4 Ways The Holy Spirit Speaks To You

The promise from Jesus came when He went away. He promised to send us a helper.

There is a description of the nudge if the Holy Spirit. It’s an inarticulate expression in out minds to do this or that or not to do something. These are usually whispers that don’t come articulated in the form of a complete sentence or even in words. It is an overwhelming feeling of peace and confidence you are doing the right thing, or taking action that God wants for you.

1. An unshakable thought

The Holy Spirit tugging starts as a tiny thought that comes into your mind and begins to poke at you. It’s like a “Ping Ping” maybe I should be this.

“For your thoughts are not my thoughts not are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9

You can rest assured that a thought can be planted by God to help lead you. Thoughts come and go, but an unshakable thought, whether unshakable for a week or years, if it comes back, it is worth looking at.

Sometimes there are wordless impressions in your mind. When they come in a form of a thought, they can be very powerful, or they can come as a whisper.

2. The Holy Spirit’s leading will come with doubt and fear.

Why would His leading come with doubt and fear? Because we are human, and we don’t know the outcome. It is typically out of our comfort zone, something that causes you to do something disruptive in your own life, that start or stop of something new or old. In a nutshell, it’s uncomfortable.

3. The Holy Spirit’s leading transitions into a feeling or heart positioning.

It feels like your heart is pulling and doors start opening where you see that this is possible for you.

This is when the feelings start to help you know it is from the Holy Spirit.

Heart positioning is where your heart aligns with the Holy Spirit’s heart and now you are working together.

4. The Holy Spirit prompts you to take action.

You will feel prompted to act. There is nothing you can do to stop yourself from taking action in what you are feeling led to do. This is how you know for sure that this is from the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. You are spiritually being convicted to move.

Don’t try to overthink it or second-guess yourself. Just act. If you are not sure pray. He will give you a yes if it’s the Holy Spirit.

John 14:17 says, “The spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him not knows Him. But you know Him for Her dwells with you and will be in you.”

The Holy Spirit is a truth bringer, a truth speaker, and there is truth over your life. The truth of God reigns. The truth of where you are being called to go is available for you, it is time to take action on the very step.

God’s plan is so much bigger than your dreams can ever be. The Holy Spirit’s nudge is what got me writing a blog.

If you feel that nudge, you have nothing to lose, and clarity to gain to see if it’s the right next step for you.

Hindered Prayer

How effective are your prayers? What things can harm the prayers you pray? All of us want our prayers to be answered. Why else would we pay them.

God always answers. We just get troubled when His answer is contrary to our request. His answer is sometimes no.

1 John 5:13-15 says,

“And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.“

God definitely answers prayers. The key here is “according to His will.” That’s when He hears and answers our prayers.

The Bible says our prayers can be hindered by several things. So there are prayer blockers.

The first prayer blocker is unforgivenes. When we harbor resentment, offense, bitterness, or anger toward another person it blocks our prayers.

In Mark 11:25 Jesus says, “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions.

We are to forgive if we want to be forgiven.

The second prayer blocker is unconfessed sin. Asking God to move on your behalf when you knowingly continue to sin leads to our prayers going unanswered.

Psalm 66:18 says, “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”

Doing bad things never earns good things. Sin is a barrier that always separates us from God.

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death,but the free gift of God is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord.”

The third prayer blocker is selfishness. James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” We don’t get our prayers answered because our motives are impure and wrong.

God always answers prayers according to His Will and desires. If it isn’t His will or goes against His will, you can be sure it won’t get answered.

It isn’t selfish to pray for ourselves, but we can be unselfish about it.

Jesus prayed to His Father, “Not my will but Yours be done” in Luke 22:42.

Another prayer blocker is ignoring Scripture. James 4:17, says, knowing what to do and not doing it is a sin.

Proverbs 28, 9 also says, “If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer will be an abomination.”

Luke 6:46 says, “Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and don’t do the things which I say.”

Hope can we call Him Lord if we don’t know what He says. How can we pray something contrary to God’s Word and except God to answer us. I have found one if the best ways to get my prayers answered is to pray the scripture itself.

“For the Word of the Lord is right and true. He is faithful in all He does” – Psalm 33:4.

Failure or Apparent Failure that set me up

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?

My success comes from a troubled childhood. Being abused changed how I think about the world. It was either get tough or die. I had a choice to hate the world or love it. It’s funny I never want to cause pain to people who enter my life because I know how bad it hurts.

My experiences through life has led to people who have been in similar situations and I was able to help them. I believe my traumatic life has led to my success of helping others. As well as a love for communicating through writing.

My being abused every time a talked as a child has been a struggle for me to get over the fear of talking. While I may not be able to communicate in social situations I believe that is what helps my thinking process and helps with my writing skills.

