Look For Signs

[00:00:00] One of the ways that God helps us to know that He has heard our prayers.

[00:00:05] How does God reveal His influence in our lives?

[00:00:11] Let's discuss.

[00:00:42] Welcome to Walking in Step with God.

[00:00:44] I'm Steve McDonald.

[00:00:46] Today we explore the topic, Look for Signs, as the next installment in our series, Grow Deeper in Faith.

[00:00:54] I hope you have enjoyed the series thus far, as we have explored ways to stretch our minds, our hearts and our spirits,

[00:01:01] to grow deeper in our faith and grow stronger in our relationship with the Father.

[00:01:10] Today I'd like to explore how we can expect God to show up in our lives following our prayers.

[00:01:16] I'd like to discuss three ways that we can experience Signs from God.

[00:01:23] As beings with five senses, it is only natural to base our trust and beliefs on what our senses can experience.

[00:01:29] We believe something to be real if we can touch it, taste it or smell it.

[00:01:37] What I've learned in my walk with God is that He will reveal Himself in ways that may or may not directly involve our senses.

[00:01:45] In my experience, God has revealed His influence or His presence to me in very subtle ways as well as very profound.

[00:01:55] Let's explore three ways that God can and will reveal His influence, His input, His guidance and direction in other words, signs.

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[00:02:27] Let's take a quick break. I'll be right back.

[00:02:32] Have you been yearning for a deeper relationship with God?

[00:02:35] Especially in the unusual times we're in.

[00:02:38] Here's your sign that your desires are being answered.

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[00:02:50] Filled with inspiring messages, this book is written to ignite your thinking and illuminate the path toward a rich intimate relationship with God.

[00:03:00] The special edition delves deeper and includes scriptures, reflective prompts and space to journal your thoughts.

[00:03:09] Visit www.100 StepsBook.com to order your copy of the standard or special edition today and strengthen your bond with the creator.

[00:03:21] Again, that's 100 StepsBook.com.

[00:03:27] Welcome back.

[00:03:29] Let's continue our discussion of three ways that God will give us signs of His presence and influence.

[00:03:35] While there are many more than the three I share today, I would like to focus on three ways that I have personally experienced signs from God and provide you with some of my testimony.

[00:03:49] Number one, God heals the body and mind.

[00:03:55] God can and will heal the body in mind.

[00:04:00] We can and should ask God for healing of mind and body.

[00:04:03] We don't always know or understand why God chooses to heal the body of mind in some circumstances, but not others.

[00:04:11] But I do know that God's will is the most important thing we should seek when praying for healing.

[00:04:17] I have witnessed healing following prayer and I have witnessed times when no healing took place at all.

[00:04:25] In the case of the latter, I suspect there are reasons beyond what was known only to God and not to everyone involved.

[00:04:35] My personal testimony of healing involves the healing of depression.

[00:04:39] I've been diagnosed with depression and experienced depression for all of my life.

[00:04:45] I've taken medication and supplements, and there is always some relief from these treatments, but just up to a point.

[00:04:53] There were still a part of my experience that was like a void of darkness and depression that treatments could never ever reach.

[00:05:03] This affected my mood and my disposition every day of my life.

[00:05:08] I had many, many, many, but doctors visits and concluded that there was nothing that could be done.

[00:05:15] One day at church, I decided to respond to an altar call for healing.

[00:05:21] I approached the altar with tears flowing asking God to please take this depression from my mind.

[00:05:28] But that is will be done first and foremost.

[00:05:33] Following that altar call, I felt something had been lifted.

[00:05:38] I really struggled to explain it in words, but what blew me away was when I exited the church.

[00:05:44] As I approached the doors and exited to building, I noticed the blue sky was deeper and richer,

[00:05:51] and I did not feel that dark void I had felt when I entered the church that day.

[00:05:57] The void of depression had been lifted away and has never returned to this day.

[00:06:05] I believe with all of my heart, they got healed my mind of depression that day.

[00:06:11] I believe he healed specifically what the doctors had said to be untreatable and that there was nothing that could be done.

[00:06:21] I don't know why God waited until my 50s to heal this depression, but perhaps it was so that I could share the testimony with someone I am speaking to right now.

[00:06:33] I fully trust that the timing of my healing was at the appointed time according to God's will.

[00:06:41] Number two, God touches the hearts and minds of others.

[00:06:47] Another way we can see signs of God influences how He will touch the hearts and minds of others.

[00:06:53] We have all free will and make our own decisions, but God can and will still touch the hearts and minds of someone to allow them to notice a new thought or circumstances in the physical world.

[00:07:06] For example, consider an HR recruiter that has 100 resumes or even more to go through to shortlist candidates for a job role.

