Growing in Hearing God’s Voice – Part 5

How Do I Know It’s Really God?

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
John 10:27 (NIV)

Have You Ever Wondered…

“Was that really God… or was it just me?”

Perhaps you’ve sensed a gentle nudge to encourage someone.

Or you felt prompted to pray for a stranger.

Maybe a particular Bible verse kept coming to mind throughout the day.

Yet almost immediately another voice spoke:

“What if I’m imagining this?”

“What if I get it wrong?”

“What if I make a fool of myself?”

If you’ve ever asked those questions, you’re in very good company.

Almost every Christian who is learning to hear God’s voice wrestles with this at some point. The good news is that God isn’t trying to confuse us. He is a loving Father who delights in teaching His children to recognise His voice.

Hearing God isn’t about becoming perfect overnight.

It’s about growing in relationship.

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God Is Not Playing Hide and Seek

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)

Sometimes we imagine God speaking in mysterious riddles, leaving us to work everything out.

That isn’t His heart.

Jesus described Himself as the Good Shepherd.

Sheep don’t spend every moment wondering whether they’re following the shepherd.

They simply learn to recognize his voice through spending time with him.

The more time we spend with Jesus, in Scripture, prayer and worship, the more familiar His voice becomes.

Just as you instantly know the voice of someone you love on the phone, we gradually learn to recognize the character of God’s voice.

Four Questions That Help Test What We Hear

The Bible doesn’t tell us to believe every impression we have.

Instead, it encourages us to test it.

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
1 John 4:1 (NIV)

Here are four simple questions I regularly ask.

1. Does It Agree with Scripture?

God will never contradict His written Word.

The Holy Spirit inspired Scripture, so He will never tell us to do something that opposes it.

If an impression encourages bitterness, pride, revenge, dishonesty, immorality or anything contrary to God’s Word, we can confidently reject it.

The Bible is our anchor.

Our experiences should always be measured against Scripture—not the other way around.

2. Does It Sound Like Jesus?

Jesus is full of grace and truth.

Sometimes God convicts us of sin.

But conviction is very different from condemnation.

The Holy Spirit gently draws us back toward Jesus.

The enemy pushes us away through shame.

God may say,

“Come back to Me.”

Condemnation says,

“You’re hopeless. God is finished with you.”

One produces repentance.

The other produces despair.

Learn to recognize the difference.

3. What Fruit Does It Produce?

God’s voice produces the fruit of the Spirit.

Even when His words challenge us, and lead us to repent, they ultimately produce peace, hope, humility, love and life.

Fear, panic, confusion and relentless accusations are not the language of our Shepherd. They are not aligned with His character.

James describes God’s wisdom beautifully:

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
James 3:17 (NIV)

That’s a wonderful checklist.

4. Does Wise Counsel Confirm It?

God often confirms important direction through mature believers.

This doesn’t mean we become dependent on everyone else’s opinions.

Rather, we remain teachable.

Especially when making significant life decisions, wise Christian counsel can provide valuable confirmation, or loving correction.

God speaks personally.

But He also places us in the Body of Christ for a reason.

What About Mistakes?

Here’s something that brought me enormous freedom years ago.

God expects us to learn.

Think about how a loving parent teaches a child to walk.

When the child stumbles, the parent doesn’t say,

“That’s it. You’re never walking again.”

They smile.

They pick them up.

They encourage another step.

Our heavenly Father is far more patient than we often imagine.

Sometimes we may think God is prompting us to do something and later realize we misunderstood.

If our heart was genuinely seeking Him, He is wonderfully gracious.

Learning to hear God’s voice is exactly that…

Learning.

Mistakes don’t disqualify us.

They often become part of how we grow.

One Simple Practice

When you sense God speaking, don’t rush.

Write it down.

Pray over it.

Search the Scriptures.

Wait if necessary.

Watch for confirmation.

Ask the Holy Spirit,

“Lord, if this is You, please continue to make it clear.”

You’ll often be surprised how faithfully He does.

Hearing God Is About Relationship

The goal isn’t becoming someone who can say,

“God told me…”

The goal is becoming someone who knows Jesus more deeply.

The closer we walk with Him, the more naturally we begin to recognize His voice.

Not because we’ve mastered a technique.

But because we’ve grown to know the Shepherd.

And that’s what discipleship has always been about.

One step at a time.

One conversation at a time.

One day at a time.

Prayer

Father,

Thank You that You are a God who speaks to Your children. Thank You that You are patient as we learn to recognize Your voice.

Give us hearts that are humble, teachable and grounded in Your Word. Help us never to be led by fear, emotion or pride, but always by Your Holy Spirit.

Teach us to know the difference between Your gentle conviction and the enemy’s condemnation. Help us to grow in wisdom, discernment and confidence as we walk with You.

May we know You more deeply each day and faithfully follow wherever You lead.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Activation

This week, when you sense God prompting you:

Pause before reacting.
Compare it with Scripture.
Ask whether it reflects the character of Jesus.
Consider what fruit it will produce.
If it’s significant, seek wise counsel from a mature Christian.
Keep a journal of what you believe God is saying and how He confirms it over time.

You’ll likely discover that God has been speaking more often than you ever realized.

I’d Love to Hear From You

Have you ever sensed God speaking and later seen Him confirm it?

Or perhaps you’re still learning to recognize His voice.

Share your experience in the comments below. Your story may encourage someone else who is on the same journey.

If this message has encouraged you, please like and share so together we can help more people discover the joy of walking closely with Jesus.

Remember to subscribe and join the growing Jesus 4 Generations community for Part 6, where we’ll discover what happens when hearing God’s voice moves beyond simply listening, and becomes a lifestyle of confident obedience. Because every time we say ‘yes’ to God, His Kingdom is advanced, our faith grows, and He accomplishes far more through our lives than we could ever imagine.

Until next time, remember…

Right now is always the best time to begin with God.

God bless,

Love

Sandy

All Bible Sources are from the New International Version (NIV)

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