Hearing and Knowing the Voice of the Lord — David Wilkerson

This message is one of the Times Square Church pulpit series. It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in Manhattan, New York City. Other tapes are available by writing World Challenge, P .O. Box 260, Lindale, Texas, 75771, or calling 903 -963 -8626.

None of these messages are copyrighted, and you are welcome to make copies for free distribution to friends.

Hearing and Knowing the Voice of the Lord

Hearing the voice of the Lord. Hearing and knowing the voice of the Lord. Heavenly Father, I thank you for your word. And I thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit who makes it real to our hearts. And I pray, Lord Jesus, that everyone that you brought to your house today will have new insight and knowledge and wisdom about hearing and understanding and knowing your voice.

Lord, we're living in a day when we have to know your voice. We must know your voice or we can't survive. We can't listen to other voices. Oh God, make your word so powerful and real to us. I hide behind the cross and I pray for the unction, the anointing of God's Holy Spirit in every word that I speak.

In Jesus' name, amen. Go to John 10, if you will, please. John chapter 10. I'm reading from King James, chapter 10, verses 1 through 5. John 10, verse 1, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber.

But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and he leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers. They know his voice. As you may know, we've been sending out my latest book, America's Last Call, about America being on the brink of a financial holocaust.

And the first 100 ,000 went out in two weeks, and we had to order another 100 ,000, and letters are coming in from all of the United States in response. Let me read to you a letter that came to us this past week.

Pastor David, I'm so thankful that we have someone who hears from God and is willing to warn people of things to come. Will you use one newsletter, or at least part of one, to explain some of the things that you say about the coming judgments?

A lot of us need questions answered, such as, exactly what do we pray for? Do we ask for the whole country to repent? Do we pray for food when all the food is disappearing from the shelves, or will they disappear?

For critical medications that we use, will we be protected physically when the wicked are suffering in whatever will be done to them, or will we suffer the same way they are, or are we going to be saved from all this suffering?

Also, Brother Dave, how much of our total time should we spend in prayer? Do we repeat the same request over and over, or do we pray for everything? Please give us guidelines. You are advanced in the Christian life, and you know how to apply the things you teach, but lots of us have no idea how to put it in practice in day-to-day activity.

I'm frustrated so many times by wondering what you mean by certain things that you preach. Please explain it as if you were teaching a child. Lots of people would appreciate a more detailed explanation.

They may be too embarrassed to admit they don't understand. Here's a note to Gwen. She says, thanks for reading all this and bringing it to David's attention. Some of his predictions terrify me. Maybe if I understood what he means, I might feel better.

Human Counsel Cannot Replace Hearing God's Voice

Now, what do you think is wrong with that letter? Now, I thank God she feels that I hear from God, but let me tell you what's wrong with this letter. There are nine questions in this letter that I can't answer, that no man can answer.

In fact, the Bible makes it clear that time comes when God said, when I strike the staff of bread, means when I strike the economy, and he says when I send famine or hard times to the land, he said even though Noah and Job and Daniel were in it, they would but save their own flesh.

In other words, if they were here in this day, they couldn't advise you. They couldn't tell you. What did I just read to you? Here's what the scripture says. We're all to know his voice, and here's what's wrong.

This lady is sincere, a loving woman, loves Jesus, and very, very sincere. But the Lord is her shepherd. The Lord said she's to know his voice, that he leads out, and we're to follow, and we're not to look to man.

We're not to look to man's voice, that she is to know the voice of the Lord. I can't be her voice. I can't answer all of these questions. I can preach the truth, thank God for preachers, evangelists, teachers, thank God for five-fold ministry, but folks, when it all comes down to understanding where we are in Christ in these last days, you have to get it not from a preacher, but from your own walk with God.

You've got to hear and know his voice. Scripture said, I just read it to you, they, they, the body of Christ, everybody, they know his voice. His sheep will flee from every other voice. Paul said there are many voices in the land, none without significance.

There's the voice of the flesh. There's the voice of the world. There's the voice of Satan. Other than the voice of God, there are other voices that are striving to get our attention at all times. Some very serious things today that I want to talk to you about regarding knowing the right voice.

When you say, I hear from God, I know the voice of the Lord, how do you make sure it's God's voice that you've heard and not one of these strange voices? The Bible says, you know his voice and a stranger they will flee from.

