I was in a bookstore some time ago looking for some stationery and I guessed it was near the exam period because the aisles were packed with parents and children picking up stationery, assessment books and study materials. You can imagine a noisy and busy setting.
In the midst of all that’s going on, there was a young girl who realised she was separated from her parents. And she began to shout, “Daddy! Daddy!” to get her father’s attention.
And I heard another voice responding to her “I’m here.” And out of the crowd, came the father, and he found and attended to his daughter.
As I saw this happening, I found myself wondering how did this father know that his daughter was calling for him?
There were many other kids and there was much noise, yet this father was able to hear his daughter only because he recognised her voice.
Many believers have asked, “How can I hear God’s voice? Does God speak? How do I know if He is speaking to me?”
The good news is – Yes! God desires to speak to His children.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. (John 10:27, ESV)
Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd, and we His children are portrayed as His sheep. This imagery emphasises Jesus’ connection and the intimate relationship He has with His children.
One of the privileges of having a personal relationship with God is that we can have a conversation with Him. We can hear Him speak to us and we can speak to Him as well.
So maybe the question is not about if God is speaking to us but if we are able to recognise God’s voice?
We see this happening when Samuel heard the voice of God, but did not recognise it until he was instructed by Eli.
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” (1 Samuel 3:8-9)
Samuel heard the voice of God but had yet to learn how to recognise it.
As His sheep, we need to recognise and respond to the voice of the Good Shepherd. There must be a familiarity to the voice of God in the life of every believer.
Recognising God’s voice is not just open to the spiritual elite or a select few, but every believer can learn how to recognise His voice.
God uses multiple methods to communicate with us. Here are some ways through which we can recognise God’s voice from all other voices.
Through His Word
“God, is this from You?”
Whenever we’re unsure if what we heard or received is from God, we first ought to check it with what the Scripture says.
God speaks through the Bible. That’s why it is called the Word of God. This is His primary way of speaking to us.
When we hear God speaking to us personally or about our specific situations, what He says will always be in alignment with what He said.
If you receive an idea, thought or impression, check if it agrees with the Bible because God’s will doesn’t contradict God’s words.
But if something you heard seems to be inconsistent with what the Bible says and contrary to the character of God in the Bible, it is unlikely that what you heard is from God.
It is our responsibility to commit to reading, studying, and knowing God’s word to recognise whether what we receive is from God or not.
Through His People
“God, is this what You want me to do?”
Another way we can grow in discerning if what we receive, whether directions or decisions, is from God is by confirming it with other mature believers.
We were not meant to live life all alone, God designed us and meant for us to live life in relationship with other believers.
Which is why we need to be part of a spiritual community, or what we call cell groups in Lighthouse Evangelism.
Being in a cell community helps us discuss what God is saying to each of us and how to act on it. It also allows believers to pray for one another and encourage one another.
And it’s in this spiritual community with other believers that we can find accountability, security and maturity to help us identify what is from God and what is not.
The wisdom, advice and experience we can glean from other mature believers can be a guide for us to know how we ought to respond and to recognise what God is saying to us.
Through Time With Him
“God, is this what You said?”
Practice makes perfect, especially when it comes to communication. As we intentionally spend time with certain people, we can know how they speak, the words they frequently use, and even their intonation and tone.
We tend to recognise easily the voices of the people we spend the most time with.
Likewise, God wants our relationship with Him to deepen. The more we spend time with Him, the more we will get to know Him, trust Him and recognise His voice.
Make time daily to commune with God in prayer. As you do so, be sure to listen. It might not be an audible voice, but God often speaks in our thoughts.
It might sound like our own thoughts at the start, but as we practise, we’ll be able to more clearly distinguish God’s voice.
Make it a habit to write down what you hear, just as you hear it. After which, check if what you received is consistent with the Bible, and check with other mature believers for their thoughts as well to see if what you received is from God.
As we practise, you will become more familiar and attuned with recognising the voice of God.
Let us seek to recognise the voice of God and be sure that it is Him.
Daily Meditation
Monday – John 10:27 (ESV)
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
Tuesday – John 8:47a
Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.
Wednesday – Revelations 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
Thursday – Luke 24:32
They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Friday – Jeremiah 33:3
‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
Saturday – Isaiah 30:21
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Sunday – Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
All scriptures are quoted from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise stated.
By Pastor Derek Anthony