Combating Distractions In Bible Study

Distractions are all around us. Our phones, noise from every day things, that can distract our train of thought.

I used to set my time with God between 7-8 in the morning. But I would get distracted easily. Once my train of thought is broken there is no sense trying to return.

It doesn’t help that I am a over thinker. I tend to analyze every little thought in my head.

Now I have my Bible study time between 3-4 in the morning. It is much quieter and I don’t get as distracted.

I have ready me quiet time basket:

I make sure I have a quiet time basket, it’s basket will all my books, resources, and paper and pen. Everything I think I’ll need so I won’t have to get up and get distracted. My Bible or study Bible, a notebook, a pen and a highlighter, and reference book. It isn’t anything fancy just a basket I pick up at a thrift store.

Remember to silence my phone

I have my phone set on do not disturb mode. So no one can reach me except my children and a friend that’s having a rough time after just losing her husband.

Play soothing music

I make sure I have soothing music in the back ground. I typically choose messianic music because it is what soothes my soul the most.

Start with a brain dump

Because my brain never seems to shut off, except the 4-5 hours of sleep I get. This is a big barrier to my focused time of spending time with God. I always begin with prayer that God will show me what He wants me to see.

I few simple tips to not become distracted while spending time with God.

Autobiography

You’re writing your autobiography. What’s your opening sentence?

The first line of my autobiography would probably be something like this. Life itself is a continuous journey of growth and self-discovery. It encourages us to embrace change and risk to constantly challenge ourselves to achieve new heights.

Objects I Can’t Live Without

What are three objects you couldn’t live without?

There are few essentials in life that can’t be overlooked -air, water, food, sleep, and shelter. But what about the rest of the stuff, that makes life worth living?

We’ve have become conditioned to think there are certain things that we absolutely must have to make life more convenient, comfortable and enjoyable.

I try and learn the difference between what I have and what I truly need.

I would say my coffee machine is something cannot live without. And another one would be books. I love books because I love learning. Many would say they have the internet but they rely on someone to give us the services they need to access them. It can be taken away in an instant. I also could not live without a way to contact my children. As much as I dislike phones, they do keep us in contact without them.

Keys For Overcoming The Spirit Of Fear

I have lived its fear most of my life. Even as a young girl, I nursed fear and illogical outcomes on a daily basis.

Overcoming the spirit of fear always seemed like a good idea but living free from fear felt unattainable in my childhood home.

Fear was my constant companion.

Going to sleep meant overcoming the spirit of fear. I feared what would happen to me as I slept.

Waking up meant overcoming the spirit of fear. I feared what would happen to me that day.

Daily activities meant overcoming the spirit of fear. I wondered if I did something that would trigger my mother.

People who know me would not guess the stronghold fear had on me because my spirit of fear was internalized, swimming around in my head with no where to go.

When I became a blood bought child of God, I knew my spirit should not be dominated by fear, but I lived this way for a long time. Fear fought to distract and monopolize my thoughts and therefore my actions, overcoming the spirit of fear was a daily struggle.

God slowly nudged me with His amazing love and helped me learn how to climb out of the pit of fear.

I have not conquered a spirit of fear, but have learned ways to overcome fear with faith in God. A God who cares so much that His presence is always available to comfort and smooth even when you wrestle with the most illogical fears.

I let Him have all my worries and cares, because He is always thinking about me and watching everything that concerns me.

1 Peter 5:7 tells us to “cast all your worries on Him, because He cares for you.”

What Does The Spirit Of Fear Mean?

Our spirit is the part of us that connects with God. Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or his dangerous and likely to cause pain or a threat.

When your spirit is clogged or dominated by fear, your connection to God is affected. As a child, my mother dominated me with fear.

Most of us at some point wrestle with overcoming a spirit of fear and replacing it with a spirit of faith. While some fear is necessary, your spirit is what gives you life and should be full of hope and joy, not fear.

When you walk around with a spirit of fear you take space away from the victorious joy-filled life God intends for you.

A spirit of fear robs you of life. Fear is a distraction and an all-consuming force. But with Jesus, overcoming the spirit of fear is possible.

When you realize that fear is an emotion, then you can do something about it. You can decide to overcome the spirit of fear is an option.

We are not born with a little voice named “fear” in our brains that turns on and off in response to certain things or at certain times. Fear can be placed by someone or something we face.

Our bodies are constantly responding to changes in the environment and then we have to think about and interpret that response based on what’s happening around us, and what’s happened in our past.

There is research that shows that all of us fear something and some people fear more than others. Fear can become a subconscious, unwanted friend.

