The BIG Picture (Q&A)

ONLINE ARTICLE (OF FALSE) ADVICE You can express your desire to follow the Holy Spirit’s control through prayer. Here is a prayer that has often been helpful to me: “Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have been directing my own life and that, as a result, I have sinned against You. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I now thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit.”1 If you prayed that prayer, desiring the Spirit’s control, then the Holy Spirit fills you now—even if you don’t feel like it. It is a decision of faith: a response to what God says in His Word, His desire to fill you with His Spirit. SCRIPTURAL ANSWER: There is absolute...

The following discourse is commentary from a social media site based on reactions to one of my posts. The main context of this Q&A is concerning hearing God's voice and walking in righteousness. There are some important lessons to learn regarding how we hear God's voice and how we walk according to the Spirit and not according to our own 'works' or efforts. Questions or comments in the post are bulleted. "John 10 says “My sheep hear my voice and follow me.” Do you hear his voice and obey him?" The only way to 'hear' His voice is through the written word of God. It is the word of God within you, acquired through reading and studying it and gaining understanding in it that embeds God's Spirit within you. Jesus says in Jn6:63, "the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." So, to get God's Spirit in you, you need to get into the written Word of God and get it into you. It is through the knowledge and underst...