Ephesians 5:15-17 The Will of God

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 

A wise man understands what the will of the Lord is. How do you know His will?

First, by knowing the Word of God. Read the Bible. Study it. If you know what the Bible says, then you know it is God's will that you stay with your wife and not run off with your secretary (for example). God has expressed His will for how we live our lives in the Scripture, and He has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to live according to that will.

Second, we know God's will by knowing God Himself. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." [Proverbs 9:10 NASB].

When the Bible speaks of the heart, it isn't talking about the blood pumping organ of the body, but the innermost part of who you are, where your spirit is. When your spirit is reborn at salvation, God sends His Spirit into your heart. "Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”" [Galatians 4:6 NASB].

His Spirit and your spirit become one. "But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him." [1 Corinthians 6:17 NASB]. Jesus said, “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." [John 14:20 NASB].

Because He lives in you and is part of you, if you learn to quiet yourself, and listen to God in prayer, He will speak to you and teach you. "For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised." [1 Corinthians 2:11-14 NASB].

Don't expect to hear an audible voice thundering from the ceiling. Hearing God's voice isn't "hearing voices". It's a communication that takes place deep in your heart. It is in your thoughts. You may mistake the voice of God for your own thoughts. In fact, I think the biggest legitimate question people have is "is it me or God?"

Let's try an experiment. Right here, right now. Well...after you've read this paragraph. Close your eyes and think about Jesus living in your heart. Ask Him what He thinks about you. Then - be quiet. Wait. Allow yourself to hear.

Did you hear God speak to you? Some will say "Yes! He said..." Others will say "I didn't hear anything." That's okay too. Don't be discouraged. Every day, every time you pray, take some quiet time to listen for Him. Ask Him a question, then wait for a response. 

Some others will say, "I don't know. I may have heard God, but it may have been me just telling myself what I expect to hear." That's possible, but not probable. James said, "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." [James 1:5-6 NASB]. If you ask a question of God, believe that He will answer.

Now then, a word of caution. God speaks to your mind, but not every thought that enters your mind is God speaking.

There are, of course, some things that are simply not in God's nature to say. He will never say "I hate you". He will never tell you to hurt another person. He will reveal truth from the the Bible, but He will never contradict the Bible. If you think you have received a revelation from God, measure the truth of it against Scripture. Many heresies have started this way, when someone receive a "fresh revelation" from a lying spirit. They then found it necessary to amend the Bible, or re-translate the Bible to say what they want it to say, or to omit sections of the Bible that they find "objectionable".

This is why it is so important to know what the Bible says, so you cannot be led astray.

Hearing God's voice speak to your mind is part of getting to know Him. In some ways, knowing God is like any other relationship. The more time you spend with Him, the more you will get to know Him. The more you know Him, the more intimate your relationship will be. You will become familiar with His voice and find that you spend much less time wondering, "was that Him or me?"