WalkwithGod.com

Walk down the aisles of most any bookstore and you will see a large selection of Self Help books. Many of them deal with setting goals in order to improve yourself. When was the last time you read a book on hearing goals?

Hearing goals is more important in the life of the believer than simply setting goals. If we really believe that Christ lives in us and that our lives are to be led by His Spirit, then we have to acknowledge that God ultimately knows what goals we need to set for our lives from year to year.

The work of the Holy Spirit in this area can be enumerated in at least the following points for starters:

God wants you to grow in maturity in every area of your life.

God does not expect more of you than you are able to handle over a period of time.

God knows your limits in that you are capable of much more than you realize or possibly are willing to admit.

God’s work of producing the character of Christ in your life is a patient work that He is willing to let develop over time.

As you accept His direction for establishing a goal, He will both encourage you towards success while holding you accountable for your shortcomings or laxness in participating in His work in you.

How do you learn to hear a goal for your life?

The first step is to pray. If you don’t know anything else to pray, pray this prayer:

Father, I thank you that you want to develop real character in me and that you are patient with me while you are performing a deep work within my heart and mind. I want to participate with you. I want to actively be a willing part of what you are doing in and through me. Help me to hear you. Help me to learn your voice so I can understand what the will of the Lord is. I pray this in the name of your Son Jesus who died to make me part of your family. Amen.

After you pray, listen! Be quiet. Corral your mind from wandering off in fifty different directions and simply sit still in His presence. Listen. If you think you hear God speaking something to you about a goal He wants you to accomplish, write it down.

Next, read God’s Word. Don’t simply hop, skip and jump to your favorite passages. Instead, read through a book if you’ve never done so. Reread the book. Very often a word or phrase will come alive to you as you read, and you will realize that God is speaking to you about something right before your eyes.

If you still haven’t heard anything clearly after doing these two for a while (more than five minutes or even five days), then go to three people whose walk with God you greatly respect. Ask them to pray with you regarding what goal you should be working on in your life. Tell them that you are willing to listen to their advice or any specific word from God that they may bring. Set a specific future time that you will contact these persons again in order to find out what they may have heard. Sometimes, you will hear the same word from all of them. That is a good indication that God is trying to speak pointedly to you about something you may have been ignoring. Sometimes the advice or input will differ. Don’t toss it out thte window because of this. After all, we each have more than one item we need God’s help with in growing!

After receiving a general or specific word from God about what goal(s) you need to be working on, do it. Study. Find out what you need in order to accomplish the goal. What changes will it require in you or your lifestyle? Count the cost. If you struggle with any of these steps, then perhaps you are coming to realize that something has more of a hold on you that you realized.

Whatever you do, don’t let go of the goal. God remembers our frailty and knows that we are dust. He pities us like a father pities his children. He loves us. No matter what obstacles you face, with God’s help, you can overcome them in order to fulfill what God wants you to do.

Be blessed.