Satan's Deception of Believers

Let me ask you another question. Can a godly, righteous, praying, victorious Christian be seduced by a wrong voice? Did you hear me? Can a praying, righteous, godly, victorious Christian be seduced by the voice of Satan?

I'm not talking about being demon-possessed. I'm talking about being under delusion by mistaking the wrong voice, mistaking a voice of Satan as the voice of God. I want you to go to 1 Chronicles. I'm going to show some incredible things this morning from the Scripture.

1 Chronicles 21. 1 Chronicles 21st chapter. I hear the rustling of leaves. I'll wait till the leaves stop rustling. I hope you're there. All right, verse 1. And Satan, who? Stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel.

I'm going to read on. Why will you be a cause of trespass to Israel? Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore, Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.

Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand, thousand, and a hundred, two thousand. That's a million, two hundred that drew sword. And Judah was four hundred, three score, and ten thousand men that drew sword.

But Levi and Benjamin counted not among them, for the king's word was abominable to Joab. And God was displeased with this thing. Therefore, he smote Israel. Look at me, please. David takes a census. He wants to know how powerful his army is.

Was it pride? Or was he wanting to boast like all the other kings around him? We don't know. The Scripture doesn't say. But the real issue this morning, when you read that, is not whether it's pride or not.

The issue is that David was seduced by a voice of Satan at the peak of his victories and his success in God. Now, up to this time, if you read the first or the previous six, seven chapters, you find it was the most successful time in David's lifetime.

He had brought the ark back to its proper place. He had put worship in divine order. The Bible says he set his heart and face to seek the Lord continually. He made covenant with God to deal with sin wherever he found it.

He was victorious over all the giants that came against him, even Goliath's brother. He inquired of the Lord before going to battle. He inquired of the Lord before all the affairs of state. Here was a man who prayed three times a day.

Here was a man that was promised that God was going to build him a sure house that would last for eternity. God was pleased with him. Here's a man who's in total communion with the Lord. Here's a man at the peak of his power, his blessing, his happiness.

And the Bible says in the peak of his happiness and the peak of his power, he heard a wrong voice and was stook it for God's voice. Satan provoked David and in Hebrew it means planted a seduction. The devil planted a seduction in the heart of a godly righteous man at the peak of his blessings.

And the whispered voice said, Take a census, David. See how big an army you can muster. See how strong you are against your enemies. The same thing is told us in 2 Samuel 24, 1 but in a different view.

And again, the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And he moved David against them to say, Go number Israel and Judah. There it says God moved him. Now, God never deceives anybody. It's impossible for God to deceive anybody.

What the scripture means that God took down the wall and allowed the enemy access to David. And there's a reason for it. Now, here's a godly man at his peak of usefulness and holiness. And he's convinced that the voice he has heard is the voice of God.

Joab had better discernment. Now, Joab said, David, why are you insisting on this act of disobedience? Why are you persistent in this? Don't you know it's a trespass? Don't you know it's sinful? David had access to the same scriptures that you and I read today in Exodus.

Now, there's no way David could know this because he said he delighted himself in the word of God night and day. How can a man who's delighting in the word, who knows the word, studies at night and day, miss this?

It's in Exodus. Don't turn there. But it's in Exodus, I believe the 20th chapter. There was to be a census according to the law. But it was a census that had to do with the great spiritual truth. It had to do with atonement.

And everyone, every male that was in the census had to pay half a shekel. There were guidelines. It was to be only to the glory of God, and there were rules. David ignored it all. He knew the scripture, but he totally ignored it.

Vigilance and the Armor of God

Some would say, Pastor, this is scary, what you're suggesting this morning, that I consider myself a righteous person. I've known the Lord, I pray, I seek the face of God. Are you trying to tell me that I can be deceived at the height of my walk with God when I'm overcoming?

And I'm praying, I'm seeking God, I'm fasting, I'm in intercession. And it's possible you're saying that I can be deceived by another voice? Oh, yes. Yes. And I'll show you the grounds for it. You say, well, Brother Wilkerson, doesn't the Bible say that God couldn't touch Job unless the wall was down?

That's true, but God took the wall down. You say, doesn't God promise to keep us from falling from the snares of Satan? How can God allow Satan to deceive a praying, godly, holy Christian? First Peter 5 .8.

Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking who he may devour. And that word devour in Greek is to gulp down in one swallow. One great seduction. Vigilance means to rise up from your apathy and your drowsiness.

This is to saints. And this implies the possibility of the roaring lion coming to plant a seduction in your heart and your mind. He said, be sober. That word sober is discreet, and that word discreet means careful about your conduct in everything.

He said, if you are not careful in your conduct, if you're not discreet, if you're not sober, if you're not vigilant, if you don't rise up and guard what God's done for you, if you don't guard it tenaciously, he said, watch out.

You've got a roaring lion following every step, and because you're holy, you're marked. Because you have set your heart on God, he set his heart on you. Now, David had been very sober and discreet up to this time.

You know how watchful David was up to this time. Remember how careful he was not to touch Saul, God's anointed, how careful he was never to gossip, careful to set no wicked thing before his eyes. He was careful to keep his heart, out of which came the issues of life, the scripture says.

He was careful to never sit in the seat of the scornful, careful to close his ears to every lying lip. For most of his walk, David was careful. But there were seasons in his life, just like in every Christian's life, there are seasons of carelessness.

Psalm 119, how shall a young man cleanse his ways? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. And that word heed means to guard, protect, and watch out. And the scripture says, how are you going to stay clean in this day?

He said, be careful, be on guard, watch. King Jehu, according to the scripture, took a fall because he took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord his God with all his heart. He departed not from the sins of Jeroboam.

He let down his watch and at the very peak of his youthfulness, he was seduced by the enemy and turned back to the sins of Jeroboam, his grandfather. Now, Satan perceived something in David that he recognized.

Spiritual Pride as an Opening for Deception

But let me talk to you about what I believe was the beginning of the grounds that... See, Satan can't come in unless he has grounds to come in. And I don't care how advanced you believe you are in Christ today.

I don't care how intimate you believe you are, and perhaps are. I don't care what joy you have in Christ. Let me tell you that it is possible, and I have seen some of my most godly, useful, faithful men, friends, ministers, evangelists, fall at the peak of their blessings because they were seduced by a wrong voice, by the voice of Satan.

I believe David became casual toward God and the things of God. That word casual means a lack of seriousness, indifference, a cool off-handed attitude, relaxed, not too serious about God and the things of God.

God confirms what I've just told you. God confirms that David became casual. He became just loose about his service to God. After David sinned with Bathsheba, Nathan the prophet warned him, the sword shall never depart from your house because you have despised me.

And the word despise there means you didn't take me seriously, God's saying. You didn't honor me as a holy God, as one hating sin, and you thought you could sin without dire consequences. You made me one just like yourself.

The devil watches us. He goes about. Now, folks, I'm not glorifying the devil, but the Bible says we're not to be ignorant of his wiles and his devices. And the wiles mean his treachery, his way of seducing, his method of seducing believers.

He said don't be ignorant of it. He said you're in a fight against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness and high places. And that word high places means an elevated place of usefulness and happiness.

It has nothing to do with devils out there fighting somewhere. It means when you reach a high place in God, God has revealed himself to you. The Spirit of the Lord has opened his Word. You can say I've been delivered from sin and you're riding along.

And in the height of that blessing, just like the children of Israel, God said, I blessed you, I gave you houses that you didn't build, I gave you vineyards that you didn't plant, and I blessed you, and you got casual toward me and you forgot.

You weren't watchful. Folks, when I know that I have touched something in God, and I've seen God my Word, and I've seen people get saved wherever I go throughout the world, and God's blessed me, I run to my room and I pray, God, hold me!

God, watch over me! Because that's when the devil wants to come in. When you've just conquered your bosom sin, when you've just made a decision to walk with God and walk away from your sins, then the enemy comes in like a flood, trying to destroy you.

Satan watched David, and he saw something that opened the door. He saw a good man preaching against sin, writing and singing about his pure walk. Here's a sweet psalmist who wrote wonderful music and songs and praises about his victorious life, the peacefulness of his soul, how he had such peace and joy in his God.

But Satan heard a sound that was familiar to him. It was spiritual pride. The sin that cost him heaven and paradise. And he recognizes it immediately. Folks, I want to tell you, the sin, the seduction of the righteous, it always begins with this sin of spiritual pride.

