5 Powerful Ways to Listen to the Spirit & Obey Jesus

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As I sit quietly in my favorite chair, my Bible is on my lap and my journal is beside me.

And in the stillness, I ask the Lord to speak to me … I want to listen to the Spirit and hear His voice.

I thank Him for His promises and loving words of encouragement but then, the Spirit prompts me and I suddenly find myself asking…

Am I simply hearing what I want to hear or am I actually listening to the Spirit? Am I journaling words of love, hope, and promise while brushing past words of conviction that challenge my heart toward trust that obeys? Am I holding on to what I want and ignoring what I don’t?

John wrote the following as he introduced the Book of Revelation..

God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and He blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.

Revelation 1:3

And James wrote…

Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

James 1:22

And it hit me … I want to do more than hear the promises that make me feel good. I want to listen to the Spirit and do my best to trust and obey Jesus’ commands. But the truth is, if I sincerely want to listen and obey I need to SEEK and KNOW His commands.

So, I’m looking to the words of Jesus, who said…

If you love me, obey my commandments. 

John 14:15

This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 

John 15:12

Obeying Jesus’ commands means loving the way Jesus loved. It means:

1. Loving and remaining close to the Father to know and do His will. (John 8:29)
2. Treating everyone with love, mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. (Colossians 3:12)
3. Speaking the TRUTH in love even when it’s hard. (Ephesians 4:15)
4. Spending time showing people God’s love. (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John)
5. And, it means, forgiving and loving like Jesus. (Ephesians 4:32)

That’s not easy, is it?

The enemy of our souls wants us to believe that Jesus is okay with us doing “whatever it takes to make us happy,” but the Bible tells us that living with wisdom and righteousness is what we need if we want true happiness…

Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
    happy are those who hold her tightly.

Proverbs 3:18

May the righteous be glad
    and rejoice before God;
    may they be happy and joyful.

Psalm 68:3

Again, not easy!

That’s why you and I need to listen to the Spirit … not just the promises that make us feel good but the words that challenge us to obey. Oh, how I want to make excuses. It’s so much easier to see the fault in others while making excuses for myself.

I think that’s one reason why I love God’s Word so much. I need the loving promises of God’s forgiveness and His commands for wise living if I truly want to be happy.

Take a minute to read Matthew 5:1–12 … the “Blessed are” verses from the Sermon on the Mount.

Did you know that the Greek word often translated as “blessed” is makarios, which means fortunate or “happy”?

Jesus said that these are the things we need to be happy … seek the kingdom, live with humility, pursue righteousness, repent, show mercy, and make every effort to live in peace.

That’s very different from the current culture’s message.

So, let’s pause and ask the Father to help us listen to the Spirit and obey Jesus … after we thank Him for His promises…

A Prayer to Listen to the Spirit and Obey Jesus

Father God, Thank you so much for Your Word, the source of Your beautiful promises. They encourage me and give me hope and peace. They remind me of Your unfailing love and willingness to forgive. They inspire me when life is hard and I want to disappear and hide in the closet.

Thank you for meeting me in the quiet of the closet and for helping me understand that it is in the stillness when I “cease striving“ that I can hear Your voice of truth over the noise that fills my head and distracts my thoughts.

Please forgive me for selectively choosing the parts of Your Word I want to take to heart. Forgive me for clinging to Your feel-good promises while neglecting Your instructions and directions. I want to SEEK Your Kingdom so that I might KNOW Your will given in love for my good and Your glory. Help me LOVE You so much that it will fill me with joy to TRUST and OBEY Your will.

You promise that when I SEEK You and Your Kingdom above everything else, You will give me everything I need. I believe that means You will give me what I need to KNOW, TRUST, LOVE, and OBEY YOU.

That is my heart’s desire. To know the peace, joy, and happiness of following Your plans and purposes for me. Your grace is sufficient, Lord. Please open my heart and mind so I might listen to the Spirit and reverently follow wherever You lead. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Brennan Manning wrote the following about what it means to be a “Christian”…

“The gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus is meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died, and rose again with but one purpose in mind: to make brand-new creation. Not to make people with better morals but to create a community of prophets and professional lovers, men and women who would surrender to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within, who would live in ever greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God, who would enter into the center of it all, the very heart and mystery of Christ, into the center of the flame that consumes, purifies, and sets everything aglow with peace, joy, boldness, and extravagant, furious love. This, my friend, is what it really means to be a Christian.”

I want that. I want to surrender to the Spirit that burns within me, be faithful to the Word of God, and boldly and passionately live obedient to His command to love in a way that shows the world the truth about Jesus.

May the Lord bless you as you quietly listen to the Spirit and make it your heart’s desire to obey Jesus.

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