by, John David Hicks, Evangelist © 1996
James 4:7-10; Hebrews 11:6
V – VACATE SELFISH DESIRES, by dying out to self, desiring God’s will to be done. (Luke 9:23; 2 Cor. 5:17-21; Eph. 4:22-24). Is there any known sin or pride in your life that you have not confessed or made right? Then VACATE busyness. Be Quiet & Still. WAIT before the Lord. Ask the Lord to take away any preconceived notions, imaginations, ideas, or presumptions that may hinder you. Isa. 40:31, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” Ps. 37:7 “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Prov.3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart (commitment) and lean not (entirely) on your own understanding (physical); in all your ways acknowledge Him (desire His will), and He will make your paths straight (direction).” Prov.28:26, “He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom (God) is kept safe.”
O – OVERCOME SATAN BY RESISTING HIS INFLUENCE IN YOUR MIND AS YOU FOCUS ON THE LORD. (1 Cor.15:57; 1 Jh.4:4; Rev.12:11). James 4:7, “Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Luke 10:19, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes & scorpions (Satan & demons), & to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” 1 Pet.5:9, “Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” Focus on the Lord. Heb. 12:2, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 2 Cor. 4:6, “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” John 8:12, 47 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 47He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
I – ILLUMINATION WILL COME AS YOU THANK GOD THAT HE WILL SPEAK & DIALOGUE WITH YOU. John 8:47 “He who belongs to God hears what God says.” Phil.4:6, “By prayer & petition, with Thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Praise unlocks the secret of guidance for praise conditions you to receive what God has been waiting to reveal to you or give to you. (1 Thess.5:16-18; Phil.4:4). John 10:3-4, 27, “The sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When He has brought out all His own, He goes on ahead of them, and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice…My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Ps.32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (Jer.33:2-3).
C – CONVICTION AND PEACE COME TO CONFIRM GOD’S WORD TO YOUR HEART AS YOU ABIDE & JOURNAL. Guidance comes from an open relationship with the guide. John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” 1 John 3:24 “Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. Wait quietly as the Spirit guides your thinking with spontaneity that is without effort and unplanned. CONVICTION: Rom. 9:1 “My conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit.” James 1:6, “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt (God will speak), because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” PEACE: Phil.4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with Thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard (UMPIRE) your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” James 1:19, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak.” Phil.2:13, “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Are you willing to take whatever time is necessary to hear God’s voice? John 18:37 “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” I Cor. 1:9 “God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” If you have adequately prayed about a matter, ask yourself, “Do I have continued peace, or lack of it?” JOURNAL: Jer. 30:2 “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.” Prov. 3:3 “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.”
E – EXPECTATION GIVES JOY TO THE HEART AS YOU TAKE GOD’S “RHEMA,” WORSHIP & OBEY THE HOLY SPIRIT. Heb. 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Rom. 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” You will know as much or as little, of the will of God as you will obey. John.7:17, “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” Faith is taking God at His word. Luke 11:28, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Ps. 5:3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Expectation comes from God’s presences. (Eph.3:20-21) Anytime God comes He gives gifts and blessings. That is the nature of love. (James 1:5, 17) Ps. 68:19 “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.” As these steps become a way of life, I pray that you will daily hear God’s voice like you would your best friend & experience the same fellowship and divine guidance as Jesus had with the Father. So write down the impressions the Lord gives you in your journal. It will make you more responsive to God.