First, we need to understand that becoming a Christian does not ensure that all your leadings / promptings are from God. As a matter of fact, Apostle John says in 1 John 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God”
You have to ask yourself, who’s voice are you hearing and following?
- Man / flesh
- Satan / Devil
- Holy Spirit
Unfortunately, many believers may discern the voice, advice or leading of man but are NOT able to discern nor differentiate the voice of Holy Spirit from the Devil.
We have to understand that our adversary the devil is very crafty and also knows how to quote and twist Scriptures.
The Bible says this in 1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”.
Secondly, we need to know that when God / Holy Spirit speaks to us today, it is because there is a blessing He want to lead us to, or He may simply want to show us how to avoid the enemy traps.
Thirdly, we need to be assured that when God says “YES” He means it – Isaiah 55:10-11declares “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it”.
God has a plan for your life – Can you hear Him?
Jeremiah 29:11 says (KJV)
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
When God speaks to our hearts, we can’t ignore Him, nor can we wait for conditions to be favorable. He is speaking because there is something He want to show us.
We have to understand God never speaks just because He can. God is not an idle talker. Every word that comes out of His mouth flows from His Spirit and has a targeted location in your life. When acted upon, it will bring to pass the very thing God desires to accomplish through you!
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (NKJV)
9 But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
Again – Isaiah 55:10-11
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it”
Think about the fact that God’s Word will accomplish what He desires; the Word “will” is a contractual term that makes a declaration about the future, and it’s said to be one of the strongest declarations you can make in the English language. When you say, “I will” you are binding yourself to something. God said His Word “I will” accomplish what I desire. He has bound Himself to make it happen and you can absolutely believe His Word won’t fail.
John 10:27-28 (KJV)
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand”.
When we listen to and obey His promptings, God’s Word goes to work on our behalf, and the purpose and desire of God is brought into existence. It doesn’t come without opposition, but it surely does come without fail.
If there is something that’s “floating up” from your heart, a prompting of God’s spirit, don’t ignore Him and don’t delay! Obey His voice and He will lead you to a place of abundance and blessings.
Let us look at the example of the craftiness of the devil when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness.
In Matthew 4, Jesus had been fasting in the wilderness for forty days when the Enemy came to Him and said,
If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. — Matthew 4:3 NKJV
The truth the Enemy spoke was that Jesus was the Son of God. However, the temptation came in the twisting of these words. If You are who You say You are, then do something God would not have You do.
Jesus answered,
It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’ — Matthew 4:4 NKJV
The Enemy tried to tempt Jesus again, saying,
If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down [from a high place]. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone’ — Matthew 4:5-6 NKJV
Jesus said to him,
It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’. — Matthew 4:7 NKJV
From the reading of God’s Word in this chapter, we see that the Enemy knows Scripture and quoted it to Jesus. But Jesus knew more than simply what the Scriptures said. He knew the heart of His Father and what He had meant. Jesus had the revelation knowledge of the Scripture.
Listen, if the Enemy knows the truth and will attempt to distort it to lead us away from the Lord, then we need to know NOT just the Word but have the revelation knowledge of what it (Word) means.
Jesus said, in John 16:13
“When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come”.
While this is a short statement, Jesus’ words provide a summary for much of what the Holy Spirit says to us and how we can determine if it’s His voice we hear.
Notice that Jesus calls Holy Spirit “the Spirit of truth.” He is not the spirit of partial truth or the spirit of mostly truth. He is the Spirit of truth. Period. This means that what He says to us never contradicts the truth of what we read in Scripture.
In order to discern whether we are hearing the voice of truth, we must ask ourselves two main questions
- Does the Bible confirm what I am hearing?
The Holy Spirit won’t lead you away from what God has already stated in Scripture or tell you to do something that the Bible doesn’t confirm. Jesus said He spoke only what He heard His Father say and that the Holy Spirit also would speak only what He heard. Within God, there is no contradiction and no conflicting message. So when discerning what you perceive God to be saying, begin with the Word. What does the Bible say about what you are hearing? Now, here’s the thing: Yes, God’s Word is the ultimate authority. However, there are moments when the words we hear the Spirit saying aren’t plainly addressed in Scripture. Perhaps God is giving you wisdom about how to handle a particular situation with your spouse or co-worker. Perhaps He is guiding you in how you need to proceed with a specific life decision. It’s in these moments that you and I need to know not only the Word of God but the character of God as well. This is how Jesus overcame the deceptive temptation of the Enemy. He knew both the Word and the Father in Heaven who had spoken. We, too, must know both. If the voice you hear does not affirm who God says He is or who He says you are in His Word, then what you are hearing isn’t His voice.
- Does What I’m Hearing Sound Like Jesus?
We have this incredible gift of having access to the actual recorded words of our living God, words He spoke as He walked the earth – the Bible. If you have studied God’s Word long enough, you are able to discern quickly what is of Him and what is NOT.
He spoke about faith and healing. He spoke about following Him and trusting Him. He might not have spoken about what to do specifically when it comes to parenting an unruly child or defiant teen, how to make sure the bills are paid, or how to ensure your marriage is healthy, but He did speak about the importance of family and provision and humility and wisdom. We know from Scripture how Jesus responded to many situations we face today. Holy Spirit is the same Spirit who filled Jesus, who was actively involved in His ministry on the earth, and He is the one who brought Him back to life after He had been crucified. So, when we hear from the Holy Spirit, He sounds like Jesus. After all, there is only one Spirit of truth.
More questions to ask yourself
- If Jesus were to walk into the room, would He prompt me to take this action? Would He lead me to this decision? Is there peace in the voice I am hearing?
- When in doubt, try saying out loud what you believe God is telling you and listen to your spirit man. Does it bear witness with your spirit? Whether it’s a thought, a feeling, a dream, or a vision, simply speaking the message we hear aloud can help us determine if it sounds like something Jesus would say.
- If there’s any question, ask yourself again if what you’re hearing aligns with Jesus’ life and the Scripture. Ask if it’s edifying, hopeful, helpful, kind, and would bear the fruit of the Spirit of God if executed. If it does and is, then follow! If it doesn’t, then shelf it until you get a clear direction.