Do you ever wonder if God is speaking to your heart?
You’re not alone. Many people wonder if they are hearing from God or just imagining it. But when you know what to look for, it becomes easier and easier to recognize or decipher the voice of God in your life.
In this post, we will explore the ways that God speaks and how we can discern His voice from other voices in our lives. We will also discuss some common pitfalls that keep us from recognizing His voice clearly and learning how to avoid them so we can hear Him more easily every day!
You won’t have any more doubts or questions about whether or not God has been talking with you because these signs will help guide your way!
Let’s dive in.
In his book Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby says “Experiencing God is knowing clearly when God is speaking”.
This book is one of my favorites, and I’ve been reading it for the past several months of this year. It’s a fantastic book that will help you delve into God more deeply and practically interact with Him in your life. One thing that caught my attention was a comment by Henry, which is in alignment with hearing God’s voice:
“If the Christian does not know when God is speaking, he is in trouble at the heart of his Christian life.”
Henry Blackaby
Before we continue, I think it’s important to agree on the following: God does, in fact, speak. He speaks to us in many ways. I’d like to point out five primary ways God communicates with us.
- God Speaks Through Prayer
- God Speaks Through Holy Spirit
- God speaks through the Bible
- God speaks through Circumstances
- God Speaks Through Church or through other believers
The five methods described above are how God chooses to communicate with us in this era. Today, on the other hand, we’ll be addressing a topic that was addressed to me recently: How can I recognize when God is talking to my heart?
Recommended Books to Help Your Discern God’s voice Better
- Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer
- Is God Speaking to Me by Lysa TerKeurst
- Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby
Is It God Speaking To Me or Is It Just My Thoughts
What’s the difference between a thought and a word from God? It can be difficult to discern at times, but it is never too hard to know when you are dealing with the divine. There are some telltale signs that will let you know when it is He who speaks:
- The message will be in line with the Scripture. Whatever God says to you, no matter how He communicates with you, will never be in disagreement with the written word of God( Bible).
- Since God always speaks truth, if what you think or feel is not in line with the truth it can’t be from Him.
- The message will bring a sense of peace and serenity. Whether the words are said out loud or just a thought that pops into your head, you’ll have a peaceful assurance about them being words from the Father. (Look out for this since God may speak to you and you get a feeling of fear because what he is urging you to do is scary.)
- A recurring message with a similar theme might be your cue. If you hear the same things over and over again it may be God trying to get through to you or encourage you. Maybe the Holy Spirit is laying something on your heart- like a concern for someone else- and God is repeating Himself so that you know this is important to Him too.
Note: To know if God is the one speaking to you, always cross-check what you’re feeling or sensing with patterns in the bible.
Feelings are not always the best indicator of truth since they can stem from your flesh(selfish desires) or simply be a sensation like hunger or fatigue. Feelings must line up with Scripture before you take them seriously. (Don’t let feelings be your guide, let the word of God be your guide, through prayer and meditation.)
What To Do To Hear God’s Voice Better
Kowing, when God is speaking to you, is not something that will always come naturally, and the more you seek the voice of God the easier it is to distinguish what comes from Him and what originates with you.
Here are four ways to help:
Cultivate an intimate relationship with the Lord.
By far the most important aspect of hearing from God is a relationship with Him. If you take time to get to know God and spend time in His presence, it will be easier for you to recognize His voice.
The Bible says‘ Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” John8:47
According to this scripture, it is evident that the prerequisite to hearing God is to belong to Him. When we dwell in Him and His words in us, we may immediately hear Him whenever He is calling or instructing us to do anything.
Study the Bible on a regular basis
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
John 10:27
Another way to know God’s voice is to familiarize yourself with how He used to speak to people in the bible. The more you immerse yourself into His word, the easier it will be to recognize when God is speaking through your heart or through your head.
Having an intimate love relationship with Jesus Christ can help us know His voice very well. But this is not enough; we must also study the Bible which provides us with a map of God’s voice. In the Bible, we can find all His works and words to us as a guidebook.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Pray and listen
The Holy Spirit uses our spirit as the medium to communicate with us. In other words, He talks to us through our hearts. Since this is a common way for God to communicate with man, praying and listening will help you hear from Him more easily. When we pray, listen closely to those thoughts that enter our mind or those feelings we feel, and we may hear God speak to us.
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:14
Prayer is one way to keep our hearts open to God so that He can speak to us. Praying helps us focus, and if we know how then we will be able to discern what thoughts are coming from the Holy Spirit or not.
Related: Prayer For Strength
Keep yourself in godly company
Another thing you can do is surround yourself with people who love and fear God. Since the Bible says that we become like those we keep company with, we will grow more like them if they are godly people who know how to hear from God.
To discern whether it is God speaking or not, always take time to cross-check any messages you’ve received with the word of God. If the message lines up with scripture then it’s from God. God wants to communicate with us and he uses many different ways to get our attention. He loves us and wants us to hear from Him. It takes time and effort but it’s not impossible.
Conclusion
If you want to know when God is speaking, be sure to cultivate a deep relationship with the Lord, read His word on a regular basis, listen in prayer and keep godly company around you.
If you follow these steps you will be able to know when God is speaking.