If you want to overcome the spirit of fear you have to reprogram your thoughts. Fear is so powerful it can dominate your thoughts and your focus.

Since science confirms fear is an emotion, it helps us embrace the fact that we have some control over fear. We can choose how to respond to things that cause us fear.

Have you been in a situation where fear is demonstrated and effects all your senses? Where overcoming the spirit of fear seem impossible?

I used to be able to dissociate because I was so frightened by my mother. This can occur as a way to cope with trauma.

Fear is real and overtakes you if you don’t have tools to help overcome fear with faith.

Fear kills expression of live, plugs the lines of communication, imprisons victims of abuse, taunts with phobia, and erodes confidence and security,

Fear is not the private domain of the weak. It strikes all of us. Its most dangerous aspect is its ability to put handcuffs and shackles on our lives, to keep us bound up in a prison of frustration and hopelessness.

Fear can snatch any one of us. But knowing how to overcome the spirit of fear is possible. Through growing our faith and trust in God.

If you’re wondering if God help you to overcome a spirit of fear with faith. I have wrestled with this so many times in my life it is embarrassing to admit.

One of the reasons I have repeatedly questioned whether God can help me overcome fear with faith is that I was not investing enough into to my faith to trust God.

In our own strength, we cannot deal with the uncertainty that lingers to overcome fear with faith, and fear often wins.

When you are closer to Jesus, your trust grows, and you believe and experience overcoming the spirit of fear. And knowing your identity in Christ is a starting point.

At times we all struggle spiritually and doubt who we are in Christ. We also question His promises.

We have to understand that God is not like humans, He will not let you down, and He will never leave you.

Regardless of what you are facing if you truly believe how much God loves you, you’ve discovered the first line of attack for overcoming the spirit of fear with faith.

Billy Graham said, “The keys is to learn to trust God, no matter what your fears are. And we can trust Him because He lives us, and He is greater than anything we’ll ever face.”

God can help us learn to choose a posture of hope and optimism so that we can become better at overcoming the spirit of fear with faith.

As long as we choose a path of personal growth, we will face fearful situations. Life is full of negative situations that happen or might happen, but we don’t have to focus on possible outcomes.

God’s ultimate goal is intimacy with us and our total dependence on Him to sustain us. When we focus on Jesus we learn to do the best we can, grow from our mistakes, and release our fixation on outcomes.

If we continue to operate by fear, it becomes our compass instead of Christ.

Although we shouldn’t be consumed by fear. It would be difficult to understand what it means to trust God if we never had a fearful emotion. Overcoming the spirit of fear with faith helps our spirit grow stronger and we become more confident and authentic.

Fear is a friend because it is only when we are afraid that we plummet into the depth of trust. We can not know what trust means unless we live through an experience in which God is all we have to hold on to.

For along time I struggled with opening up to people because all I heard was my mother saying, “You are worthless and stupid no one cares what you have to say.” I would be afraid people would think the same thing. So I just wouldn’t talk. Then I began incorporating these four tools to help me overcome a spirit of fear.

There are many helpful keys for overcoming the spirit of fear with faith. Here are 4 habits that have served me well when I’m faced with fearful situations.

1. Acknowledge and try to understand your fear. Is it logical, is it possible, and/ or is it probably? Life is full of negative things that might happen; don’t focus on them.

2. Learn your fear triggers and be prepared to rein in emotions. It is also helpful to have techniques to calm down when fear hits. Either deep breathing or mindfulness helps me. A quick scan of my surroundings helps me calm down.

3. Study the Bible. Learning scripture and studying Biblical heroes will help you renew your mind in preparation for battle. I read and pray the full armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18 every morning. Another good thing to do is to start a small Bible study with a few friends.

4. Develop a habit of prayer. When fear begins to creep in, ask God to surround you with peace and comfort.

God created us to live with spiritual abundance so we can enjoy a relationship with Jesus, share our gifts with others, and persevere in our God-given purpose.

Fear doesn’t have to take these promises away from you. When you embrace the keys to overcoming the spirit of fear, worry no longer dominates your life.

Romans 12:2 tells us, “Don’t be conformed to this works, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

Overcoming the spirit of fear with faith takes practice. It took me a long time to allow faith to overpower the strong pill of fear that was over my life. But u understanding and learning scripture is a helpful tool to overcome fear with faith and let God become my anchor instead of our fears.

When you feel the pull of fear overtaking your spirit, turn to the Bible (the Word of God) for guidance, strength, and peace. Reading and memorizing scripture helps with overcoming the spirit of fear.

Here are a few scriptures that help me cling to my faith and trust God instead of my fear,

Deuteronomy 31: – “Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid of scared of them; for the Lord your God Himself is who goes with you. He will not fail you not forsake you.”

