Sunday, August 17, 2014

Weekend Worship—How Do I Know the Voice I’m Hearing is REALLY God?

When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." John 10:4-5 (NIV)

Throughout my years of teaching, there’s one question I get asked the most.

“How do I know the voice I’m hearing is really God?”

The answer is at once very simple and very hard. You can tell it’s God’s voice, because you recognize it.

I’ve come to realize that voice is vitally important to a writer in two ways:
  • We have to come to embrace and utilize the uniqueness of our own personal voice when we write. This is a topic of craft.
  • We also have to come to recognize God’s voice so that we can move forward when He calls, and share what He has for us to share. This is a topic of the heart.

That’s brings us back to the original question. How do we recognize God’s voice?

How do we recognize anyone’s voice? We do so by becoming familiar with the timber, pitch and way of speaking.

I can’t count the number of times that I’ve answered the phone and the person at the other end launches directly into the conversation without identifying themselves. Sometimes I can spend several moments wondering who they were. I’ve found this doesn’t often happen when the person on the other end is a close friend.

The reason? I recognize the voices of my friends because I spend a good deal of time with them. I know the tone of voice and I know the way they speak.

To recognize God’s voice we have to do the same thing—spend time with Him. We must invest quality time in prayer, worship and study with Him. With that commitment of time has come the reward of a deep relationship and the assurance of knowing whose voice we hear.

This doesn’t mean I always get it right. there are still times when I question whether or not it’s God speaking. But God knows me and knows how to get my attention if I’m unsure. And I can say with certainty that those times have become less and less, the closer I get to God.

What are some ways you’ve found to recognize God’s voice? I’d love to hear your stories.

13 comments:

  1. When I'm not 100% positive, I remind God I'm not the smartest cookie He has and please close the door if it isn't what He wants me to do, otherwise I'm going through. It's funny, Paul did the same thing when he went on his mission tours, and one time, God closed that door. :) It worked for Paul, and it works for me. :)

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    1. Ane, that's exactly what I do as well. Funny how we forget God can get our attention when He needs to! Thanks so much for sharing, Blessings, E

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  2. It s interesting you should share this for this weekend, I just posted "God and His Word" on my blog. When you read it and read it out loud you can hear that familiar voice and clap for joy. Thanks for sharing the truth. I check to see if I'm listening to His voice by intentionally seeking His word before anything else hits my eyes, ears or mind. (After I brush my teeth lol).

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    1. Chris, that's such good advice! Thank you for sharing. And I love the way God uses several of us to emphasize His message. Blessings, E

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  3. This isn't a good way to describe it, but sometimes it's that "gut" feeling. Once my husband was out of work and looking for a job. He had an interview scheduled, but I woke up at 3:00 a.m. and couldn't sleep. Something about this job prospect disturbed me. I lay awake, praying, and asking God, "How can I tell him how I feel when he really needs a job?" In a few minutes, my husband asked me, "Are you awake?" He had also awakened and felt the same way. He called the next morning and cancelled the interview. We don't know why, but both of us felt that was God's way of telling us the job wasn't the right one for him.

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    1. Joan, I think that definitely happens. It's that same intuition that makes us sensitive to our husband's mood. I'm sure you're like me and can tell if something is bothering him before he says a word! Thanks so much for stopping by, Blessings, E

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  4. I usually mull over it a couple of days and see if it stays with me...

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    1. Jennifer, excellent! Thank you for sharing, Blessings, E

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  5. Like Jennifer, I tend to think about it. When I haven't been focusing on it, but it won't go away, I know it's Him. He's pretty persistent.

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    1. Ellen, He is definitely persistent! Thanks so much for stopping by, Blessings, E

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  6. I could have written Ane's reply. Or she could have written mine.

    I've been dealing with this a lot in the last seven weeks and have seen clear evidence that when I'm in doubt and stop to ask for clarification, the clarification is given.

    Knowing the Bible is critical. That is, in the end, the only real confirmation. If I hear what I think is God telling me do something that contradicts a Biblical principal, then I know whose voice I'm really hearing.

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    1. Carrie, you're so right. The Bible is basic to everything. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Blessings, E

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  7. Recognizing God's words in our hearts is so key for Christian writers. I find that time in His word is what brings that clarity to the surface. I love the image of taking dictation for God that some have shared recently.

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