God Conversations: 7 Days to Hearing God’s VoiceSample

Tried and Tested: How Do I Know it’s God?

How do we know if it’s God speaking and not the voice of our imagination or even the voice of the Enemy?

Ironically, in order to hear God’s voice clearly, we must first humbly admit our ability to get it wrong. We don’t see the full picture. The Apostle Paul calls it a ‘poor reflection’—a bit like looking through a fuzzy mirror. Sadly many wrong and even shameful things have been done under the banner of ‘God told me.’

God’s revelation is pure, but we are not. Our experiences, mindsets, and particularly our desires, cloud our ability to see and hear clearly. That’s why we’re told to test the spirits to see if they’re from God. Every claim to revelation must be put to the test. If it’s from God, it will stand.

Here, the most important question we need to ask is, “Is this something God would say?” God only speaks in line with his character and nature. As the “perfect image of the invisible God,” the life and teachings of Jesus in the Scriptures are our ultimate measure. Ask “Would Jesus say this?” Does it agree with all that he said and all that he did? Does it bring good news to the poor, set the captive free, and bear the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, and peace? Everything the Spirit says will be consistent with the testimony to Jesus.

Sometimes God speaks to us about personal areas of our lives such as careers and relationships. In those cases, God makes his message clear by speaking to more than one person. This is where we have the advantage of the New Covenant where all God’s people can hear from him. We see this happening in the early church whenever God revealed something new (see the story of Peter’s vision in Acts 10:1–36 where God speaks to both Peter and Cornelius at the same time). The Spirit spoke the same message to two or three witnesses, confirming what was said. We must be willing to test our experiences with other people in church. Then we can follow him in faith and confidence!

Reflect: Have you ever gotten it wrong? Have you shared with another person what God is saying to you?

Prayer: Lord, in seeking to hear your voice, help me to know your character and nature through understanding the person of Jesus in the Scriptures. Please confirm what you’re saying to me through other people.

Call to Action: Just like any relationship, learning to recognize the voice of the Spirit takes time as we get to know the person of Jesus more fully. Complete the world-renowned God Conversations online course, read articles and listen to podcasts to further your journey at www.godconversations.com.