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65. Hearing God’s Voice: Stop Second-Guessing Your Next Step · Believe & Become | Ministry, Biblical Encouragement, God's Will, How to Change, Holy Spirit

• 0:00
  Corina: Have you ever asked God for direction? Feel like you received an idea and then immediately started second guessing it? You pray for wisdom but then you wonder, was that really God? Am I doing the right thing? What if I get this wrong? Today we're talking about how to lead with God. Instead of constantly questioning yourself, we'll talk about how to trust that he really is leading you. Stay submitted to his voice and move forward with greater confidence. This is gonna be a good one.
• 0:28
  Josh: If you're tired of leading others while secretly batt doubt, discouragement and mental warfare
• 0:34
  Corina: and you want practical tools to renew your mind and walk boldly in your
• 0:37
  Josh: calling as a leader, you're in the right place. Welcome to believe and become.
• 0:41
  Corina: We're Josh and Corina your spirit filled coaches here to help you overcome those limiting beliefs and lead others confidently.
• 0:48
  Josh: If you're ready to hear God's voice more clearly, to step into your purpose and find joy and strength in the
• 0:54
  Corina: everyday, silence those Bible app reminders judging you from your lock screen and let's jump in.
• 1:06
  Josh: So back in 2022, we felt like the Lord was leading us to quit my job, to sell our house, to uproot our family where we'd been for a long time, a long time, and move to another city and attend ministry school. This has been something that God had put on our hearts many, many years before. But I always thought, there's no way that's impossible. There's no way you could do it. Think about the bills and the logistics and how are we going to pay for it and how you things right. I thought that's just never going to happen. We have too many responsibilities, too many things tying us down to this one place. And God had just led us through this process of. Well, led me through this process of getting me uncomfortable, getting me just. I don't know, I'm not just that things don't feel right. And as God was doing that, he was speaking to me. And then it came to a point where I was driving home from work one day and I felt the Lord say, it's time. And immediately I was like, time for what? What's that? I came home to Corina I was like, God said, it's time, but what do you think that is? And she goes, I think it's time to move. Then I went through this process of really getting confirmation from the Lord. What does that look like? I actually was working with a counselor at that time. And I talked to my counselor and I said, I think God is telling me to quit my job and to move. What do you think about that? So we talked through the process of just, it's okay to ask God for confirmation, to talk to people that have wisdom in your life that you trust, that hear from the Lord. But it really didn't. That didn't take away the fear, didn't take away the anxiety of making such a big move for our family. We even asked our boys to pray about it. And they were little at the time and they said yes, we think God is telling us to move. Like that would be an exciting adventure for us to go on. But like I said, there was still, am I getting this wrong? I don't want to get it wrong. I had this process of, okay, well maybe let's take the first steps, let's get the house ready, let's do. We started doing that and it still felt nervous. I kept waiting for that peace. Everybody says follow the peace of God. I don't feel like the peace came. And even after we had, I quit my job and moved up here. It was a while before the peace really settled in. And then I was like, oh, I think, I think I'm in the right place. I think we made the right decision. I had never done anything like this before. I'd never taken such a big risk with God and really stepped out on what I felt like he was saying to me. This was really the first biggest move that I had taken with God just based on what I felt like he was saying to me, how he was leading us. And it was really a process. And it's okay if you're facing something that God is speaking to you maybe feels really big. Maybe it's a small thing. It can be scary to step out in faith with God, but it's always worth it because he always shows up and he is so faithful to lead us through the process, even through the things that feel scary, that feel really big. And on the other end of it, I can look back now over the last four years and say, absolutely, that was from God, where we're supposed to be. And we have received so much fruit from taking that risk. The changes in our lives, the changes in our kids lives, just what we've experienced, the doors that he's opened, the things that he's done in the last four years have been incredible. And so taking that step of faith was 100% worth it. But it didn't really. It wasn't easy in the moment.
