Hearing God’s Voice to Win Souls

Learning to listen to the Spirit of God in the area of leading someone to Jesus comes from meditation on and study of God’s Word. When we choose to obey God in the slightest things, it brings us to maturity in the Lord.

God told Joshua to never stop speaking about the Word of God. He told him to recite it day and night so that he could carefully obey everything written in it. That is what made Joshua accomplish his objectives and made him successful (see Josh. 1:8). Jesus Himself said, “I only do what I see My Father do, and I only say what I hear My Father say” (see John 5:19; 8:28).

If we lack knowledge of what God says to do, it is difficult for us to know when the Spirit of God is leading us to a person. The Spirit of God will never lead us in opposition to God’s written Word. The Bible says that it is God’s will for all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (see 1 Tim. 2:4), so we know that God wants us to share the gospel with others.

When you’re not sure whether the Holy Spirit is leading you to minister to someone, rely on the peace in your heart. The Bible says, “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (1 Cor. 14:33, kjv). Before you go out to share your faith, ask the Lord where He wants you to go, and then, when you get there, ask Him who He wants you to talk to. It’s really simple. And it takes the pressure off us! God shows us exactly where to go and what to do.

On one of our evangelistic outreaches, we were in a Walmart. As we were getting ready to leave, one of the ladies said to the Lord, “Lord, if You’re done, I’m done, but if You’re not done here, show me what else You want me to do.” Right then she heard the Lord say, “There will be one more girl your age for you to talk to, and she’ll be wearing a pink shirt.” Almost immediately this woman noticed a lady her age wearing a pink shirt. She spoke with the lady using our pocket reference card—and prayed with her to receive Jesus!

Notice that this woman did three things:

1. She waited for peace in her heart—she let the Word of God in her heart “act as umpire” (Col. 3:15, amp).
2. She talked to the Lord—she asked God, “Show me what to do,” knowing that it was not about her.
3. She obeyed exactly what the Lord showed her to do.

It is so simple to hear God’s voice and then to obey it. We need to realize that we are not the ones who bring about salvation in others. The Holy Spirit leads, guides, and directs us as to where we should go, whom we should talk to, and what we should say.

Jesus said, “I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say” (John 12:49–50, nlt).

I pray that you’ll be open today to the Holy Spirit’s prompting and that you will obey what He tells you, knowing that His words spoken through you will lead someone to eternal life.