[00:07:17] I am not suggesting that God will make the recruiter choose you, but He may cause the recruiter to notice or come across your resume before the others.

[00:07:28] He may influence the recruiter by introducing a thought or idea that happens to align perfectly with your expertise.

[00:07:38] In doing so, he or she observes your qualifications and you are shortlisted as a candidate of their own free will, instead of the recruiter's shortlisting applicants, and stopping before they even get to the resume.

[00:07:53] Number three, God speaks to our spirit.

[00:07:58] God created us and He created a means to communicate to us within our spirit.

[00:08:04] In my experience, I believe that the closer your relationship with God, the more He will allow you to experience this sort of direction from Him.

[00:08:13] I do, and my heart believe it is one of the rewards for those who place their trust in Him.

[00:08:21] My testimony is that I can recall a time in my life when I was lukewarm about the idea of God, and I had one foot in the world, and one foot in my faith.

[00:08:32] In hindsight, I recognize the ways in which God spoke to my spirit then, and the profound difference in which He speaks to my spirit now.

[00:08:42] Today, when I do my very best to place my complete trust in devotion to Him, I believe God speaks to my spirit on a frequent basis.

[00:08:52] Even daily, I have so many stories to share about God speaking to my spirit.

[00:08:59] But here is one.

[00:09:01] One day I was in Fort Brake, California, walking down the path along the beach.

[00:09:06] The path is about 100 yards from the edge of the coastline.

[00:09:10] It's quite rugged, so it's difficult to see the actual postline from the path.

[00:09:16] Now, God knows my heart, and He knows how much I love, love, love, the ocean.

[00:09:22] As I was walking, I noticed a very small hill far in the distance.

[00:09:28] It was much further than I had planned to walk that day, and I wondered why it was the only hill on this flat landscape.

[00:09:37] I would soon hear a whisper in my spirit.

[00:09:41] Come.

[00:09:43] I have noticed this feeling before, and I knew it was God touching my spirit.

[00:09:49] Still, I wrestled with the idea of walking so far to that hill.

[00:09:54] Again, and over the next 10 minutes or so, I would hear come, as I continue to walk closer and closer to the hill.

[00:10:06] When I reached the base of the hill, I looked up towards the top and I heard them again.

[00:10:13] Come.

[00:10:15] Now, I started walking up the hill, but mind you, because of the topography of the landscape,

[00:10:21] I had no idea of the importance of this hill.

[00:10:25] But I was familiar with how God would speak to my heart, so I was walking up the hill out of obedience

[00:10:32] and curiosity at the same time.

[00:10:36] When I arrived at the top of the hill, all I saw was a vista of mind blowing beauty that was just not visible from the vantage point of the path.

[00:10:48] I was overwhelmed and even emotional, because I saw that moment as an act of pure love from God.

[00:10:57] He wanted me to see the wonder of his creation, and he knew the view would fill my heart with joy and awe.

[00:11:05] He knew that if he had not called me to that hill, I would never have experienced it on my own will.

[00:11:14] I whipped tears of joy, recognizing what had happened, and I sat on that hill, eyes closed, and prayer in silence,

[00:11:21] giving all of myself to God in those moments as the wind watched over me and the sound of waves was all around me.

[00:11:31] I absolutely could have ignored the call on my spirit, and I confess I have sometimes done so in other circumstances.

[00:11:39] But if I hadn't, I would not have experienced that amazing gift and story that I can share with you today.

[00:11:51] Today we discuss three ways that God will reveal signs of himself and his influence in our lives.

[00:11:58] We learn that God can't will heal the heart in mind.

[00:12:01] We need only ask Him for healing, with a posture of yielding to His will and timing.

[00:12:08] We discuss the idea that God will touch the hearts and minds of others.

[00:12:11] God will orchestrate His influence with others in our world in various ways.

[00:12:16] Always maintaining our free will.

[00:12:20] Lastly, we discuss the fact that God will speak to our spirit.

[00:12:24] God will use His direct line to us to speak directly to our hearts.

[00:12:29] He will convey ideas, provide instructions and even, just convey His love to us in a way that He knows is best for each and every one of us.

[00:12:40] When we turn to God in expectance response, we can trust in knowing He will provide guidance.

[00:12:46] That guidance may be yes, no or to do nothing at all.

[00:12:51] However, He knows how He will reveal this information.

[00:12:55] When you pray, no and deciding your heart, the God will provide signs of His response in His timing.

[00:13:06] Let's close and prayer.

[00:13:07] Father, my God, we thank You for this time.

[00:13:09] We thank You for this message.

[00:13:10] We thank You for the wisdom that You have revealed.

[00:13:15] Father, we know that You hear our prayers all the time.

[00:13:20] And we are only human.

[00:13:21] Sometimes we just need to know that You have heard of sometimes we just need the evidence that You are near.