Boy, I remember when I was, a number of years ago, God had set me aside for a whole year to fast before I canceled everything. I prayed, and I spent months in the Word and studying the Puritans, and I came out on fire, man.

But I remember walking into a minister's meeting and sitting there. I don't, you know, it's no blatant thought. It's just a feeling. I wish they knew what I knew. I just wish they knew Christ like I knew him.

I just wish I could convey to these men the walk that I've arrived at. I wish they could know. Boy, did God bring me down. I didn't sin other than in my thought life, but that's where the sin is. That's where God looks at the heart.

Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks where? Mark 13, 22, Jesus warns us, False Christ and false prophets shall arise and show signs and wonders to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

Oh, I'm so glad it says there, if it were possible. It's not possible. Oh, yes, it is. If you look at the Greek in this, you'll find the inference that it's within the realm of possibility. The real meaning of that, that it is in the realm of possibility.

In fact, that's what the Greek brings out in the root word. I tell you what, it happened to David, who was God's elect. It happened to Peter, who was God's elect. Tell me, what better describes this church generation and many Christians as this word casualness.

Very little seriousness about the things of God in many churches today. Indifference to the majesty and holiness of God. There are churches today all over the United States that are absolutely, the word is casual.

Look at the way they dress. They come to church in shorts, tank tops, t-shirts. It's like a lawn party, cookout attitude. God is my buddy. He's the sky man in the sky pad. He's my dude. He's my big guy.

Folks, there's no dignity to it. There's no awe. There's no reverence. God's just another good guy. He's just another one like us. Casual dress, casual worship by casual people serving God casually. There's no fire.

There's no anointing. There's no awe. There's no reverence. Now, some of you are here today maybe in shorts. Some of you have t-shirts and you're visiting and you're traveling casually. That's a different thing.

But I'm talking about those, for example, who make this church home. You wouldn't walk into the mayor's office the way some of you come to the house of God. It's a matter of respect. I don't care what you have.

I don't care if all you have in your closet are t-shirts. Wear the cleanest, best one you have. Wear the best you have for Jesus. I'm against dressing up like a doll. I mean, some women look like a fashion plate and come just parading down the—.

Testing Voices by Scripture

And why do they always want the front seats? No, you and the front seats forget. I'm not talking about it. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, the treachery, the seduction of the devil, because Paul said you're in a fight against principalities and powers, against the rulers of darkness of the world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Now, David was fooled by the wrong voice because he failed to immediately test it and judge it by the revealed Word of God. Did you hear me? The moment that voice came, David, take a census. See how strong you are.

He should have immediately taken it to the Word of God, Exodus 30, 12 to 16. He said, no, no, no, no. And Joab knew it. Israel knew it. It was an abominable thing to them and to Joab. In fact, Joab cheated on the census.

He left out whole tribes. It was an abominable thing to him, a very sinful, wicked thing in the eyes of God, because there is a spiritual pride behind it all. David knew it. But David refused to judge and killed that voice with the sword of the Word and the power of the Holy Ghost.

And it proves to me that the suggestion of Satan was something David lusted after. He heard exactly what he wanted to hear. Now, I'm going to make a strong statement. I want you to listen closely. I don't care how righteous you are.

I don't care how holy you may be. God makes it very clear in His Word that if you continue in a sinful path, in a sinful deed or a sinful act, it's impossible for you to hear the voice of God. Impossible.

Let me say it again. If you're hiding a secret sin, if you're living in sin, something is attached inside of you, and God has spoken to you time and time again, you cannot hear His voice. I'm going to prove it to you from Scripture here.

Absolutely impossible. David couldn't hear at this time because he'd allowed this thing... He heard what he wanted to hear. Oh, you can hear voices all right. You'll hear the flesh. Still small voice.

Sweet voice. Telling you exactly what you want to hear. Because when there's sin in your life, you're going to hear voices. And they're all going to flatter you. Young Wall Street businessman used to come to this church.

Used to meet him backstage. This young man, beautiful wife, so on fire for God. We'd go out to eat, and he'd tell me how he was growing in the Lord. He said, this is fantastic. He would even take... He'd hear the sermon and take tapes and go listen to them again.

