I’ve been studying about hearing God’s voice and wanted to share what I have been learning.

There is one distinctive mark of a Christian and that is – and I love this – they hear the voice of the Lord. God’s people hear His voice.

John 10:2-6 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

This passage displays 3 things about the voice:

1. His voice is personal – each one has to hear and follow.
2. His voice is intangible – you can’t touch a voice, only one sense can comprehend a voice, that is the ear that hears.
3. His voice is present – He calls and they follow – we don’t follow a past voice or a future one. We follow the voice of our shepherd, now!

Hebrews 3:15 As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

How do we get hard? – by not hearing, by not listening to His voice.

Romans 10:7 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

If the ear that hears is what can listen to the Voice of God that gives birth to what we believe. We want to be careful what it is and what voice we are listening to. No wonder this world and the enemy are constantly pumping the same thing, repeating it over and over. Are you listening to all the fear and worry? Over and over. Why? So we will believe it! Fear and worry never produce what we are after. I’ve lived that life. I dont ever want to go back.

But the Word of God says in Matthew 4:4 Man shall not live on bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

We must be living on every word that PROCEEDS from the mouth of God.

Proceeds – that is the Word that comes forth from the mouth of God. What is He saying??

We need this Word that Proceeds – it is our spiritual bread.

Why? Because Romans 8:14 For those who are LED by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 

Hearing the voice of the Shepherd and being Led by the Spirit of God is the distinctive feature of God’s Children.

I’ve been lost. I’ve wondered around no knowing where I was going and what I was doing. Aimless, worried, defensive, uncared for, and full of fear that I would never get out. I dont ever want to go back.

Look at this, even Jesus was led …

What was the result of Him being led – 5 things: 

1. Words of Encouragement
2. Personal Direction for each day
3. Receiving obedience
4. Receiving strength to go through each day
5. Receiving determination

Matt 26:39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Those who are led by the Lord – do the will of their Father! There are so many things we will face in this life and God with us and leading us through them – gives us the strength to carry on.

Many times the Bible says, “If anyone has an ear to hear, let them hear.” In 1 Kings, God said to Solomon, “Ask for what you want!” (3:5) And Solomon asked for “a discerning heart to distinguish between right and wrong.” (3:7-10) Those words “discerning heart” literally means to have a hearing heart.

A hearing heart hears the voice of God and follows Him. Just like a sheep will follow the voice of its shepherd. And just as a caution: What about the heart that can not hear?

Jesus said in Matthew 13:13-16

This kind of heart does not understand or perceive.

This kind of heart is callous and can hardly hear.

We must have a hearing heart that will receive its daily bread from the mouth of God, from the voice of its Shepherd. This is our spiritual bread our daily portion. 

PRAY FOR A HEART THAT DISCERNS! ASK FOR UNDERSTANDING! ASK GOD TO BLESS YOUR EYES THAT YOU MAY SEE AND BLESS YOUR EARS THAT THEY MAY HEAR.

The voice of God is personal, intangible (we can’t touch it – the ear has to hear it) and it is present. I was sharing what I’ve been learning about hearing God’s voice. And my friend,  Lindsay said (here comes a Starla translation of what she said) that she liked the part about “God’s voice being present, because if we are listening to a past voice we may fear or have regret over what we have done and if we are listening to a future voice we may fear or have anxiety over what will happen or what may come.”

So good! God’s voice is NOW and His word says, “FEAR NOT!” Amen.

We hear God’s voice by hearing with our heart but we must be sensitive to His voice. 

How do we get that?

1. Attention

2. Humility

3. Time

4. Quietness

We have to cultivate a sensitive heart.

(Proverbs 4:20, 5:1, 22:17 & Ps 46:10, 62:1, 62:5, 95:6-8)

We must find the spaces of quiet, worship, and fellowship with God like Moses. We must be where we can hear the gentle whisper of God like Elijah. We must be where God says to be to hear like Jeremiah.

Matt 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Don’t go find a loud, visible, full of distractions place to pray and hear God speak, rather go to the quiet, hidden places and cultivate hearing the voice of the Lord. Where is your quiet place?

Hearing God’s voice can feel quite doubtful. So how can we know? How can we be sure?

1. God’s Voice Will Be In Agreement With The Scriptures
Why? Because it is the Holy Spirit that brings God’s voice to us and it is the Holy Spirit who is this author of all scripture. 2 Tim 3: 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…The Holy Spirit will not be contradictory. God’s Word aligns with Gods voice.

What is the result of listening to another voice?
The result of being deceived is this:
Isaiah 8:19-22 19 When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. 21 Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. 22 Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.

Wow… they will look up and curse God, they will look toward the earth and only see distress, darkness, fearful gloom. There is not hopeful looking.

But those who walk according the scripture will have light for the path.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

2. The Confirmation of Circumstances – The Lord will speak something to you and the circumstance will confirm the action to take. Look at Jeremiah 32:6-9

3. The Peace of God
Colossians 3:15-16 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

We see 3 things there
– Peace – let that peace rule like an umpire deciding if you are hearing God rightly. If there is unrest, struggle, or you feel pressured to move quickly out of fear or worry — stop
– Thankfulness – if you heart can not praise — stop
– God’s word is in your heart – the Author of the Scripture brings a word of confirmation.

And lastly – God will brings confirmation through our fellow believers.

Through our pastors to their people, husbands to wives, and parents to children.

Good and humble relationships are important. Truly spiritual people dont just go off and do their own thing if those in these key relationships do not agree with it. (See Heb 13:7, Eph 5:22-24, and Eph 6:1) Even Paul (Saul) had a moment of public confirmation from his fellow believers.

Acts:13:1-1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

1. We see 5 men who worshipped and fasted – men most likely of maturity and integrity.
2. We see the Holy Spirit was the one who was setting Saul and Barnabas apart.

And this was a confirming word – as Paul himself often said, like in Galatians 1:1 that he was sent not from men or by man but by Jesus Christ.

God will use our fellow believers and the sacred relationships He has given us to confirm His call and word to us.

Thanks for Listening,

Starla

I highly recommend listening to Derek Prince teach about hearing Gods’ voice.