This question is for those of you who are in ministry. How do you know God called you to this ministry?
How do you know you are called to a certain ministry?
- Thread starter happypeppie
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There are days when I question this....
Over the years, I've learned to hear God's voice. I believe he was speaking to me throughout the process of finding and accepting this position. I believe he gave me the gifts needed for this role. I believe he gifted the church to complement. I believe if it was not in his will, if it was not with his calling, I would not have been offered the position and/or I would have been uncomfortable and not taken it.
If you're asking about ministry in general, it's years of confirmation. I tried leaving professional ministry for a season and every bone ached to return. I found myself leading people and groups in unofficial ways and was unable to do anything other than be a pastor. Additionally, the call has been confirmed by many others who have known me, watched me, and put their confidence in me as a pastor.
Throughout it all, there has been much prayer, sharing my desires with God and listening for his.
Over the years, I've learned to hear God's voice. I believe he was speaking to me throughout the process of finding and accepting this position. I believe he gave me the gifts needed for this role. I believe he gifted the church to complement. I believe if it was not in his will, if it was not with his calling, I would not have been offered the position and/or I would have been uncomfortable and not taken it.
If you're asking about ministry in general, it's years of confirmation. I tried leaving professional ministry for a season and every bone ached to return. I found myself leading people and groups in unofficial ways and was unable to do anything other than be a pastor. Additionally, the call has been confirmed by many others who have known me, watched me, and put their confidence in me as a pastor.
Throughout it all, there has been much prayer, sharing my desires with God and listening for his.
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Bizzlebin Imperatoris
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I agree that you need to know you're "hearing" God. His sheep know His voice, right?
That can take many forms. Trust something which PROFOUNDLY strikes you as probably a gift of the Spirit. Speak with a minister/elder to whom you're accountable and get their counsel. Make sure you are in obedience to the authority under which God has placed you even if you disagree -- remember the great lesson of David hiding out in the caves rather than rising up against the admittedly maddened annointed of God.
If you're new to hearing God, just pray for it. That's what I did. I kept praying and praying, "God, let me hear you."
the very first thing I ever "got" from Him after that was the Spirit telling me that if I heard Him, I had to obey Him. Then He started me off on little things which seemed absolutely silly, but they were safe: a sudden command to stand up or sit down or whatever, just testing to see if I would obey. That soon led me to acts in which His voice was corroborated -- he would tell me something very specific to do, and then, as I obeyed, He would corroborate it with the physical world. (For instance: He would tell me to take a bag of groceries to such and such a spot and I would find a homeless man in a captain's cap. I did, and the guy was there, and I'd never met him or been in that part of town. Another time, He told me to take a scone to a certain co-worker. I did, and it turned out that she had skipped breakfast and couldn't get away -- kind of dangerous, a it turned out, since she is a diabetic.)
Anyway, my point is: pray to hear God, and He'll teach you the way that you needto learn. Just match everything against Scripture, and learn how to test the spirits, so it's nothing evil influencing you. We've got various voices in our heads at times -- our own, Satan doing a darned good imitation of God, and then under all that, there's God. Keep working at it, and you'll learn to separate the wheat from the chaff.
But, again, I have to say (because it's a HUGE conviction of mine, I suppose), BE OBEDIENT TO THOSE IN AUTHORITY OVER YOU. Kind of like in a spousal situation -- I believe God will honor defering His immediate will in order to be in obedience and rightly, sacrificially loving someone more than He does when we just say, "Well, God told me this, so I'm rebelling against you!" He has all the time in the world for His plans to be carried out, and he knows that if we're loving someone for His sake that we are loving Him as well.
That can take many forms. Trust something which PROFOUNDLY strikes you as probably a gift of the Spirit. Speak with a minister/elder to whom you're accountable and get their counsel. Make sure you are in obedience to the authority under which God has placed you even if you disagree -- remember the great lesson of David hiding out in the caves rather than rising up against the admittedly maddened annointed of God.