Never missed a service. He was afraid someday I might leave New York. He said, oh, brother, stay with us because so many of us are being changed. And he was so on fire for God. But there was a sin in his life.

Another lady associate. And he had hinted it to me about it. And I watched him go down to the very height of the blessing of God. He started first missing Tuesday night. Then he'd miss Sunday night. Became a Sunday morning Christian.

I'd get very scared. I'd get very concerned and even frightened for Christians who stop going to the house of God. And I'm wondering if this wasn't what the devil saw in David. He used to just love to go to the house of God.

I wonder if David got just a little lazy about the spiritual things in his life.

This is the end of side one. You may now turn the tape over to side two.

Repentance Restores Spiritual Hearing

Left his wife and took off with his associate. I'm telling you now, if there's something that has your heart, you say, well, sinners hear the voice of God. Saul heard the voice of God. Yes, he'll call you out of your sins.

He'll speak to you. And he's patient. He's loving. But I'm talking about Christians who've walked with God, who have known His ways, who have been filled with His Spirit, who felt so secure. Oh, how many there are who've been listening to me.

Before you heard my word this morning, you thought there was no way the devil could ever get to me. No way could I ever be deceived. Oh, he says, take heed when you think you stand. Take heed. That word heed, be on guard, watch.

You have got to judge everything you hear by the revealed Word of God. And that's why I'm telling you, you need to know the Scripture to know His voice, so that you can judge it. In Malachi, it's called profaning the holiness of the Lord.

The priests of that time were backslidden in their heart. They were still coming to the house of God. They were going through the motions. They were doing everything they'd been doing before. They were covering the altar with their tears.

Weeping before the Lord. And the Lord was not speaking to them. They heard nothing. In fact, when they said, Lord, why are You speaking against us? They were absolutely void of any word from God. And God said, I'll tell you why I'm not speaking to you, because you're cheating on your wives.

He says, you go back and make things right. You repent and you change, and then I'll talk to you. He said, but you cover your altar with tears. You cry and you weep. Folks, you can do that. You can go in the secret closet and you can cry and weep all you want to.

You say, oh God, talk to me. Tell me. Lord, is this right or is this wrong? When you know all along that you've heard the wrong voice. It's like the woman came to me a number of years ago and she had left her husband and she's taken up with another man.

She's going to be a missionary. I think it was in Africa. She said, we were praying together. This is the new man that she married after she divorced her husband after a number of years. I think she's in about her 60s.

She said, God told us it's all right. We got together. We had prayer meetings. We fasted. We prayed. We're one in the Spirit. They heard a voice, but it wasn't God's voice. They were profaning the holiness of God.

If you're in disobedience, you'll hear a voice, but listen to Ezekiel 14 .4. Therefore, speak unto them and say, Thus saith the Lord God, Every man that seeketh, that setteth up idols in his heart and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face.

In other words, here's something that's grabbed to heart. It's taken root. It's set up there. It's set in the heart and it's right before their face. They know it's wrong. They know God's convicted them.

They know it's contrary to the Scripture. And they set up this idol of iniquity, stumbling block of iniquity before their face. Then they come to the prophet. See, they want to hear a word from God. I, the Lord, will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols.

Son of man, these men that have set up idols in their heart, they put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face. Should I be inquired at all of them? In other words, the Lord says, they're hiding sin.

They know it's wrong. The stumbling block's right there before their eyes. They know it. They see it. They know my word. It's contrary to my word. It's contrary to Scripture. And yet they come to me, said, should I talk to them at all?

God says, no. I'll not speak to them. You'll hear a voice. God said, I'll allow the enemy. That's what he's saying. I'll allow the enemy access. And the voice you hear will be the voice of Satan because of your idolatry.

You won't let it down. You won't let it go. When all the power's been promised to you, to give you the victory and the power to prevail, God said to the elders, you have an evil thing that you've taken into your heart.

And it's evident that you know it can destroy you. You know you're deceived. You're walking in delusion. So I cannot give you my word. I cannot speak to you at all. The voice you hear will be someone speaking idol talk to you.

It will be for your idol. And I'll tell you, folks, if you have sin in your heart, you see, we preach a strong message here at Times Square Church because we have to stand before God one day and answer.

