“Do you have problems making decisions because you kind of feel like, ‘Well, I’m not sure I can hear from God.’ Well, here’s what Jesus said about that. In the New Living Translation, John 10:27, he said, ‘My sheep listened to my voice. I know them and they follow me.’ Jesus says, ‘Yeah, you do hear from me. You hear from God.’ Start believing that. Hope that’s a source of comfort for you.”
~CJ McKay
This is a source of insecurity for many Christians today- whether or not we can hear from God. Can you relate? One thing that might be tripping you up is if you’re expecting an audible voice or an unquestionable experience. That’s not the norm for most followers of Jesus. His Spirit speaks to us in a “still small voice” (1 Kings 19.12) that we have to learn and practice to recognize. Be encouraged by the fact that God wants to speak to you. Jesus died on the cross for the very purpose of giving us a way to have a relationship with God. If you’re not sure how to distinguish God’s voice from your own thoughts, or the voice of the enemy, read on for 3 ways to tell.
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1. Does it line up with God’s Word?
One thing you can be very sure of: if you’re feeling a leading to do something that goes against God’s Word, it’s not God’s voice. Of course, this means you need to know what the Word of God says. Spending time reading the Bible and in prayer will help you know how to live your life, will show you the character of God, and will give you peace in times of trouble.
2. How does it make you feel?
The Bible tells us God is our loving father, that He corrects us for our good, and that He is patient and kind. On the other hand, the enemy is the father of lies, our accuser, and the author of confusion. To add another voice into the mix, our own voices are often speaking against the truth of God, out of our insecurities or lies we’ve come to believe. We can learn to discern the voice of God by spending time with Him, praying and listening, and by taking the time to think about what the voice is saying and how it’s saying it.
3. Is there confirmation?
God is not trying to trick us. He’s not purposefully making it hard for us to hear His voice. There’s so much noise around us today that we can easily lose focus and end up listening more to the voices of the world than to God. When you feel the Lord telling you something, watch for confirmation, probably from multiple sources. Many times I’ve felt the Lord trying to teach me something from Scripture, or telling me to do something, and then that same thing might come up in a conversation with a friend, in the sermon on Sunday, and then on my favorite radio program the next day! Prayerfully keep your eyes and ears open.
Remember, God knows your heart. If you are trying to please Him and be obedient to Him, He knows that. Your heart towards Him is more important than if you make every decision perfectly or make all the right moves. Learning to recognize God’s voice in your life might take some practice, but you’ll learn from your mistakes. And God’s always right there with you…He’ll lead you to where you need to be.
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God bless you. Stay hopeful! ❤️