• 4:46
  Corina: Yeah, I think there was even in that process of like, okay, God, we need confirmation. And then we get the confirmation we had multiple people who we were nervous about talking to, and they were like, absolutely, follow God. Like, we trust that he's leading you. It was just so encouraging. There was a church we were ministering at, and we're like, hey, can you guys pray for us? And they just prophesied over us and, like, just declared what God was going to do in us and through us. And so it was just. It was like, every little step that we took, there was confirmation. I don't know that God always does that, but this was really big for us, and so he did that for us every little step of the way. Even in selling our house, the interest rates had just skyrocketed and nothing was moving, and our house sold in two weeks. Like, God just. He literally rolled out the red carpet as we walked in obedience. But there was fear and trembling all along the way, like Josh said. And so I think that is something that we have to be really careful of, is we. We desire peace and want to follow where the Lord's peace is. But if I'm stuck in fear and anxiety because I have trouble trusting or I'm not, I'm not sure, then I can't get to his peace. And so I think it's important that you recognize when you're seeking him for something that there may still be some nerves. There may still be some like, oh, I don't know, this is really big. That's okay. We just keep seeking him along the way. It's important that we stay connected, that it's not just one conversation, but that we start to move with him and allow him to direct our steps as we go.
• 6:26
  Josh: Yeah, I think it was so good to just start taking those steps. So many times we're afraid just to get started. But we can always ask God, what's a first step that I could take that maybe is lower risk, you know, and kind of go, okay, I'm going to explore this with the Lord and allow him to redirect us. That is so key, especially when you're leading. So in that case, I'm leading our family. We want to make the right decision for our family. What's going to be best for our kids, what's going to be best for our future. And this applies to wherever you're leading. It can be in your workplace, it could be in your ministry. We just trust that God is leading us, that he's speaking to us. When we ask him, whatever we pray for, he's going to answer those prayers. James 1:5 says, if any of you lacks Wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. We trust. We ask God, I need wisdom. Then we trust that he's given it to us so many times, we go, okay, I asked God, I heard something. Was that God? Was that me? We have this conflict in our minds of, well, what if I get it wrong? And then we start second guessing. And part of it is just trusting that God is going to lead us. He wants to lead us, that he's giving us the wisdom that we ask for. And so when you get a thought and go, okay, I think that's from God, let's. I'm going to explore that with Him. God confirmed that in my heart that that really was from you. I'm going to even step out in faith a little bit and explore that. That is really helpful. Has been helpful to me to learn how to make decisions with the Lord and to just trust that he's leading me.
• 8:09
  Corina: Yeah, I think often when we. Because most Christians, I think, would say, yes, I trust God, right? Like, I trust God. I trust that he's gonna come through. I trust that he's leading me. But then it comes to these decisions and we're like, I'm scared. I don't know what to do. I like. And we have all of these things that start popping up. There's really that underlying belief of, is God really trustworthy? I trust him, but there's always that little but if there's a. If there's a little but, that means there's a belief under there that is coming into conflict with what you think that you really believe. And so when we look to the Word, we know that he is trustworthy. We know Revelation says His name is faithful and true. That is one of my favorite names to hide in, because I know that I can start to look at my external circumstances and see all the things that feel uncertain, feeling unfaithful, untrue. And I know I can hide in his faithfulness and his trustworthiness. Psalm 32. 8 says, I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you with My loving eye on you. There are so many promises in Scripture about His ability to lead us. Not just his desire, but his ability. He can lead you and he will lead you well. When we listen and obey, then that's where we can find really so much freedom. I think sometimes we, we'll pray for wisdom, but then we don't. We kind of like expect to be. Still be confused Right. I came into this prayer time with confusion, and I'm planning to leave that way because even if God spoke to me, so it speaks to my heart, what if it's not him? And I think that is the part where we get ourselves kind of twisted up. It's not God. God is never confused. But leadership becomes so much easier when you remember that you don't have to figure it out all at once. You don't have to know the right answer this minute. Just starting to take those little steps. And so when you go into that prayer time and you're asking for wisdom and you're asking for insight, begin to pay attention and listen to what he's saying and say, okay, I'm gonna trust that this is God speaking to me because I'm a good sheep and I hear his voice really well, and I'm going to begin to move forward with this and just see where he leads me along the way. Instead of every moment going like, is that God? Is that me? I don't know. Just beginning to say, okay, what if that was God? What would I do differently? I think that is so huge.
• 10:50
  Josh: Yeah. And so many times we just pray a lot. We do all the talking. Make sure that you give time for God to respond to you.
• 10:59
  Corina: Yeah.
