Chapter 66
Obedience is also essential if we will have peace with god. Faith’s work is obeying the things we sense He is showing us to do. First, we should get to know our heavenly Father through Bible reading, fasting, praying, and quiet time. We want to develop an ability to pay attention to the thoughts that come to us. This is how we learn to discern the voice of the Lord. If these routines are not commonplace in our life, it is best to start out with a simple plan, so as to not be dissuaded from our effort to form a new and positive habit.
We should, without fail, write our impressions, scripture references, dreams, or visions in a notebook or journal. At various times the Holy Spirit may impress upon us to get up and pray during the night. It is important to obey His leading, especially if we are in a difficult situation and looking for an answer from the Lord. He may desire to reveal a directive concerning our situation. Some directives require immediate attention, and some may have a time factor involved. Ask god for wisdom to understand His timing.
There is a way to determine if we are making the correct decision. Scripture says, “Let the Peace of God rule in your hearts.”1 Ask yourself if the decision is made in a spirit of peace or turmoil. We should always follow the pathway of peace. This is the way we may determine if we are following the leading of the Lord. If our gut (stomach) area is in turmoil, do not proceed on, but if your gut (stomach) is in peace, move forward. This is similar to someone having an eerie feeling about boarding a flight or going down a dark alley alone. Mentally we may not know what is wrong, but within our “gut” something is warning that there is a serious problem. Scripture says, “Exercise yourself to discern good and evil.”2 We must begin to familiarize ourselves with the spirit realm around us in order to properly determine the leading of the Lord.