With all the voices coming at us from every direction—including our own thoughts—it can sometimes be difficult to know when you’re hearing the voice of God. But hearing from God and feeling confident about it is something every believer can and should experience. John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear my voice.”
So how do you know if it is God?
1. Spend time with Him. There are some people in your life who can call you on the phone, and they don’t have to announce who they are because you spend so much time with them, you automatically know their voice. The same is true with God. The more time you spend with Him, the easier it will be to recognize when He’s speaking to you. If you want to get to a place where you don’t have to wonder whose voice you’re hearing—yours, the devil’s or God’s—you need to spend time with the Lord. A lot of time. However, if you keep your mind and your heart full of the things of this world, it will be difficult for you to differentiate between the Spirit of God and your own thoughts. That is the definition of a carnal mind—one that has not been renewed by the Word of God.
2. Expect to hear from Him. You can expect to hear God speaking to you every day and about even the smallest details of your life. When you are expecting to hear from Him, you will tune in more closely. He won’t scream and shout, though. He speaks often in a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:12).
3. Line up what you hear with the Word of God. God will NEVER tell you to do something that is contrary to His Word. And He will never tear you down or condemn you. His correction is so loving, you’ll feel conviction and want to change, but you won’t feel shame. That’s the devil’s M.O. And the Bible tells us he “masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). He’ll try to convince you that when he speaks, you’re actually hearing God. But you’ll know better because all he can do is lie.
One sure way to know if you’re hearing God’s voice is to line up what you hear against the Word of God. God will never tell you to do, think or say anything contrary to His Word. If you have a thought and you don’t know if it’s God or not—you can look it up in the Bible and settle it right away.
God trains us to recognize His voice through His written Word. He uses it to tune our spiritual ears to what is real so that we can easily recognize a counterfeit.
When you’re trained to hear God’s voice in His Word, the devil won’t be able to sneak deceptions in on you. When he tries to razzle-dazzle you with some religious-sounding voice that says, “I love you, my son. But it’s just not my will to heal you at this time,” you won’t buy it. You’ll rise up and say, “That’s not the voice of God. That’s a lie from hell because it doesn’t agree with the Word that says, ‘By His stripes we are healed’” (Isaiah 53:5, NKJV).
4. Listen for simple instructions. God doesn’t just show up with huge revelations, He most often gives simple instructions to steer us toward victory.
As you become more proficient in hearing from Him, you may question yourself now and again, but don’t be afraid to believe God is speaking to you. The more you practice listening and hearing from Him, the better you’ll become until you won’t wonder or question it again.
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