I can only speak from my own experiences, and for me, it was a gradual process. When I first confessed Jesus as my savior, I did feel the presence of God. As a child, I did feel some kind of presence in church, even though I didn't really know what it was. I did not profess my belief and officially join a church until I was 21, that's when I can truly say my spiritual development began.
Learning to hear God's voice is a practice. Sometimes you just feel His presence and His love, other times you hear a small still voice in your spirit. Sometimes I will be thinking about something and He will answer my question. Now, it's important to know that God's voice is usually very positive, patient and unassuming. There are other voices that rise up in your thoughts that need to be ignored.
Generally, many negative thoughts are not your own; your mind is conditioned by your experiences and the things that people may have said to you or around you in your life. For instance, if you look in the mirror and your first thoughts are negative, you don't believe you are beautiful, you think you are unattractive, yet everyone else around says you are attractive, this probably means at some time and place in your life while you were growing up you got the message from someone that you not valuable or you are unworthy; you didn't meet up to someone's standard. If you are satisfied with what you see when you look in the mirror, then you accept and believe in yourself and you probably had outside validation.
Also, you must be aware that the enemy, satan and his demons, are always prowling around trying to discourage you and stop you from fulfilling your destiny. For instance, let's say that you feel the Lord is leading you to start your own business. You have been working for XYZ company for 10 years, but now the Lord wants you to open up a business in your community, but you have reservations. You would never have thought to start a business on your own and you are comfortable where you are working.
Whether we realize it our not, God's plans are always better than our own, He knows what is best for us, and He if asks you to do something that you have never done before, don't worry, because you already have all the necessary talents and resources to get the "job" done. You may feel anxious and fearful about leaving your comfort zone, that's when you make a mental decision to walk out on faith. Don't allow your fears and worries to stop you from doing what you are being called to do; that loud voice in your mind filled with fear and condemnation is nothing but the enemy trying to keep you from your purpose and plan in God. The devil cannot stop you unless you decide not go along with what God has in store for you.
Just keep in mind, that no matter what people say about you, what your circumstances are, how you look to yourself or what others think they see in you, whether you have that degree or you are a high school dropout, we are all accepted by God. He knows you, the real you,
and He loves you just the way you are. He understands that you are not perfect; He ordered your existence and He wanted you from the very day you were born. He saw you in his spirit before the world was created and He wanted you. He sent His Only Son, Jesus Christ, to
die for you; He watched His Son die a hard and painful death, and when His task was done, He raised Him from the dead.
Now, if He can do that because He loves you so much, just imagine what He can do for you in the situation that you are in now! So, make up in your mind, you are going to listen to His voice, you are going to follow His lead, and He will bless you beyond measure. Afterwards, when you look back on your life, you won't believe how much you accomplished all because you stepped out in faith and ignored your fears; you won't be sorry.
Yesterday, as I was finishing my second post for this blog, I was relating how much God loves us and what He really thinks about us and I heard Him say in my spirit: you are pouring out my heart here! He wants so much to be close to His children and to
express His love for us, we need to willing to accept what He has to offer. To hear His voice clearly means to spend time with Him everyday through prayer and worship, reading His word and allowing the Holy Spirit to change our minds and our hearts.
Everybody has a different way of spending time with Him, and no way is the best, the point is to spend that time with Him and get to know Him. He is waiting for you........
John Ch3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
If you are not a christian, then your contact with God is limited. If you want to have a close intimate relationship with Him, then repeat the prayer of salvation:
Prayer of Salvation
Lord,
I repent for trying to be master of my own life. I change my mind about who I want to be in charge of my life. I turn from my useless and unproductive thoughts that I am the center of my universe and choose to believe in the living God who created everything, including me (Acts 14:15). I have lived without a purpose but now I will live to hear and obey You, God (Jn. 5:19, 20,30).
I confess with my lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. I believe that God so loved the world He sent His only Son Jesus to shed His blood to wash away the barrier of sin (Jn. 3:16)
I receive You, Jesus as MY Lord and Savior (Jn. 1:11,12).
I welcome You, Holy Spirit, into my life to rescue and empower me and to restore me to intimacy with my heavenly Father (Acts 2:38).
If you just confessed this prayer, you are saved! I welcome you into the family my (brother/sister) I pray for peace, joy, and happiness in your life as you allow the Lord to love you and bless you and give you assurance of everlasting life with Him forever and ever......PRAISE GOD!
May the Lord keep you and Bless you this day....Amen
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