How Can I Know God's Voice?
I didn’t know God’s voice.
How was that possible? I grew up in church, but hearing the stories about God didn’t mean I knew Him personally. His character was first revealed to me because I felt pursued at the worst moment in my life, when I didn’t feel worthy of love. He showed me, in vivid detail, what John meant when he stated, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19, NIV). Jesus and I conversed honestly, soul to soul, for the first time as a young adult, and I began to hunger to know God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The problem was, I had a lot of voices vying for attention, and I was susceptible to the influence of strong personalities and ideas that sounded almost like truth but leaned towards legalism. Some led me to grow and mature in faith, others misled and tried to put chains of doubt and fear back on me. And then there was the voice of the accuser, which let a constant barrage of statements about my identity confuse me. How could I distinguish God’s voice from these overwhelmingly loud and persistent ones?
Practice.
I love languages and have studied Spanish for many years, but I’m hesitant to practice speaking only Spanish in the presence of native speakers because I struggle to keep up and get flustered easily. Without that next step of immersion, I remain a novice who knows a bit of Spanish but lacks the culture, nuances, and confidence to speak fluently.
In the same way, learning to distinguish God’s voice from the world’s took getting involved with a Bible study group. The leaders encouraged us ladies to “date God” for a year. Just as in any relationship, I spent time alone with God, observing how He interacted with others around me, asking questions, and listening to His responses. Reading scriptures, such as Romans 12:1-2, Psalm 23, the stories of Joseph and Daniel, the Gospels, and the establishment of the church in Acts, helped me to see how others recognized the voice of God.
I heard His voice in nature, which testified to His promises, purpose, and provision. The Holy Spirit had a distinct voice from mine. He was in the stirring (quickening) of my gut when something didn’t seem right. I heard His voice in repeated confirmation from multiple directions, and it was in the discerning counsel of trusted people. But most importantly, I learned to listen to the voice I heard in my spirit through the truth of scripture. Now, I am quicker to listen to promptings and act without second-guessing.
I learned to pay attention to how those in scripture heard the voice of God. Joseph, in the Old Testament, thought he understood God’s dream for him as a young man. But he was wrong. He had the details, but not the Spirit of God’s purpose.
Joseph honored God even when the dream didn’t turn out as he expected. He trusted that God’s voice through the dream would steer him right, even if the way to fulfillment included attempted murder, false accusations, imprisonment, and slavery. We can step out in faith, using our current knowledge of God, continue to learn His character, and ultimately witness how our lives fit into God’s story.
Just as language requires immersion, we need to spend time with The Shepherd to recognize His voice. God talks, we listen, and act on that knowledge. Even if we are off a bit, the Holy Spirit is a good teacher and can guide us back on track. Don’t be afraid to step forward. Immerse yourself in worship, God is not distant and loves to reveal his character to us, so much so that He sent his one and only son to die for us. The ultimate immersive experience.
Questions for Reflection:
- What Scriptures reveal the voice of God to you?
- Identify any voices that may trip you up and lead you away from God. How can you incorporate Scripture, prayer, fellowship, and witnessing into your regular routine?
- What is one immersion date you would like to take with God? Some suggestions: A. A walk through nature
B. Listening to worship music
C. Meditate on Scripture
D. Ask questions of the Holy Spirit and listen for His answer
