“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Although the Bible provides us with visual depictions of God’s personal revelation to us, does this constitute hearing God’s voice? Most people wouldn’t hear God’s voice at all if we waited for an audible revelation. But there are many ways in which we continue to “hear God.”
Have you ever wondered what the process is for identifying God’s voice? Is it the voice of God or the voice of the flesh that prompts one to act or speak? Is the voice coming from God or from one’s own desires that go against God’s will?
How can we tell if he is speaking to us when it appears that his will and ours are closely aligned? With practice and discipline, we can distinguish God’s voice from our own.
We struggle with the issue that “our desires can muddy our ability to hear God’s voice,” as Tania Harris put it. As if God’s ways weren’t mysterious enough at times. It is now even more challenging to distinguish between our voice and God’s voice. Even if God’s will for us was crystal clear, we might be prone to overlooking or misinterpreting it. His ways frequently go against what we are told on earth or take us away from the momentary satisfaction of temporal pleasure.
In other words, God is the only one who is aware of those plans, not us. We are urged to trust the Lord’s guidance even when the path is only revealed one step at a time because the outcome is certain. However, not everything is ambiguous. The Psalmist declared: “Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies” (27:11). He taught that “all the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies” (25:10).
Psalm 119:105 praises God, saying “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” We will be led by God if we obey him.
Although God has revealed himself to us personally through the Psalms above, is this the same as hearing his voice? Most people wouldn’t hear God’s voice at all if we were to wait for audible revelation. But there are many ways in which we continue to “hear God.” Let’s examine four specific ways we can recognize God’s voice in our lives.
Recognizing God’s Voice Through Bible Study
The authors of Scripture made it clear that God was speaking to them and through them, according to Billy Graham. They uttered the phrase “Thus saith the Lord” more than 3,000 times. Through Scripture, He addresses us directly and broadly.
The Ten Commandments teach us that a voice urging us to start an affair with a married coworker is not the voice of God, and we can be sure of this. But what if it’s a sentimental situation? Although we can counter that the Ten Commandments do not specifically address this issue, Christ taught that our thoughts do matter, so we would be able to distinguish our own voice from that of God.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” (Matthew 5:21-22).
God desires that our obedience to his laws begin in the heart because he can see it. To distinguish God’s voice from our own sinful desires, we don’t always need a personal word about a temptation that is similar to our own.
But occasionally, in the midst of a perplexing season, he will seem to speak directly to the reader of Scripture. Should I take action right away or wait? The devotional verse for that day is “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope” (Psalm 130:5).
A calendar at work reads, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14). In the mail is a card from a friend. “Thinking of You” with a verse “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him” (Lamentations 3:25).
Could it be that the Lord is telling you to wait? However, believers frequently report that God has used Scripture to draw their attention and to give them the assurance they need to believe this was God’s direction, not their own. Obviously, one would want to examine these verses more carefully in context.
Recognizing God’s Voice through Our Pastors
Some Christians choose not to attend church, but they still watch sermons from pastors they don’t know on YouTube. Instead of settling into a local church community in person or online, they choose the messages they want to hear.
The sermon of the local pastor does not always satisfy personal desires or curiosities. His sermon’s subject is either too complex, tedious, or divisive. One’s autonomy and sense of pride are threatened by community accountability, or they have become “off” of church because of a negative encounter.
But a pastor is given a message for his congregation, God’s message for a group of people. And I will send shepherds who have my best interests at heart to feed you with wisdom and understanding (Jeremiah 3:15).
Every pastor serves as the shepherd of a particular group of seekers and believers. A pastor has been called to protect and care for the flock of that church, whether they attend in person or online.
According to S. Joseph Kidder, “God will use the pastor to transform the church into a sanctuary for spiritually transformed lives when they live a life of prayer like Jesus and become intentional about discipleship and spiritual formation.”
Pastors who put prayer first speak God’s Word over their flock. The opportunity to hear God’s voice and recognize that it is his voice, not their own, is also lost by those who avoid the local shepherd’s sermons.
Even though God gives general revelation through sermons that are preached to tens, hundreds, or thousands of people, those sermons frequently contain special words of private revelation. To discount this possibility is to limit the reach and power of God’s Word, which is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12).
Scripture was not written to address the specific needs of each Christian at any given time, but frequently the pastor will hear a Christian say, “I felt as though you were speaking directly to me.” Any inner voice telling one to avoid one’s local pastor’s sermons is unlikely to have come from the Lord if he is an obedient servant of Christ who shares the gospel on a weekly basis.
Godly Instruction from Other Christians
Tania Harris advises that we pay attention to friends’ wise advice because they have the ability to “see through the fog that is created by your preferences and longings.” Teachers and good friends are familiar with one another well. “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14).
Of course, the author is referring to wise and godly advice. But the point is that Christians require the advice of others; relying solely on one’s own advice all the time is unhealthy. Paul teaches that “speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15).
As a member of a community of believers, the speaker would also understand this truth. While non-Christians can still offer advice, Western culture tends to encourage independence. Godly advice must come from those who are growing in Christ and have a desire to obey God if one is to hear it.
Hearing from God Through Consistent Prayer
There is no assurance that when one prays, they will hear God’s voice or know where He is leading them. The biblical goal of prayer, according to Oswald Chambers, is to help us get to know God.
We pray to worship and praise the Lord and to enter into his presence through the risen Christ’s gift of the Holy Spirit. However, the Lord in his mercy can and does communicate with us through our prayers in ways that sound divine to us.
They could suddenly appear in the form of a voice or a visual. How can one be certain that this is inspired by God and not a desire born of sin? The Spirit must be trusted. Let God know your requests in everything through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
That peace comes from the Holy Spirit, and we recognize the Spirit’s voice when we ask God to inform the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4). Pray for God’s will rather than our own as you begin there. Before making any requests, follow the Lord’s prayer by offering praise, thanks, and confession.
If we follow all the instructions above, God’s voice will be audible. If the Lord is speaking, which is difficult to hear, confusion might be a cover for denial. By regularly cultivating a relationship with God through prayer, study, and fellowship, one begins to hear the voice of the Father. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).