If you're new to hearing God, just pray for it. That's what I did. I kept praying and praying, "God, let me hear you."
the very first thing I ever "got" from Him after that was the Spirit telling me that if I heard Him, I had to obey Him. Then He started me off on little things which seemed absolutely silly, but they were safe: a sudden command to stand up or sit down or whatever, just testing to see if I would obey. That soon led me to acts in which His voice was corroborated -- he would tell me something very specific to do, and then, as I obeyed, He would corroborate it with the physical world. (For instance: He would tell me to take a bag of groceries to such and such a spot and I would find a homeless man in a captain's cap. I did, and the guy was there, and I'd never met him or been in that part of town. Another time, He told me to take a scone to a certain co-worker. I did, and it turned out that she had skipped breakfast and couldn't get away -- kind of dangerous, a it turned out, since she is a diabetic.)
Anyway, my point is: pray to hear God, and He'll teach you the way that you needto learn. Just match everything against Scripture, and learn how to test the spirits, so it's nothing evil influencing you. We've got various voices in our heads at times -- our own, Satan doing a darned good imitation of God, and then under all that, there's God. Keep working at it, and you'll learn to separate the wheat from the chaff.
But, again, I have to say (because it's a HUGE conviction of mine, I suppose), BE OBEDIENT TO THOSE IN AUTHORITY OVER YOU. Kind of like in a spousal situation -- I believe God will honor defering His immediate will in order to be in obedience and rightly, sacrificially loving someone more than He does when we just say, "Well, God told me this, so I'm rebelling against you!" He has all the time in the world for His plans to be carried out, and he knows that if we're loving someone for His sake that we are loving Him as well.
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Ecclesiastes
Charismatic World-Shaker
Because God will tell you and give you a peace assuring you of where you are called. He also will confirm His word (His call on Your life) and not let it come back to Him void.
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I'd start serving where you are at and do what you like to do. Youth? Married's(if you are married)? God will use you where you are willing to be available.
There are three things that makes a good minister:
F- Faithful
A- Available
T- Teachable
Good Luck and God Bless
EJO
There are three things that makes a good minister:
F- Faithful
A- Available
T- Teachable
Good Luck and God Bless
EJO
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K
Kingdomwarrior
Guest
Hai, soo desu 
For me, I have prayed and sought God on the matter, and I can see and feel the callings he has placed on my life, and I know that I know that I know that God has certain plans for me, and certain ministries to participate in. He has simply given me a knowing about it.
For me, I have prayed and sought God on the matter, and I can see and feel the callings he has placed on my life, and I know that I know that I know that God has certain plans for me, and certain ministries to participate in. He has simply given me a knowing about it.
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Hi all,
I just joined this forum. I know I am called to ministry. All these while I have been doing it as a volunteer but now am convicted that it should be full time. My question is when? I have spoken to my Elders for about a year. The door somehow still seems closed, even though they affirm what I have been doing. Others too have affirmed the ministries I'm involved in and by God's grace, the fruits are there.
I do not want to jump ahead of His time, as His time is always perfect. Question is when is the right time?
I'm getting desperate as my normal work is taking up so much time that I no longer have time for effective ministry. Maybe I should not worry about this and stop being a "Martha" but be a "Mary" instead and let God worry about the ministry - after all, it is His, not mine.
Any advice out there?
Many thanks.
Pirate
I just joined this forum. I know I am called to ministry. All these while I have been doing it as a volunteer but now am convicted that it should be full time. My question is when? I have spoken to my Elders for about a year. The door somehow still seems closed, even though they affirm what I have been doing. Others too have affirmed the ministries I'm involved in and by God's grace, the fruits are there.
I do not want to jump ahead of His time, as His time is always perfect. Question is when is the right time?
I'm getting desperate as my normal work is taking up so much time that I no longer have time for effective ministry. Maybe I should not worry about this and stop being a "Martha" but be a "Mary" instead and let God worry about the ministry - after all, it is His, not mine.
Any advice out there?
Many thanks.
Pirate
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Bizzlebin Imperatoris
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plmarquette
Veteran
Maybe an addition to knowing :Kingdomwarrior said:Hai, soo desu
For me, I have prayed and sought God on the matter, and I can see and feel the callings he has placed on my life, and I know that I know that I know that God has certain plans for me, and certain ministries to participate in. He has simply given me a knowing about it.
1. no matter how weary , how oppressed , how busy .... still find time for
one or 2 areas of helps , service , in ministry that you presently do
2. no matter how many times you are tempted to quit .... He brings to your remembrance those scriptures that called you ( Romans 10.14-15 ) ; sets the fire up in your bones ; that gets you to sign up again in the morning
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