Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
Romans 8:5-8
Where is YOUR mind set? What are you focused on? What fills your mind’s spare time? We are to set our minds on what the Spirit desires.
How do we know what the Spirit desires?
First, we know that if we have been born again, Jesus lives inside of us, and we have Holy Spirit as our counselor and comforter. So we have direct access to God. We don’t have to beg, plead, or hope that He will speak to us. God speaks to us all the time.
“My sheep hear my voice, and they know Me.”
So if we’re not hearing God, it’s up to us to quiet down the other voices and thoughts that distract us. If you ask, you will receive. If you seek, you will find. If you knock, the door will be opened. But sometimes the seeking is more of a half-hearted “hail mary” to God where we don’t even wait around for a response.
Take 15 minutes tonight or first thing tomorrow morning. Find a secluded space. Ask God to speak. Have a Bible and a journal or paper available. Listen to the thoughts, feelings, and other things you sense inside. Write them down. Don’t interrupt the process to question what you’re writing. Just write, and evaluate after.
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Is it wrong to try to change my habits using self hypnotism?
John, I would avoid hypnotism. My goal is transform my mind, not add layer upon layer of soulish manipulation.
My best recommendation is to just not go there. I’d avoid anything that substitutes itself for Holy Spirit.
Let me be clear: I don’t promote focusing on “evil” or “fleshly” things. Let’s not get into the habit of looking for bad things to avoid. But instead, in all instances, let’s ask ourselves whether the thing we’re considering is a substitute for God’s power. If so, let’s come humbly to Him, confess we don’t have the power to change, admit we probably have thought strongholds that are keeping us from believing the truth of His promises, and ask Him to remove the strongholds so we can walk in a bold and confident faith.
And let’s pray this every day until He does it. Prayer takes a commitment. A determination. A willingness to see something through, no matter what. Press through. He is faithful to answer.
It’s time I wrote another post, I think. Better get to it.
Hi,
I am trying my best to hear God and to receive His guidelines, but I am confused with the too many voices in my mind. My husband left us ( me and our two great children) in the middle of Jan. It is like my soul and heart has perished…I discover mu husband’s 6 years love affair and a beginning of a new one with another lady. Ready to forgive and forget I offer peace and a new page for our family life, but the answer was negative…
I am into a very strong mind battlefield…divorce or wait? My self esteem is zero, my soul is perishing. The children are very sad too.
How to keep being? Which is the voice of God in my mind? What to answer my kids? How to renew and transform my spirit…? Please help.
Yana,
I’m so sorry for your loss. The best I can do is ache when I hear you share your pain.
I’m not a pastor in your local church, so I’d prefer not to speak to you on the subject of divorce. I’d rather stick to what I have the authority to speak on, which would be what I’ve experienced.
You said something important in your first sentence: “but I am confused with the too many voices in my mind.” This is a key statement. I know what it means to have too many voices in one’s mind. I’ve fought against them, denied them, blamed myself for having them, and given in to what they say because I felt I couldn’t fight them. But in the end, what served me best was to REPLACE them.
I’m not trying to prescribe you a bunch of steps so you can “get busy” doing stuff. We can easily bury our hurt and pain underneath a set of obligations, only to let the wound remain unhealed but hidden for weeks, months, or even years. So while I’m sharing my experience, what I want you to hear most is that I persistently fell on the floor, humbled and without ego, and reminded God of His promises.
During that time, I crumbled. I was at my lowest low. I had no reason to be prideful anymore. I forced myself to get as humble as I knew how and groveled at Jesus’ feet. I groaned and I cried and I even whined. I poured out my bitter broken heart to God.
What I’m going to say may sound trite to you, but I was in a deep, dark desperate hole before, and this is what I did:
1) I stopped watching all tv, secular radio, and movies for a season.
