Satan is the father of lies, a deceiver and one who twists the word of God. He casts doubt in what God says to conform a person’s desires with scripture, regardless of wisdom or the Truth. 1 Corinthians 6:12 AMP says “Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful (good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things). Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power.” Sometimes our ‘good’ intentions are not God’s best.

Satan questioned God’s word with Eve and mocked Jesus in the wilderness, and he’s calling out to our hearts in the same manner as well. The devil not only draws us into doubt by questioning God’s word but even the Almighty’s authority. Since we can’t see or touch our Omniscient God, the deception of time and space causes us to think (or not think at all) that He doesn’t know when our minds and hearts are ‘somewhere else’. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

There’s an old saying, ‘the devil is in the details’, so take heed and pay attention to the place of your heart. You can be off caliber with God’s voice and think the messages you’re hearing are from His spirit. Testing everything with scripture and Proverb’s wise counsel, the Lord will reveal His will. There’s no one way to seek God, but there are some truths to hearing his voice. Here are just a couple on how to ‘get real’ with God and seek His spirit.

Completely devote your prayer and worship time to God. When you think about the things in your life that you devote time and attention to (ie: work, relationships), what does that look like? For the most part, devotion is more than a few minutes in the morning and a couple worship tunes. Don’t get me wrong, God is glorified and invited into our day with this kind of worship, but if you’re looking for the heavens to call down, it takes more than a small fraction of your time? This world consumes bombards our attention for most of the 24 hours we have, so which message do you think sounds louder at the end of the day?

I see a model in God’s call to give 10% of our income back to His kingdom. With this tithing message in mind, giving 10% of my day to Him is where I start. Anything after that becomes an offering. This equates to about an hour 15 in the morning and an hour 15 at night. But when I’m seeking something specific from the Lord, my time in scripture studies and prayer far exceed that designated time. I surrender to God, abandon all other demands, humbly crawl to my knees and drown my head in the clouds of the heavenlies. I stay there, sometimes all through the night, wailing in deep groans until He delivers. Note: This can be difficult for spouses (or parents) as 1 Corinthians points out that single people have the freedom to be anxious for the Lord while married people have divided interests between their spouse and God. If you’re married and/or have children, you may have to wake up earlier than your spouse and kids to seek the Lord in this capacity.

My second tip is to set your mind and heart aside and diligently throw off the distractions and lures of the enemy. Remember, the devil is in the details so be proactive in your music choices-let no explicit lyrics, no sexual messages or careless words of fame and riches sneak in through your ears. The devil is a sneaky snake. He catches us off guard in these small, behind-the-scenes areas of our lives. Be cautious of your television viewing- mind-numbing storylines, drama or sexuality that captures the gaze of your eyes. Be aware of the places you’re in- bars, nightclubs, lounges and sometimes other people’s houses. Be mindful of the people you’re surrounded with- nonbelievers, lukewarm believers, sexual partners, shady friends/acquaintances. Also, be cognisant of where you’re spending your time. Is it wrapped up in smaller distractions or on purpose in prayer? The purpose of all this is to protect your thoughts, heart and mind as you open the flood gates to God’s voice.

From my own life, I will share that the enemy tries to lure me to turn on the television and ‘just have it on in the background’ or ‘to just unwind’, but truthfully, it consumes my subconscious attention and draws me either into a show or is just something to distract my mind from where it needs to be – seeking God with all my heart, mind and soul. Sometimes it’s a temptation to text with family and friends. Or spin that old record to relax. It doesn’t take long before I recognize my spirit starts to shift. And it’s very difficult to turn a freight train back around once you’ve begun venturing down a path.

It’s like this with fasting as well. The enemy would like me to make small compromises in my choices. When my fast consists of only veges and fruits, Satan will downplay the importance of ‘nothing else’ by convincing me that curry sauce on top of veges is still veges… so it will be okay to eat that dish. It’s these kinds of small compromises that dictate the rest of my choices made throughout life. They are the same ones he tried to deceive Jesus with. The devil is in the details and I firmly believe that is where decisions begin the descent or ascent in our lives.

I am often distracted. So during these times, I first pray declaring the devil to get behind me and I ask Jesus for the strength to stay steadfast in pursuing Him. I get on my knees and pray harder if my first attempt is unsuccessful. Then I turn up my worship music even louder and plug in headphones to be completely immersed in praise. I grab my journal and just start writing out the thoughts and prayers of my heart. I open my bible and start reading devotions or scriptures to get my head back in the Word.

Sometimes our circumstance calls for choices that are different than our neighbors, but they will never be different than God’s wisdom and Word. Many have been riding the same carousel in life, going around and around with the same choices and mistakes. You can fight all day long in your own strength to make changes but when you tap into the Spirit of God, there is a strength beyond what you can muster up. Remember, the faith of Daniel didn’t come in a moment of being in the lion’s den. Year after year, he stopped what he was doing to kneel and pray three times a day. Get serious about your pursuit of God today so that you can hear and see His truths unfold tomorrow.

Lord, I want everything you are. Shine your light into this dark heart and let it reflect the light that shines from you. Take this heart and make it glow. Give me your Word as a sword to draw against deception from the devil. Shine light on every evil the enemy tries to throw my way. I want to be more like you, Father. Help me to desire a deeper intimacy with your Spirit. I can’t live a single day, I won’t take another step without you Jesus.