Just Say Yes

What if the only thing standing between you and the life God has for you is one simple word, YES? So often, we hesitate when God calls. We question, we analyze, we wait for the ‘perfect’ moment. But what if all He’s asking is for you to trust Him and take the first step? Saying yes to God can change everything, but first, we need to learn how to recognize His voice, overcome our fears, and step forward in faith.

Knowing God's Voice

What does God's voice sound like? How does He speak to us? Well, God has given us a blueprint to hear Him by. He gave us His Word, the Bible. It's hard to know what God sounds like without knowing Him, but we can grow and get to know Him by spending time in His Word.

As a matter of fact, John 1:1 (AMP) says,

"In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself."

So spending time in the Word of God is like spending time with Jesus Himself.

The more we know Him, the more we know what He sounds like. Think about it for a minute, if your mom called out to you in a crowded room full of noise, you would recognize her voice. Why? Because of the amount of time you've spent with her. The same applies here. The more time you spend with God, the more you begin to recognize His voice in your life.

John 10:27 (AMP) says,

"The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me."

So when life begins to life and things get hard—and trust me, they will—you will recognize the direction God is taking you because you have a personal relationship with Him.

I really love that in this verse, Jesus says, "I know them." It just goes to show that God is a personal God. He cares enough to know us. We are not just another person to Him but someone special. You are not a nobody but someone important to the Most High.

The Holy Spirit Speaks to Us

God doesn't just talk to us through Scripture, He speaks to us personally through the Holy Spirit.

If you've accepted Jesus as your Savior, you have the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38 (AMP) says,

"Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

The Holy Spirit lives in you. He convicts, gives wisdom, and guides you. He usually speaks through an inner voice, a gentle nudge, or a deep sense of knowing.

Some examples of this:

• A friend you haven't talked to in a while suddenly comes to mind, and you feel prompted to check on them.
• You're about to sign a business deal but feel a deep sense of unease, later, you realize it would have led to trouble.
• You say something you shouldn’t have, and immediately feel convicted about it.

That's Him. Recognizing His voice becomes easier the more time you spend with Him and in His Word.

Other Ways God Speaks

God speaks to us in many different ways, too.

• Through Prayer – Jeremiah 33:3 (AMP) says,

  "Call to Me and I will answer you, and tell you [and even show you] great and mighty things, [things which have been confined and hidden], which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish."

• Through Other People

• Through Dreams and Visions

• Through Peace and Pain

I recently read How to Hear God: He Still Speaks by Dr. Jomo Cousins, and he covers many of these topics in more depth. I highly recommend this book! You can purchase it here if you choose to do so.

What Holds Us Back

So now that we know what God sounds like, we can talk about some of the things that hold us back from just saying "yes" to God. I know the biggest thing I struggle with is the fear of the unknown. God, I can't see where you're taking me! God, I will lose control over my life!

Question for you: are you really in control of anything in life? There are so many things in life that happen that we have no control over. We have to trust that God knows better than us.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (AMP) says,

"For we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises]."

We must trust that God will keep the promises He made to us in His Word, that He is our Provider (Philippians 4:19), He is our Strength (2 Samuel 22:33), and He is our Shepherd; we shall not want (Psalm 23:1).

God says,

"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it?" – Numbers 23:19 (AMP)

Meaning, we can trust Him to keep His promises. We must let go of that need for control and release our fear.

Doubt and Insecurity

Another big issue for me personally is doubt and insecurity.

God, I am not qualified enough. God, can you really use me? God, what you're asking me to do is too big for me!

I know I’m not the only one who has struggled in this area. We see Moses struggle with this in Exodus 3:11 (AMP):

"But Moses said to God, 'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?'"

Sarah laughed when God said she would have a son in old age (Genesis 18:12-15). Gideon tested God by asking for miracles (Judges 6:36-40).

But we must trust that if God asks us to do something, He has already qualified us to do it. He sees something in us that we don’t see ourselves.

Waiting for the Perfect Moment

Are you waiting for the perfect moment to do what God asked?

My grandmother would tell me,

"If you wait for the perfect moment, you’ll be waiting for the rest of your life."

Ecclesiastes 11:4 (AMP) reflects this:

"He who watches the wind [waiting for all conditions to be perfect] will not sow [seed], and he who looks at the clouds will not reap [a harvest]."

God’s timing is perfect, and He will make a way for you to do what He asked you to do.

What’s Holding You Back?

There are many different things that can hold us back, comfort, busyness, distractions, sin, fear of what people will think, past hurts, lack of faith, etc.

Pray and ask God to help you identify what’s holding you back and address it.

Trust Him. He is the Creator of the universe and knows better than we do.

Saying Yes

It is easier said than done to just say yes to God.

We have to have faith.
We have to trust.
We have to take action.
We have to get uncomfortable.
We have to let go.

But God knows best.

Saying yes means putting total trust in Him. You're allowing Him to guide and lead your steps. If God is asking you to do something, you're not in it alone. He will be there every step of the way.

• When He asks you to give that $5 in your pocket to the man on the corner, just say yes.
• When He asks you to forgive that person who hurt you, just say yes.
• When He asks you to serve at church, just say yes.
• When He asks you to buy that person’s meal who’s in line behind you, just say yes.
• When He asks you to start that business, just say yes.
• When He asks you to start that ministry, just say yes.

Let's normalize saying yes to God today.

If you want prayer or want to start a relationship with God today. Please submit a prayer request

If you're struggling to hear Gods voice, I believe this book How to Hear God will change your life.