• 10:59
  Josh: Be quiet. Be still and listen for that. That small, quiet voice. He's speaking to you. Write down what you think he's saying. Evaluate that, pray through that. Continue to go back to the Lord. So many times we kind of do one and done. Okay, I prayed. I think this was it. I'm just going to go for it. Or I still don't know. I didn't get an answer. How many times we go. I prayed about it. God said nothing. Okay. He is the God who speaks. He spoke the universe into existence, and he continues to speak to you to this day. And he wants to lead you. He wants you to listen and to have a conversation. God is so relational. He always invites us. Let's have a conversation about this. So many people I talk to say, well, I asked God yes or no, and I heard both. Or I thought it was a yes. But then maybe it's that yes and no is really too hard. It's not a relational answer. It's transactional. It's like you call it, Is it yes or no? Okay, boom, I got. I got the answer. He wants to invite you. I love to say, God, what are you saying about this situation? What are you saying about this decision? Let's have a conversation about it. That opens the door for him to speak. And then you get that. Okay, yes, it is a yes. That's from God. There's a lot more behind it than just the yes or no. He's not. A lot of times I don't think he wants to answer the yes or no questions. He's like, let's talk about. Let's sit down. Because you're his friend. He calls us friends. He wants us to spend time together. And you wouldn't just go to your friend and go, okay, is it yes or no? Tell me what to do. You're like, no, let's have a conversation about it. What are the pros and cons? What's your heart in this situation? God's interested in what's on your heart. He actually cares what you think.
• 12:49
  Corina: Yeah. And I think that's really even visible in your story that you just shared. When God said it's time, he wasn't like, it's time to do blah, blah, blah. And this is how you're going to do it. It was almost an invitation for you to continue to press in. Okay, this is what we've been talking about. This is what I think he's saying, God, bring confirmation. Let me continue to dig into this and trust you. Along the way, he invites us in closer always. And that's just so beautiful about the Lord.
• 13:19
  Josh: James 1:6 says, but when you ask, you must believe and not doubt. This is again, so many times we're second guessing. Was that the Lord or not? If we have doubt in our hearts, we're going to be stuck. We're going to be stuck. But when we ask for wisdom, we have to trust that he's speaking. I love to start my prayer times by just saying, holy Spirit, I invite you to speak to me and I trust that I'm going to hear from you today. And we can even say, I silence any other voices that are trying to speak to me. You have incredible authority given to you as a believer. Jesus gave you authority to say, I silence any other voices. I only listen to the one true voice, the Holy Spirit. He's the only one that's allowed to speak in this time. So maybe right now you're struggling with hearing God's voice or even trusting that he is speaking to you. Go to our website, joshandkarina.com coaching we have a free hope quiz that you can take there which will help you identify areas of your life, maybe where you're lacking hope or maybe where you're having difficulty trusting God, maybe trusting yourself, trusting other people, maybe your circumstances of your life are really feeling difficult right now. That quiz will help identify what's going on in your life. And then there's an invitation afterwards to come join us for a 15 minute free, no obligation session to go over your results, talk about what's going on, going on in your life and decide on what would be a good next step for you. It's completely free and we just love meeting our listeners and our viewers and seeing what's going on in your life. We just love to help people. And so that's why we're offering this free 15 minute session after you take your Hope Quiz and like I said, go to joshandkarina.com coaching we would love to meet with you and help you take the next step on your faith journey and just hearing the Lord clearly for your life.
• 15:15
  Corina: Once we trust that God is speaking to us, once we overcome that kind of wishy washy, is it God? Is it me? I think the next most important thing is to continue to come back, to continue to go back into his presence. Like we said, he's relational. He wants to walk with you through this journey and to say, God, is this still what we're doing? I distinctly remember having a conversation with the Lord about doing the third year of ministry school. Every year was kind of optional. And I really felt like he said, no, this isn't, this isn't the time. And it's, it's actually what he said was, it's okay if you're done. And I was like, okay, cause I'm done. And he was like, okay, that's good. And, and it was just this kind of relational conversation with the Lord. And then over the next month, you know, I got some phone calls, I did an interview and it was like, no, God is very clearly opening a door for you to come and do an internship with igniting hope. It was, I think, my best year of ministry school. It was one of the best decisions I made, but it came from me staying connected when the opportunity then came up, even after we had kind of settled it or I thought we had settled it, you know, going back to him and saying, God, an opportunity has presented itself. Is this, is it still a no? And allowing him to guide me through that process instead of saying, oh, thanks for the offer, but I, me and God already decided, you know, and so staying open to what he's doing, doors that he might be opening unexpectedly, and just pursuing him in the process, it's so important that we stay submitted and teachable and that we're willing to adjust Which I think is. It feels hard when you're like, I'm trusting God. This is what he said. I'm being obedient. But sometimes in that obedience, we need to be willing to be led and to adjust course as he leads us.