I want no blood on my hands. And that's why we talk so straight. But I'm telling you, we've had people walk out of this church because when the Holy Ghost came and dealt with sin like he's doing right now by his power and his word, they got scared.

They didn't want to let go of their sins, so they walked out of this church and they went to another church because there are idol churches with idol shepherds that minister to idolatry. They minister to idolatry.

That's what it is in the gay community, in the metropolitan community churches. You've got a gay preacher preaching to a gay congregation, flattering them in their sins. There are churches all over this city that you can go to in sin and not be rebuked and be comfortable.

In fact, the businessman that I told you about is in one of the churches in this city, very comfortable. Delusion begins at the point that you reject the revealed Word of God against your sin. That's where the delusion begins.

That's when the enemy comes in and plants a seduction into your heart. God was displeased with this thing. Therefore, he smote Israel. And I'll tell you something. When God's displeased with this, folks, He has a way of showing it.

There'll be some error in your life that God will smite. Yes, He will. He will chasten. Oh, He's so loving. First, He'll just speak to you through the Word like He is this morning right now. He'll speak to you about your sin.

And then He'll come and slap your wrist. And if you won't listen to that, then He gets His rod. And then if you won't listen to the rod, He said He has to turn you over to your sin for a season. Hoping that chastening, that awful, the worst thing God can do, the most judging thing God can do is to turn us over to our sins for a season.

See, people were dying left and right. These soldiers that He was counting as fighting men are dying, 70 ,000 of them. And David's heart smote him. After that, he had numbered the people. He was smitten.

He was stricken by conviction. And he cries out, Oh God, I've sinned. David repented before the Lord. David repented and said, Oh God, what I've done is an abominable thing in Your eyes. God, I don't want this.

And David restored the altar. He built an altar before the Lord. He came back. He left his casual, careless ways. And he came back and said, Oh God, I was careless. And folks, I want to tell you something.

If you're in the ministry, in the choir, or anyone that's working in this church, there might be some ministers sitting here, those who have walked with God for years, and you took a fall, something happened in your life, look back, and you'll remember how careless you were about the Word of God, about prayer, about watching your relationships, where your eyes were looking.

Just before you sinned, were you just sitting around like a couch potato watching foolish, ungodly garbage on television or videos? Did the devil see you compromising here and there? Oh yes, you're praying, seeking God.

You see, David went right through. It had to take at least nine months or ten months, maybe even a whole year before the census was done. That whole year, David, you wouldn't have known any difference.

He was praying. He was going to the house of God. He was going about his business. He was still praying. He was probably weeping, but he was walking in delusion. He was under a delusion. Oh, but when he repented, the delusion was chased.

The voice of the devil, the voice of the flesh, the voice of the world was drowned out, and God sent the prophet Nathan to him. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Then came the Word of God. If you follow the next chapter, you'll find God speaking to David.

Clearly, he was hearing the voice of God everywhere he turned. Now, in closing, I want to give you a few lessons God has taught me about knowing His voice. Alright? I didn't get it from a book. I'm somewhere in my 60s.

Obedience Opens the Way to Clear Guidance

You don't need to know where I'm at in my 60s. But I've learned some things. May I share them with you? Let me give you just three things that I've learned about knowing and hearing the voice of God. Number one, the moment you're ready to obey God at any cost and do whatever He asks of you, His voice will come through loud and clear.

When you are ready to put down your will, your ways, and say, God, I don't care how it hurts. I don't care what it costs me. I am going to obey You. Not like the remnant that came to the prophet. Jeremiah said, get a word from us.

And then when he got the word, they said that wasn't God. See, when a lot of people do that, they'll go to the Lord and ask for His voice. When God speaks to them, well, that's not you, Lord. That's not you.

That can't be you because it doesn't rhyme with what we want. When you're committed to do the will of God at any cost, He's committed to speak to you. I've found that out in my life. Before I ask God for anything, I first deal with my will.

I deal with my obedience. Lord, I am bringing myself under subjection to Your will now. I am ready to do. I know I may hear something that I don't want to do against my will, but, oh God, I'm committed to do Your will.

Recognizing God's Voice in the New Covenant

His voice will come loud and clear. That's, of course, if you're not living in sin. Number two, when God speaks under new covenant, He never introduces Himself when He speaks. He never says, This is God speaking.