[00:13:26] Sometimes we just need to know that You are on the case that We present before you.

[00:13:31] So, we thank You in advance for the ways in which you convey to us that You have heard our prayer.

[00:13:39] We thank You in advance for the ways in which You reveal Yourself to us.

[00:13:42] We thank You in advance for all the ways that You order our steps and influence others, even in response to our prayer.

[00:13:52] And even just in advance ahead of the plans that You have laid for us.

[00:13:56] We thank You for all of these things as we await and look for Your signs that You fill our hearts with peace, patience and calm as we wait.

[00:14:10] We pray this trusting and believing in You, Amen.

[00:14:18] Are you interested in learning more about the sources guiding this message?

[00:14:22] Then I invite you to stay tuned after the break for our going deeper with the word segment.

[00:14:26] Here we examine how God's Word provides clear guidance and direction about finding signs of His influence.

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[00:14:57] Some messages just hit differently.

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[00:15:47] Welcome to going deeper with the word. In this segment we welcome people of all backgrounds, religious or not, to review the word of God.

[00:15:56] The word of God provides guidance, direction and instructions for living our lives and walking with God.

[00:16:02] Today we examine how God's word provides clear guidance and direction about finding signs of his influence in our lives.

[00:16:10] Let's review examples of God's word that can lead and guide our steps and back up the principles we learned in today's message.

[00:16:18] I'll be re-inscription today from the Amplified Bible.

[00:16:21] If you're watching this message online, we invite you to share your comments as we review each verse.

[00:16:30] Here's our first verse.

[00:16:33] Second Chronicles 32, verse 24.

[00:16:38] In those days, Hezachaya became terminally ill and he prayed to the Lord and he answered him and gave him a sign.

[00:16:50] In this verse we see an example of God responding to a prayer with a sign.

[00:16:56] God's word has so many examples of God providing a sign to those who placed their trust in Him, especially in the Old Testament.

[00:17:04] While times have changed, God has not.

[00:17:08] We can trust that if we pray, God hears us and will provide us with signs within the time frame that He sees fit.

[00:17:17] This time frame may be immediate or at a point in time in the future.

[00:17:23] Either way, we can know our prayers are heard.

[00:17:27] Can you describe a time that your prayer was answered with a sign that shocked you or surprised you?

[00:17:33] What was the impact of the way in which you received the sign?

[00:17:40] Let us know in the comments.

[00:17:44] Let's have a look at another verse.

[00:17:47] Matthew 10, verse 20,

[00:17:51] For it is not you speaking but the spirit of your father speaking through you.

[00:17:59] In this verse Jesus explains how we can be used as a vessel.

[00:18:03] In today's message we export the idea that God will touch the hearts and minds of individuals to influence situations.

[00:18:10] For example, causing them to notice something that otherwise they would not or even orchestrating events such that an individual's actions are guided to God's plan, even as they use their own free will.

[00:18:24] There are also cases where individuals can be used as a vessel to speak to others.

[00:18:28] God will put the words in the heart of an individual to speak when circumstances are warranted.

[00:18:37] Has there been a time when you are used as a vessel to speak about a matter you knew very little about?

[00:18:45] What were the circumstances and how did your words affect the outcomes of those circumstances?

[00:18:52] Let us know in the comments.

[00:18:55] Let's look at one last verse.

[00:18:59] Numbers 12 verse 6

[00:19:02] And he said, here now my words, if there is a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known to him in a vision and I will speak to him in a dream.

[00:19:15] In this verse we seek out making clear that He will speak to the prophets in a dream.

[00:19:21] God will use many ways to reveal Himself to us and provide us with signs of His presence.

[00:19:28] He is not limited by our senses or lack of understanding.

[00:19:32] He will use the way he sees fit to lead in guide those who place their trust in Him.

[00:19:39] Have you experienced a time when you believed God was communicating with you directly?

[00:19:44] Was it an adrine or were you awake?

[00:19:48] Describe the event in our comments.

[00:19:52] We are truly blessed when we are permitted to experience and witness signs from God.

[00:19:57] God rewards the faithful and the more that we lead in a God, I believe the more He will reward that trust with signs of His presence in our lives.

[00:20:06] God will know the appropriate time to be subtle as well as direct.

[00:20:12] He will know when to influence others behind the scenes and when to intervene in a situation you are involved in real time.

[00:20:22] Keep God first in your life and be prepared to experience signs.

[00:20:28] Thank you for your time and your viewing these verses with me today and please be sure to share in the comments how these are other examples of God's word have helped you to be aware of signs from God.

[00:20:39] Thank you for the opportunity to share encouragement.

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[00:20:56] Have an amazing week and we will catch you next time.

[00:21:01] Bless you.

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