2) I listened to sermons every day online (iBethel.tv); I hunted down sermon podcasts for my iPod so I could take them with me (like Sid Roth’s Naturally Supernatural); I bought downloadable audio teachings (like John Paul Jackson’s) and worship music (like Alberto & Kimberly Rivera, Christ for the Nations Music, Klaus, Kim Walker, Brian Johnson, Hillsong, Rita Springer, and New Life Worship) from iTunes. I surrounded myself with testimonies of healings, miracles, and personal revelations. I poured my focus into what God does for people who are really open and willing to let Him do what He wants.
3) I fasted at least several meals a week and spent my meal times pouring my heart out to God.
4) I found some of God’s promises in Scripture that sounded really good – like something I needed to be true – and began praying them back to God.
5) I found a counselor who had the faith to see me recover. The counselor had to be someone who has seen what I was going through healed. If the person I’m confiding in has little to no hope of healing, then how will he or she help me? That is a non-negotiable point.
6) I had friends at church interceding for me. Praying for breakthrough.
7) I had a mentor who encouraged me, gave me Scriptures to memorize, and who shared his life with me. Seeing someone walk in more maturity than me was key to having a vision for what is possible.
In the end, it was my mentor who pointed out that, several months later, God had done some amazing work in my life… and I hadn’t even noticed. I was so focused on seeking Him and renewing my mind that the changes and transformations in my life just happened along the way.
I’m still in pursuit of Him today, but praise God, He delivered me out my darkest emotional pit.
Dear Daniel,
Thank you so much for answering my letter. Your advices and understandings have so much hope and fight and I will use them.
These last few days I am discovering the Great Real Love of God. I surrounded myself with Joyce Meyer books and pritching…with the daily tasks of my kids…and start feeling that I am not lonely anymore, I am just alone, Hope for some time. Since “Alone and Lonely” is the most I have been scared of, I am in a process of discovering “I am” and enjoying “I”!You know I am very interesting, good and peaceful self.
God has a plan, David. He says “I am the begining and I am the end” We can not see the end…we only feel the pain through the process of our growth and transformation…of our soul evolution…O, yes! we do have a choice: to keep God Word in our hearts while paining or to give up, go carnal and fleshy (create karma).
I made my choice, I will not give up! I will wait Patiently with God’s love and peace. God loves me so much, He did want it to see me any longer living in lays. He wanted to open my eyes and show me the Real Love, transform me to His better child.
He is working on my husbund transformation too…He needs time to clean and purify his heart and I will wait for it. Amen
“I am the life, peace and joy. I am in middst of you!” (Sorry the bible is not with me to citate precisely)I know it will hard but I will succeed because the I trust the blood of Jesus straightened me!
I will keep in touch with you for every step of my life progress.
God Bless you for being with me!
Dear Dan,
coming from your own experience, your advice for Yana is truly encouraging.
I need your opinion about what my daughter has gone through. In our culture, divorce for christians is unthìnkable. But her husband has been very abusive, verbally and physically, and repeatedly spoken about divorcing her. Based on 1Cor7:15, I advised her to file for divorce. Did I do a right thing? Thanx, God bless!
Pyotr,
I’m not prepared to give my opinion on the subject of when divorce is acceptable.
However, I will tell you that men whom I deeply respect believe there’s a case for divorce in abusive relationships.
At the very least, separation is recommended. No woman, man, or child should have a covenant held over their heads as a reason to endure abuse.
I’m personally 100% in support of marital counseling, deliverance, reconciliation, and restoration of all things. Our God is a God of restoration. He desires to restore all things.
The question is whether the people involved will see the restoration through, or if they’ll bail out beforehand. I think a woman and/or child should be safe and protected from physical / emotional harm.
It is the husband’s responsibility before God to get the help he needs to walk through repentance and transformation.
I sincerely LOVED this post. Great reminder for me to shut my yap and listen!! Good, practical suggestion for hearing Gods voice in real, tangible way.
Thanks, Daniel!
Oh. And the conversation in comments is heart wrenching. I think you’ve given great advice to both Yana and her parents.
Thanks, Jamie. I agree about heart wrenching. It’s an honor to hear people’s hearts and to pray for them and share with them.
On the tips for hearing God’s voice, I have another post planned to expound on divine imagination. Still in the works, but I’m excited about it.