• 17:17
  Josh: And I feel like this is a good example in our lives of the difference between being a servant and being a son or daughter. It's totally different if you're a servant in somebody's house. The boss tells you what to do, you go do it. There's no questions asked. You go off, you complete the task, you come back. But if you're a son or daughter, there's learning happening, there's coaching, there's parenting. Throughout that process, God doesn't just say, okay, here's the order. Go do it. He's inviting us into conversation. You come back, He's a really good boss. You get to come back and say, okay, I started taking some steps. This is what happened. What are my next steps? He's better than any boss you've ever had at work. Because usually they're like, well, I told you what to do. Why aren't you doing it? God says, no, come back to me as many times as you want. Like, maybe things have changed. Maybe we have new information that you learned. Maybe there's another step in the process that he wants to reveal to you. It's a conversation, and we really just need to be bringing those things to the Lord again and again. Not that we're second guessing, did I hear God right? But God, is there more you want to say into this? There's always more to the conversation. And even if it's just, I'm so proud of you for taking this step. You're such a good son. You're such a good daughter. I'm so proud of you. You can do this. Sometimes we just need that encouragement from the Lord when we come into his presence. He says, you're doing great. You got this. You're doing exactly what I've asked you to do, and I'm with you every step of the way. That encourage from the Lord means so much as we follow him every step of the way on our faith journey. God wants that relationship with you. He doesn't want to just send you off to be obedient. He's like, let's do this together. We need to work together. And that's incredible.
• 19:03
  Corina: And remember that even if you miss something, if you miss a direction, if you take a misstep, if you do something on your own strength, even though you Thought it was God. He is able to course correct. God is like the best GPS ever. I mean, the GPS is never like, well, we're stuck, you made the wrong turn. No, it's just redirects. And God is able to do that with you. If I think that's where a lot of us get stuck, is we don't we think, well, I think I'm hearing God, but if I get it wrong, then the world's gonna explode, right? Like, then my life is over, I've made the wrong decision. But actually God is able to redirect you. And so don't worry about getting it wrong. Just continue to stay in step with him, continue to come before him. That relationship, it's so important for us as we move forward with him. And it's almost dangerous to receive direction and then just run with it and never come back to ask about it again. God is step by step, he lights your path. The word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. It doesn't say it's gonna show you the whole way home. And so we have to trust that every of the way that he is illuminating, that's where I go. And even if I thought it was going this direction, the path might veer that direction. And he might take you somewhere you never expected, but is always so beautiful. So stay connected to him and trust that even if there's, there's a misstep or a mistake he is able to correct that he is so much bigger and so much stronger than I think most of us give him credit for. And so trust that he's able to overcome any mistakes that you've made. There's. There is nothing that you can do, no distance that you can travel that he won't be able to find you and that he won't be able to come and fix it. He's just that good.
• 20:59
  Josh: So let's give you a few action steps to walk this out. The first one is to ask God for clarity. So if you're facing a decision in your personal life or as you're leading in your business, in your ministry, sometimes those things can be hard. I don't, I really don't know what to do or I think I'm supposed to do this, but I really want God to, to lead me in that. I think all of us, deep down, we want God to lead us. So don't be ashamed, don't be afraid to ask God for clarity. Bring him your decision that you're trying to make the situation, have a conversation with him about it. See if he doesn't start speaking into that. Pay attention to what he's saying. He might be speaking to you in many different ways. Might not just be the same way that you're used to. He might speak to you through a friend or through a billboard or through a movie or a song, or. There's lots of ways that God speaks, speaks to us. Ask him for wisdom and be confident that he's going to give it to you. Don't doubt. Don't doubt that you're hearing his voice. Say, yep, I trust that I'm hearing your voice, God. And I trust that if I'm getting it wrong, you're going to change my mind. You're going to send somebody. You're going to send the cavalry to come save me and keep me from making a really big bad decision.
• 22:13
  Corina: Right.
