voice for ourselves.
God is opening up new realms of relationship with Himself and His angels. Many are beginning to experience the realities of heaven while still here on earth. Jesus wants to become more real to you than you can imagine.
We need to learn how to reach into God at a level that will greatly enhance our walk with Him.
Adam walked with God; that made his world a paradise. That paradise was lost when he lost contact with God. now God seemed a million miles away from Adam. Adam had to leave paradise and make his own way in the world.
It is possible for us to talk with Jesus in such a way that we can know Him like Moses did, face to face.
This kind of walk with God is available to all who desire it with all their heart.
The Bible from beginning to end shows us that God seeks to walk with us and communicate with us and to relate to us in an intimate way. In order to enter into an intimate relationship with God we have to lay some foundations which are vital.
Foundations are very important, if you build on a wrong or inadequate foundation you will be in trouble later.
God requires certain things of us in order to establish an ongoing vital relationship with us. Our understanding of these requirements and our commitment to them is of utmost importance and cannot be overlooked.
Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
To do justly: Refers to who you are, a person’s character. To Love mercy: Is the attitude that determines how you relate to others. To walk humbly with God is the path that we are on.
Unless we become obedient to the voice of God we can become spiritually deaf.
How does one become spiritually deaf? Jesus illustrated this in an incident when he healed a blind man.
Mark 8:22 and he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
Mark 8:26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell [it] to any in the town”.
The setting was the town of Bethsaida. The man was blind .Jesus had to take him out of the town to heal him .Jesus forbade the man to tell anyone in this town about the miracle.
What does this tell us? Firstly the town of Bethsaida was a town where Jesus demonstrated His glory with great signs and wonders bringing the gospel of the Kingdom to these people. (See Mat 11:20.) When these people rejected what Jesus had said to them, they became spiritually blind and deaf.
V26 indicates that this town was to receive no more light or truth. The whole town was bound by a spirit of deafness.
Once this spiritual deafness sets in, one cannot hear the voice of God anymore.
A Spirit of deafness may be stopping you hearing from God
The Apostle Paul understood that a spiritual entity could cause deafness, which is the inability to hear God.
Spiritual deafness occurs when we hear from God but continually do not obey him.
When we refuse to hear what God is saying to us, and we refuse to do it, this is a sure sign that something else comes first in our lives other than God. This is idolatry.
This then brings into action a spiritual principle, that of Eze. 14:3-4.
Ezekiel 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them? 4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
God will then answer us according to the idols in our heart. We will hear from another spirit other that God.
In 1 Kings 22 King Ahab wanted the prophets to prophesy good things to him, things he wanted to hear.
He goes to the prophets and asks them if he should go into battle against the Syrians. The prophets said “YES, FOR GOD WILL BE WITH YOU”. Ahab was still not sure so he went to a prophet who always told him the true word of the Lord.
Now this prophet lies to him.v15 “He says go, you will prosper, God is with you”. Ahab says “tell me the truth”. The prophet replied “you will be destroyed”. Ahab then says to him “I knew your prophecy would be negative”. Now the prophet says something that gives us great insight….
The Prophet had seen something take place in heaven
I Kings 22:19 And he said, “Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. 20 And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. 21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. 22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade [him], and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
I Kings 22:23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.”
God answered him according to the idols in his heart, because Ahab refused to hear and do what God had said to him.
This is foundational to hearing the voice of God. This requires a complete surrender to God of our lives. We must exist for His purposes, and not our own.
If we are to hear from God, we must settle in our hearts and before God that we will obey Him.
We must become a bondservant of the Lord.
The bondservant has no days off, Does not get paid , Has no money of his own, Cannot own anything, Has only what the master gives , Has no rights , Marries only who the master chooses, He must obey without question at all times.
The bondservant also has Privileges: His master pledges to look after him, He will provide everything he needs; He will protect him with his life! A Bond Servant was given much responsibility.
A bondservant must have his ear pierced. This signified that this servant had an ear only for the master.
Jesus had this type of relationship with His Father
Isaiah 50:4 The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to [him that is] weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
If we are to be able to clearly hear the voice of the Lord, this bond servant commitment is first required of us.
Isaiah 50:5 The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
Philippians 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, (Bond Servant) and was made in the likeness of men:
The complete surrender of our lives to the Lord is the basic foundation for developing a walk with Him.
If you are going to hear God’s voice and walk with Him you have to have a desire and hunger for this to be so.
You have to have a Holy dissatisfaction of where you are now in relationship to this.
You must hunger and thirst for it.
THESE BASIC FOUNDATIONS MUST BE IN PLACE FIRST AS YOU START YOUR WALK WITH GOD.
1) The bond servant commitment has to
be made.
2) Where is your heart? What is the most important thing to you?
3) The quest is to walk with God. Are you willing to pay the price?
4) Hearing is not enough, doing is vital to keep our ear open to hear God.
When we are born from above we have the capacity to hear from God, but the ability must be developed.
In Getting free from the spirit of deafness we have to-
1) Repent of all disobedience and self will, in regard to things you have been disobedient on in the past. When God has spoken and you have not followed up in obedience you must repent.
2) Make a commitment, dedication, (Bond Servant) to obey the voice of the Lord at all times.