Day 11 | Recognizing God's Voice

Submitted by Nichole Perreault: 

Recognizing God’s voice...that’s a phrase packed with will all sorts of potential reactions. Here’s some that come to mind:

Oh, so now you think God is speaking to you. Great.

I don’t hear God. I pray. I meditate. I sit in silence. But guess what? Crickets.

Umm...does this mean I’ll hear a voice? Or have a vision? Or fall down on the ground and start screaming and hollering? Because I really don’t want to cause a scene. Just sayin’.

God has already spoken. The Bible is His final word.

Are you hearing voices in your head?

How do I know if what I hear is from God?

I’m actually kind of afraid to hear from God. What if He’s angry with me? Or worse...what if He doesn’t say anything at all?

And of course there’s the unspoken fear of many comfortable Western Christians:

What if He tells me to sell all my belongings, shave my head and move to Zambia? ‘Cause that happens...like all the time...right?

Listening for the Lord, hearing from Him and then understanding what He’s saying can be scary and frustrating. But it can also be exhilarating, freeing and life-changing.

I am grateful that some of my first experiences as a Christian included Listening Retreats. At those retreats, I learned that God speaks to us and that He speaks to us from a place of deep love. He speaks to us because He wants to connect with us, powerfully, intimately. In fact, He longs to speak to us. He is, after all, the Living Word.

In my life, God has spoken to me thousands upon thousands of times – through pictures, impressions, writing, other people, scripture, music, books, nature. And He doesn't only use hymns and sunsets. Let’s not limit Him! For crying out loud, He spoke to Moses through a burning bush that didn't burn. What?! So don’t judge me when I say that while I was reading The Hunger Games, God revealed to me that I was starving for love; and I won’t judge you when you say God restored your self-worth while you were listening to Perfect by Pink. (It was the PG version you were listening to, right?)

Sure, secular books and pop music are probably not the first place you should run to for a fresh word from the Lord. But live your life close to God, walk among the deep, green fields of His scriptures, keep always your ear bent toward His voice and you will hear Him. I am confident of this.

One of my deepest desires is that everyone – including every one of you – will experience the voice of God. I know what He has done for me, how His words have quenched my thirsty soul. And I want you to know that too.

Below is something that I have found very helpful when learning to listen to God and discern His voice. I pray that it is helpful to you also.

Recognizing God’s Voice

Adapted from Into Abba’s Arms by Sandra D. Wilson

God’s voice………

• calls and encourages us with the gentleness of a shepherd who leads his sheep.
• is quiet and deeply internal.
• speaks in accordance with His character and His word as revealed in scripture.
• is merciful and gracious toward us, convicting of specific sin leading to repentance.
• is grounded it truth & hope, focusing on the here and how.
• is practical and simple, speaks to the ordinary & mundane.
• brings hope, freedom, peace, gratitude.
• focuses on changing us.
• produces more empathy for others.
  
  Remember: you are His treasured possession, His beloved, He speaks from a place of deep, rich love for you.

The enemy’s voice …….

•  threatens, demands, intimidates, like a wolf driving the sheep into a panic.
•  is intrusive, a thief seeking illegal entrance.
•  speaks ½ truths & uses scripture out of context.
        “You are no good"
        “Nobody loves you.
        “You can’t do anything right."
        Tempting Jesus in Matthew 4:6
• accuses & condemns us personally which leads to a burden of shame.
• is grounded in the past and negative experiences, or the future & its worries.
• is often impractical, complicated, spectacular, feeding our desire for approval & applause.
• brings apathy, despair, anxiety, dissatisfaction.
• focuses on changing others.
• wants us to envy, judge and despise others.
  
  Remember: the enemy is the father of lies and the author of confusion, and can masquerade as an angel of light

Other possible voices………

Your own, parents, friends, spouse, etc. 

When you feel stuck or confused or you don't know whose voice you're listening to, ask God. Personally, I think He loves it when we ask Him questions and then listen for His answers. I am praying for you - that you give yourself the gift of time spent alone with God and that you hear Him speaking to you. 

Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below. 

---Nichole Perreault is the Communications Director at Wintonbury Church. If you would like to read more about her experiences of listening to the Lord, feel free to visit her blog.