Many times people seek guidance from the Lord in ways He did not intend. It’s always best to stay with God’s Word in these areas. For in the pages of the Bible, the Lord Himself gave us clear instruction about how to be led by the Spirit of God. In fact, He detailed for us the number one way He will lead us in the affairs of life.

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Romans 8:14-16 (NKJV)
¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

• NIV states – “the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit”
• NLT states – “His Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts”
• NCV states – “the Spirit himself joins with our spirits”

• God is a God of variety and method.
• He was many varied methods whereby He can communicate with you.
• So do you.
• You speak directly. You drop hints. You write letters, send text messages and e-mails. You engage in social media.

Conscience: The Number One Way God Leads You

• The witness let’s you know you are saved.
• You experience the witness of the Spirit in the most important area of your life, knowing you are saved.

 Romans 8:14–16 (ESV)
¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

• You will receive more of these leadings than any other way that God will deal with you.
• You many have heard the following terminology.
  • I got a witness in my spirit.
  • I got a check in my spirit.
  • My conscience is bothering me.
  • I feel really good about this in my heart.
  • I just knew that or I have a premonition.

Your conscience is the way your spirit communicates.

• Conscience functions just like a Light bulb.
• Light bulbs are either on or off.

Proverbs 20:27 (KJV)
²⁷ The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, Searching all the inward parts of the belly.

• If God’s will about an area is ‘Yes’, you will sense a positive good velvet like feeling in your spirit.  It feels great.
• If it’s a ‘No’, you will sense a grungy kind of bad feeling, scratchy kind of, piercing kind of, guilty kind of, like you already sinned and did wrong kind of feeling.
• “Yes” and “No” are the traffic signs of your conscience.

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Urim And Thummim in the Old Testament

• The high priest wore the breastplate of judgement on the front of the ephod, the breastplate was so made as to form a pouch (Ex. 28:16) and in it were placed Urim and Thummim (Ex. 28:30).
  From Ex 28:30, Lev 8:8, Num 27:21, Deut 33:8, 1 Sam 28:6, Ezra 2:63, Neh 7:65, it is clear that they were used for discovering God’s will ¹.
• Josephus indicated the stones would light.

Ant-3-22
“These answers by the oracle of Urim and Thummim, which words signify, light and perfection, or, as the Septuagint render them, revelation and truth, and denote nothing further, that I see, but the shining stones themselves, which were used, in this method of illumination, in revealing the will of God, after a perfect and true manner, to his people Israel:

• Josephus also indicates Joshua was tricked by the Gideonites because he didn’t consult Urim and Thummim.
• It deserves to be remarked, that Saul very rarely, and David very frequently, consulted God by Urim; and that David aimed always to depend, not on his own prudence or abilities but on the Divine direction, contrary to Saul’s practice.
• The point is that God provided a method by which the children of Israel could know God’s will in O.T. days by consulting the Urim and Thummim worn by the high priest.
• But it wasn’t the best thing to receive guidance.
• There were millions of Israelites and only one high priest.
• If you as an individual wanted to know God’s will, you had to travel to where he was and wait in line.
• In this New Covenant, a better covenant established on better promises, God improved the method of knowing His will by putting Urim and Thummim inside of you.
• It’s no longer in the high priest’s pouch.
• It is in you and it is called the witness of the Spirit.

Illustration: The Man Who Never Lost On An Investment ².

Fresh Revelation from The Throne of God

• Since conscience is the number one way God leads you, and since Urim and Thummim is in you, steer what  you are wanting to know into a YES or NO question.
• Doing so will allow you to receive better and more frequent direction.
• You can formulate your question in such a way you can hear your conscience witness to you which is the number one way God leads you.

Pay Attention

• A portion of successful life is just paying attention.
• You can develop spiritually in such a way that even in the smallest area, you will know God’s will.

Keep a Tender Conscience

Acts 24:16 (NKJV)
16 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

• Your conscience is the referee in life.

Learn to Develop Conscience in Two Areas

• Toward God
  • Don’t override your conscience.
  • Overriding your conscience is like a pool of water that begins to freeze as the temperature drops.
  • A pool of water does not freeze or get hard instantly.
  • It’s a gradual process.
  • Overriding your conscience causes it to harden over time.
  • It can become so hard you don’t sense anything.
    The opposite is also true.
  • Regaining sensitivity in your conscience comes by reversing the hardening process.
  • It doesn’t get sensitive all at once.
  • Your conscience thaws out as you obey it.
    Repentance does not put your conscience back to sensitivity at once.
  • Continual obedience does.
    If your conscience is hardened, you won’t sense a Yes or No.
  • And it is not a safe guide.  If your conscience is tender like Paul’s you can follow it in all areas.
  • Paul states that he did not offend his conscience in areas where God was leading him.
• Toward Others
  • Walk in love and forgiveness.

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Ephesians 4:30-32 (NKJV)
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32             And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

• Notice, the first part of these verses say – ‘Do not grieve the Holy Spirit….’
• If you grieve Him the Holy Spirit – you are offending Him.
• The second part is toward others – ‘Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving……’
• Forgiveness is not a feeling (it’s just like love – love is not a feeling – it’s a commitment to act a certain way toward a person)
• Forgiveness is not an emotion
• Forgiveness is not full restoration
• We should pray like this:
  • Dear Father God in Jesus name, I pray for so and so, what they did was not right – you see that – but I forgive them in Jesus name. Lord, when I messed up, you forgave me – so I forgive them. I release them from any restitution that they owe me. They don’t owe.  I pray for them that they might increase and that they might prosper. (If they are not saved), that they might come to know you. Send a laborer by their way. Let great blessings come upon them etc. etc.

Call to Action:

• Cowardice asks, “Is it safe?”
• Experience asks, “Is it proven?”
• Pride asks, “Is it popular?”
• Greed asks, “Is it profitable?”
• Doubt asks, “Is it practical?”
• But conscience asks, “Is it right?”

Applying the ‘conscience test’ above will help keep you safe. For if you feed continually upon God’s Word and exercise yourself in it, your conscience is a safe guide. This witness of the Spirit is the number one way God leads all of us.

Episode Resources

You can find more information on Hearing God by visiting the following posts:

1. Secrets to Hearing God: Are You Listening? [Podcast]
2. Secrets to Hearing God: Are You Waiting? [Podcast]
3. Secrets to Hearing God: Are You Sensitive? [Podcast]

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If you have a suggestion for a Bible topic you would like to see taught, or if you have a question, please e-mail me at energized1@outlook.com.

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Question: What additional ways have you learned to develop sensitivity to the Holy Spirit? Please leave your comments in the comments section below.

Question: How have you learned to follow the inward witness in your life? Please leave a comment in the comments section below.

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