• 22:14
  Josh: He's going to show up in that decision and help you through it. Expect that he's going to answer all of our expectations, set us up for success or failure. If we go, well, I'm going to pray about this. But God usually doesn't speak or, I don't know, I'm not sure if I hear that's going to make it harder. So build your beliefs up. Say, I hear great from God. His word says, I'm going to get the wisdom I need. And then trust that he's going to do it, that his promises are true.
• 22:41
  Corina: Yeah. And then the next thing is to capture what you believe he is saying. So whether you're writing it down, whether you're recording a voice memo in your phone, we want to make sure that we have a record of what God is saying. Oftentimes I'll spend time with the Lord and I'll hear him speak, and I'm like, oh, I need to write that down. And then it's, you know, a few hours later or in the evening, and I'm like, oh, I never wrote that down. And then I go back to write it, and I'm like, I think that's what he said. Right. And we, we really quickly lose kind of the grasp of what he's doing in a moment. And so it's important that in that moment, you're. You're taking note of what he's saying to you and the direction that he's leading you. Because we want to be able to follow, but we want to be able to build on what he's already said. And sometimes it's more than just one conversation. Sometimes it's two or three or four conversations. And Then you're like, oh, I see what I'm supposed to do. And so make sure that you write it down, you keep track of it, and then you can be able to see the pattern of where God is leading you, what he's saying to you. And it will also keep you from second guessing. Did God really say that? There are some things that God speaks to our hearts that just stick with us forever. But most of that time, most of the time, the daily conversations that we have with him, those require some record keeping so that we can remember what he's saying and begin to recognize the patterns.
• 24:06
  Josh: And then if the going gets tough, you have those words you can go back to. Because sometimes just because God leads you into something doesn't mean that it's gonna be super easy. If you face some difficulties as you're trying to follow the Lord, you can go back and renew your mind and say, no, God really did say that. And it was multiple times. It wasn't just one time. There was this whole process. Remember, you said this, and then I got that text message, and then I read this scripture, and then I saw that movie, and then it just. He kept confirming it. And if you have this list of 10 things that God said as he's leading you through this. No. Okay, that is what I'm supposed to do. I can confirm that in my heart. That is really helpful. Versus I. Okay, I think God said that. And I don't really remember all the little details. It's hard to build your faith with. I think God said that versus okay, no kidding. God said this. And that's for big decisions in our life or in our business, even the little ones. We should always be seeking God's guidance. He has the best for your business, for your ministry, for whatever you're leading. If we just submit that to God, he has wisdom for all of that. I think so many times we're like, well, I know what I'm doing. This is what we should do. And God certainly gives us wisdom. He puts it inside of us. We can have confidence that we're going to make good decisions just because we're connected to Him. Him. But when we submit everything, start submitting everything to him, we get that mind of Christ, that incredible wisdom of the Holy Spirit. He knows everything, and he wants to reveal that to you. He wants to give you the wisdom that you need to live every step of your life.
• 25:43
  Corina: And then the last step is to take a step and keep listening. Begin to move forward with what you're hearing. Stay submitted. I think more than anything else, stay submitted and open to course correction. Be willing to continue the conversation with the Lord as you go. I believe that you are someone who hears God well, I believe that you are seeking him for direction. But I also know that in that it's easy to get kind of pigeonholed into, well, God said this. This is the only thing. And because we want to be good stewards and we want to be faithful. But like Josh said, we're not servants, we're sons. And so we get the opportunity, you get the opportunity to stay in relationship, to work with God instead of working for him, and to listen to his voice every step of the way, staying close, holding his hand, walking with him and allowing him to lead. You don't get confused just because you feel afraid or anxious about something that's not discernment. God never speaks to us in fear or anxiety. He always speaks to us in peace and with hope. And so lean into his hope, lean into his direction, and just watch how he leads you, because it's going to be good. Hey, friend. We hope you enjoyed today's episode. If so, we would you take 30 seconds to share this podcast with someone who may need encouragement or practical tools
• 27:17
  Josh: for fighting their battle, Then rate and review this podcast. Help us spread the message of transformation far and wide.
• 27:23
  Corina: All right, time to walk back into the noise with peace, purpose, and maybe a tiny bit of guessing.
• 27:29
  Josh: We'll meet you back next Thursday for another episode. Bye.