Requirements for Guidance
I. Two Types of Guidance
A. General Guidance
1. Comes from the Word of God
2. Constitutes 90-95% of all guidance
3. Believers are daily guided by the Word of God
B. Specific Guidance
1. Comes from the Holy Spirit
a. Inward voice
b. Inward witness
2. Visions
3. Dreams
4. Angelic appearances
Acts 27:22-24: And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve.
Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
II. All Guidance is Supernatural
A. All guidance is not spectacular
B. Recalling a scripture when facing a test or trial is supernatural
C. Guidance by the Holy Spirit is supernatural
1. The Holy Spirit will not violate the promises of God
2. The Holy Spirit gives specific guidance
Proverbs 3:5: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
III. Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart
A. This means to lean on His Word
B. This means to lean on His understanding
C. As we lean on His Word with all our heart, He directs our paths
Proverbs 3:6: In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
IV. What Guidance is Not
A. Guidance is not reason
2 Corinthians 10:5: Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ:
imaginations: reasonings
B. Guidance is not self-management
C. Guidance is not common sense
1. Without the promises of the Word of God, common sense cannot be trusted
2. Common sense can lead in the wrong direction
There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 14:12; Proverbs 16:25)
Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
D. It is not in man to guide himself
Jeremiah 10:23: O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walks to direct his steps.
1. Man does the walking
2. God does the directing
3. God shows the path
4. God gives the instruction
5. Man must become a doer of the Word
V. Instruction and Guidance Come from Diligence in the Word of God
Psalm 32:8: I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
A. Just as a man eats daily, we need God's Word daily
B. Man must allow God to instruct him and teach him through the Word of God
C. Without instruction from God through the Word, we will go down the wrong path
1. Without the Word, man will look to his own natural understanding
2. Without the Word, man will look to his own reasoning
3. Without the Word, man will look to his own self-management
4. Without the Word, man will look to his own common sense
D. Instruction/Teaching is the Word of God
VI. The Eye of the Lord
….I will guide thee with mine eye. (Psalm 32:8)
A. Man's eyes cannot see far
B. God's eye can see into the next day, next week, next month, next year and into eternity
C. God's eye sees the pitfalls that may be ahead for our lives and wants to reveal them to us
D. God's eye sees the great things that are prepared for us and He wants to reveal them to us
Eye of the Lord: refers to the all-seeing of the Holy Spirit who can show us things to come
VII. Meditation
Meditation: Hebrew word comes from the word "ruminate"; used of a cow chewing its cud. It chews, then swallows, brings it back up and chews it again.
A. It is important to study the Word of God and bring that Word back up throughout the day through meditation
B. Revelation comes as we meditate upon the Word of God
1. Insight results from meditation
2. Illumination results from meditation
C. One of the strongest ways to meditate the Word of God is to repeatedly confess it to yourself
VIII. Examples of Meditation
Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Confession: I will trust in the Lord today with all my heart. I will not lean to my natural understanding, my own reason, my own self-management. I will not listen to my own natural common sense, but in all my ways today, I will acknowledge Him, and God has promised he will direct my paths.
Jeremiah 10:23: O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his steps.
Confession: Lord, I know it's not within myself today to lead myself. Lord, I don't have it within me, but Lord, I will listen to You today, for You will guide my paths. Lord, I have been instructed and taught in Your ways, and you promised me that you will show me the way that I will go. You even promised you would lead me with your eyes. Your eyes are bigger than mine. They see more than mine do. My eyes only see this natural world around me, but Lord, Your eyes can see ahead into the future. Your eyes can see right now what Satan's devices and plans are for me, and Lord, I know that You have promised me in Your Word that no weapon formed against me shall prosper.
IX. The End of All Guidance is Abundant Life
Psalm 16:11: Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
A. When God leads, it results in increase
1. Pleasures
2. Treasures
3. Happiness
4. Joy
B. God does not lead us into:
1. Places of sorrow
2. Places where you will lose your joy
3.Places where you will lose the prosperity and things with which you have been blessed
Confession: Lord, I know that you will show me the path of life. You have promised that in Your presence is fullness of joy. Therefore, I claim, even before I start, that each day is going to become more joyful as I'm following after You. I'm not depending on circumstances. I'm depending on you to lead my paths.
X. God's plan of Guidance is to Walk Right Beside Us
A. Throughout life, God says He will be a friend that sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24)
B. God says that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5)
C. God says that He will show us the way to go (Psalm 16:11)
XI. The Steps of a Good Man are Ordered by the Lord
Psalm 37:23: The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
A. A "good man":
1. Believer
2. One who is instructed in the Word
3. One who daily takes in the Word of God
4. One who meditates in the law of the Lord
5. One who is growing in the promises of God
B. "Ordered"
1. Established
2. Ordained
C. …and he delighteth in his way.
1. he: the believer
2. his: the Lord's way
3. Following the Lord leads to delight and rejoicing
4. Following the Lord leads to a deeper relationship with the Lord
Confession: The Word of God declares that I am a good man, so my steps are ordered, established, ordained by the Lord, and I will delight in His leadership.
XII. We Need God's Guidance Only Until the Point of Death
Psalm 48:14: For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.
XIII. Requirements for Guidance
A. We need to know Jesus as Lord and Savior
B. We cannot be living any kind of lifestyle and expect that God will guide us
C. He guides those who have His law in their heart (Study of the Word of God)
Psalm 40:8: I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
1. Once the law (the Word) is in our heart, we will know HisWord
2. Without His Word in our heart, we cannot know His will
3. The Holy Spirit is under no obligation to give specific guidance if we do not give ourselves to the general guidance of the Word of God
4. The greatest area the will of God is found is in the pages of the Word of God
D. God will guide the meek, (teachable) person
Psalm 25:9: The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
1. God cannot lead the prideful person who does not think he needs guidance
2. Every time God guides the meek, He will guide them justly
3. Every time God leads the meek, it is the right decision
E. God will guide those who fear Him
Psalm 24:14: The secret (counsel) of the Lord is with them that fear Him; and he will show them (reveal to them) his covenant.
F. God will guide those who walk uprightly
Psalm 84:11: For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
sun: gives life
shield: a protector
1. Walking uprightly is walking free of sin
2. God will not withhold good things from those walking uprightly
a. God will not withhold guidance
b. God will not withhold joy
c. God will not withhold prosperity
e. God will not withhold health
3. Guidance comes through integrity
Proverbs 11:3: The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
4. Righteousness will guide us and direct our ways
Proverbs 11:5: The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
XIII. The Guidance of the Holy Spirit will never Contradict the Word of God
John 16:13: Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and He will show you things to come.
A. In the time of pressure, the Holy Spirit can reveal a scripture that will give guidance
B. Without the Holy Spirit, the Bible is an enigma
C. Praying in the Spirit (in tongues) will cause the Holy Spirit to give us guidance in ways that we have never experienced