John 16:33: – “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, si have overcome the world.”

2 Timothy 1:7: – “For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self control.”

Psalm 27:3: – “Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me even then I will be confident.”

Psalm 34:3: – “On magnify the Lord with me. Let’s exalt His name together.”

Psalm 56:3: – “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.”

Philippians 4:6-7: – “In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

Isaiah 41:10: – “Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.”

Overcoming the spirit of fear will probably continue to be part of my story. Finding other verses to help in the battle will help me continue to grow and find more treasures in God’s Word.

When we take our focus off of God, fear can cloud our vision. We can lose sight of ourselves, our relationships, and our faith.

Praying against fear is the best way to stay connected to God and win the battle against fear.

Overcoming the spirit of fear is possible when we realize God is available to help us with whatever burden we are carrying.

Matching relaxation techniques with prayer had helped me overcome the spirit of fear. As you pray against prayer breathe slowly, and meditate on scripture and play or sing a soothing worship song. I find it best to read scripture and pray with soothing music in the background.

Fear will never disappear completely, but we can grow in our faith and in our trust in God providing a pathway for overcoming the spirit of fear with faith day by day.

Once we acknowledge on a deep level that we are unable in our own strength to solve all of our problems and overcome all of our fears, we can grow in our reliance on Christ. This is the best key to overcoming the spirit of fear with faith.

What Experience Helped Me Grow

What experiences in life helped you grow the most?

The experience that has helped me grow the most was my a death.

Grief changes people. I went through all the emotions of depression, anger, and wondering why God took him.

I took care of my father for 10 years. So we became very close. There’s something special about sitting down and having a beer with a parent.

My father’s death taught me not to take the little things for granted. I strive to savor every moment I spend with my loved ones because I never know when it will be the last time I see them. Disagreements no longer upset me. I have learned that holding a grudge is useless, and only steals time away from us.

It’s been 11 years since my father’s death. And I still feel like it was yesterday. I don’t think we ever get over the death of a loved one. We only learn to live with it.

The void I feel stimulates a need to fill it. I have filled the void with God, and helping others.

Don’t Be Paralyzed By Uncertainty

With so much uncertainty in the world right now, it’s easy to feel despair. The 24-hour news cycle is filled with warnings from across the world. Social media is inundated with worse-case scenarios, hatred, disrespect for others and bitterness.

If you’re a believer in Christ you probably have more of an eternal view. Yet it’s easy to get trapped in the hysteria and lose sight of the fact that God is still in control. We can substitute the truth of God’s Word with the last piece of bad news we hear.

We can accept the prison of hopelessness that the world provides and forfeit the comfort and peace that Jesus freely gives us and those who trust Him.

When we think about our own lives, it isn’t always clean and neat. While many of us would tell the story of our lives in a linear pattern, the reality is that our experiences are more like an overwhelming number of intersecting lines. The ups and downs., the challenges and the successes, the blessings and the struggles.

It’s easy to get bogged down in something that seems insurmountably painful at times. But then we move on with life once the situation drifts into the past.

We remember the hard times while forgetting the way that God has worked in the midst for our trials and troubles to carry us through them.

John 16:33 tells us “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart I have overcome the world.”

In this world we can expect hardships, but more importantly victory. In our most trying times, God is working behind the scenes and developing our faith and character for His glory.

There is no doubt that life is hard, and the pain is very real. But we can cling to the promises of God amid suffering, and understand “that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6). We have no reason to retreat. Instead of despair, we can claim victory in Him who saved us.

This victory is not momentary success that’s dependent on good and bad times of life. It’s not tied to a disease, or a lost job or even to the death of a loved one. In a temporary world the victory we have is eternal and unchanging.

John 16:22 says, “Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.”

Fate Or Destiny

Do you believe in fate/destiny?

I believe that my destiny is determined by my decisions. One of the most powerful things that we have on earth is free will or choice.

Life is full of choices. And every day God gives us the freedom to make choices about what we think is going to be good. That success and failure of our life is made up of those little choices make every day in our lives.

For every action there is a reaction, and for every choice there is a consequence. John C Maxwell said “It is our decisions not our conditions that determine our quality of life.

The power to choose is in our hands. We can choose wisely or unwisely as we are confronted with decisions, temptations, and choices every day.

Our choices determine our values, character, direction, and destiny. When we need wisdom it is important to remember that God is the source of wisdom.

Satan may be able to attack us through our past and present, but it is up to us to choose our destiny.

Moses prayed a humble prayer in Psalm 90:12,

“Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.“

Moses wasn’t asking God how to use his time more wisely, but for wisdom on how to invest his life in alignment with God’s season and purpose for him.