How to be More Attentive to the Holy Spirit’s Nudging
My heart desires to be attentive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and directives. The apostle Paul was often redirected in his missionary journeys because the Holy Spirit forbade him from going to specific regions. The Holy Spirit directed the disciples to go to places not always obvious, like when Philip was instructed to leave Samaria in the middle of a harvest to go to the desert road where he met the Ethiopian.
Building my personal relationship with the Holy Spirit is my primary way of becoming more attentive to His nudgings and not missing His directives. I develop my relationship with the Holy Spirit by prayer, worship, Bible reading, reflecting, listening, and spending time with others who hear His voice. A daily quiet time has been essential in building this relationship where I set time aside to reflect and look forward. Then, consecrating extended quiet times weekly. Jesus would withdraw from the disciples and masses to spend time with the Father. This is important before making significant decisions, such as choosing the twelve apostles. Another practice that helps me be sensitive is fasting. It seems that my spiritual senses increase significantly when I do an extended or regular fast. Others help me recognize the Spirit’s promptings as well. My wife and my church leadership team often run things to get their input. I talk with my kids at times to get their perspective, and just last night, my 17-year-old son helped with a situation. And for significant decisions, I will lean on my spiritual Father and mentors.
If I find myself not hearing His voice or sensing His nudgings, I step back and look at the last time that I did hear Him. I evaluate if I was obedient to His prompting or need to repent. There are times that I sense a block in noticing His nudgings, and it can be from sin or disobedience. I then need to take the time to ask for forgiveness and/or forgive others.