how to receive divine guidance

MEMORY VERSE: “And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.” – 2 Samuel 2:1 (KJV)

BIBLE PASSAGE: Habakkuk 2:1-2 (KJV) 

LESSON INTRODUCTION: The Bible is full of records of believers who yielded to the leading and guidance of God. While it may seem difficult for some people in our contemporary world to allow God in their pursuit, Christians that meet the requirements will walk in the path of God.

LESSON OUTLINES

1. BIBLICAL INSTANCES OF DIVINE LEADING AND GUIDANCE
2. REQUIREMENTS FOR DIVINE LEADING AND GUIDANCE

1. BIBLICAL INSTANCES OF DIVINE LEADING AND GUIDANCE

In Genesis 12:1-4, God ordered Abram out of his country to a promised land and he obeyed. Numbers 9:17-23 narrates how the Israelites obeyed the instruction of God to travel with the cloud. God instructed Jacob to return to his fatherland (Genesis 31:3) just as He told Elijah in 1 Kings 18:1 to show himself to a Ahab as He would open the heavens for the rain to fall. According to 2 Samuel 5:19, David enquired from God on whether to go against the Philistines or not. Matthew 2:9-12 tells that God led and guided the wise men to the place of birth of Jesus Christ. In Acts 9:10-11, the Lord gave and guided Ananias to a specific address of Saul of Tarsus. Surprisingly, the Holy Spirit can forbid you to perform a task, though, it may seem like it would please God (Acts 16:6).

2. REQUIREMENTS FOR DIVINE LEADING AND GUIDANCE

1. Delights in the Lord Psalm 37:4-5; 1Corinthians 2:9).
2. Passion for God’s will (Luke 22:42). The will of God does not leave you miserable or regretful but rather it takes you to the expected end (Jeremiah 29:11)
3. The willingness to be led (Romans 8:14; Psalm 23:1-2).
4. The attitude of meekness (Psalm 25 9) : meekness equals being teachable.
5. The attitude of enquiry (Jeremiah 6:16; Matthew 7:7)
6. The attitude of hearing and listening – activate the listening mode (Psalm 85:8; Habakkuk 2:1-2).
7. The attitude of patience (Isaiah 28:16). Do not force yourself to hear what God is not saying
8. Soak in and meditate on the word of God (Psalm 119:105).
9. Pay attention to godly leaders over you (1Samuel 3:9).
10. Obey previous instructions (Mark 4:24b). If you have not harkened to previous instructions, you may not hear the next move of God.

CONCLUSION

If God is the One leading you, you can never miss the mark. Ask for the grace to understand the mind of God and be guided in the right direction. If you think you have gone far in the wrong direction and refuse to turn back, you will only end in the wrong destination.

MEMORY VERSE: “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” – Psalm 32:8 (KJV)

BIBLE PASSAGE: Psalm 37:3-7 

LESSON INTRODUCTION: Divine leading is about being directed by God. Being led or guided by God is a necessary key for Christians. It is the only way to fulfill God’s will and every of our decision-making processes (2Kings 3:11). Therefore, we need to learn the avenues through which God leads and guides His people. Moreover, in this dispensation, the leading and guidance of the holy spirit are both inevitable and indispensable.

LESSON OUTLINES

1. HOW GOD MIGHT GUIDE YOU 
2. RECOGNISING DIVINE GUIDANCE

1. HOW GOD MIGHT GUIDE YOU

It is important to note that God, in his sovereignty, can adopt any or several means to lead and guide those who put their trust in him. Here are some of them:

1. Through the word of God (1Samuel 3:21; Hebrews 1:1-2).
2. Through a witness of the spirit (Romans 8:14; 16). The witness of the spirits can also come in form of god’s peace the passes all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).
3. Through the voice of the spirit. This is beyond just a witness; it is hearing. This hearing can be inward (which means no one else, around you, hear it). The Bible calls it is ‘still small voice’- like the sound of a gentle whisper (1Kings 19:12). Sometimes the voice comes in the midst of a godly thought (Acts 10:19) the voice of the spirit can also be outward, in which case you will look around as if you heard or somebody else heard what you are hearing (1Sam. 3:3-5; Acts 9:3-5)
4. Though revelations – dreams, visions, trance (Joel 2:28). Dreams can come from your thoughts (Eccl. 5:3) or the devil – scary and tormenting (nightmares) or from God – insightful, instructional, or revelational (Job 33:14; 17). Dreams happen when you are fully asleep (day or night). Vision can come when you are awake and see something like a still or motion picture (day or night) – Daniel 2:19. Trance is like the average between a dream and a vision (you are half awake, half asleep) when the physical senses seem to be suspended (Acts 10:10-11).
5. Through ordain situation or circumstances (Proverbs 24:30-34; Jeremiah 18:1-6). God can take you by all through a happening to give you a clear direction for Life.
6. Through prophetic utterances and confirmations (Hosea 12:10). However, believers are cautioned against living at the mercy of prophecy (1 John 4:1)
7. Through diverse means as deemed fit by God (Hosea 12:10)

2. RECOGNISING DIVINE GUIDANCE

The Holy Spirit takes on the role of a guide and counselor, leading us in the way we should go and revealing God’s truths (Luke 12:12). One of the most important ways to recognize the Holy Spirit guidance is to be familiar with God’s word. The Bible is the ultimate source of wisdom about how we should live (2Timothy 3:16), and believers are to search the scriptures (John 5:39), meditate on them, and commit them to memory (Psalm 1:2). The word is the “sword of the spirit” (Ephesians 6:17), and the spirit will use it to speak to us (John 16:12-14) to review God’s will for our lives. He will also bring specific scriptures to mind at times when we need them the most (John 14:26).

Therefore, we must always test our inclinations against the scriptures. This is because the Holy Spirit will never push us to do anything contrary to God’s word (1Corinthians 14:33). If it is conflicts with the Bible then it is not from the Holy Spirit and should be ignored. It is also necessary for us to be in continual prayer with the father (1Thessalonians 5:17) not only does this keep our hearts and minds open to the Holy Spirit’s leading but it’s also allows the spirit to speak on our behalf (Romans 8:26-27).

CONCLUSION

If you are not lead and guided by God, you will wonder and get lost in the wilderness of life. Let God lead you.