AM I REALLY HEARING GOD?
In late November of 2019, my Dad and I stayed at a hotel in Shreveport, Louisiana. As we arrived to check-in, I noticed a man with crutches sitting on a couch in the lobby. As we approached the front desk, I heard a voice in my mind say, Go and pray for his knee.
What? I thought, I can’t talk to him. He’s a stranger!
Even as I tried to convince myself not to do it, I kept sensing that I was supposed to pray for him. I finally agreed to do it. I went up to the man and prayed for his knee, commanding him to be healed.
Instantly, he said he felt a warm tingling where his knee was broken. As he walked away, I heard him excitedly tell his wife, "That man over there prayed me!" His joy was visible. When this happened, I knew I had heard the voice of God.
One of the most common questions people ask is ⎼ how can I really know I’m hearing God’s voice? What if it’s just me? Or even worse, what if it’s the enemy? Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27 NIV),
If you wonder how you can really know when God is speaking to you, here are some ways to help you hear the voice of the Lord:
1. If other people hear the same thing.
When God is saying something to you, he will often use others to confirm it. This often happens when I am in a prayer group. I hear God say something and I share what he has put on my heart. It’s always amazing to discover God was speaking the same thing to someone else in the group.
Whenever I am making a big decision I seek confirmation from other believers. It’s always encouraging when people hear from God the same thing he previously told me in my personal time with him. If you are in a situation where someone contradicts what God told you, trust him. He knows more than anyone.
2. If it lines up with scripture.
Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God is equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB). If scripture is used for all of the things that Paul lists, shouldn’t it also help us know the nature and character of God?
I can tell you from personal experience that if you hear a voice in your head saying, You’re worthless. You’re nothing. How could God ever love you after what you did? Statements like that are obviously not from God.
Another example of a voice not lining up with God’s character is if the voice tells you to sin. If you hear a voice telling you to lie, steal, cheat on your spouse, or do anything related to sinful activity, there is no way it is ever from God! Both of these are ways that the enemy speaks to deceive people.
What I’ve found to be helpful in hearing God is to spend time with him every single day. Worshipping him, reading my Bible, praying, and listening to his voice in my quiet time daily have all helped me recognize his voice better.
If you desire to go deeper in your faith in God, sign up for the next Discipleship Training School. One of our core courses is on the subject of "Hearing God's Voice."
Have you read, "Is That Really You God?" The founder of YWAM, Loren Cunningham wrote this book and it's a real game changer. Check out this blog: Is That Really You God
Here's another story on hearing God's voice we think will encourage you: Hearing God's Voice in Urban America
