Identification, Understanding & Response

Discerning the Voice of the Lord

1. Identification (WHO is talking)

Ears to Hear

The first step in hearing the voice of the Lord is recognizing that you are hearing something! This may involve the Lord cleaning out your ears, and perhaps clearing away some wounds and beliefs that are keeping you from hearing clearly. Whatever the condition of your hearing, ask God to give you ears that hear, and a heart to respond. We often miss the connection between the circumstances in our life and direction from the Lord simply because we have a preconceived idea of what and how the Lord speaks.

“Is That You, Lord?”

Remind yourself that knowing God is simple; we often want to make it complex for reasons of control of others or to keep from changing our own beliefs or experiencing the pain that accompanies getting healed. But this is really the sum of hearing: asking, “God, is that You?” We can come up with all kinds of guidelines, but the bottom line is the answer to that question.

Say you hear what you believe to be the Lord. You ask, “Is that You, Lord?” You hear, “Yes.” How do you know this is the Lord? There are two voices that speak to the sheep: the butcher and the shepherd. Is the voice you’re hearing reflecting the qualities of the Lord, and His unconditionally gracious, loving stance toward you? Is the voice encouraging, accepting, loving, honoring? Or is it condemning, harsh, arrogant or demeaning?

I’ve heard it said that God never yells, so if you hear someone “yelling” at you it’s not God. I think God reserves the right to communicate with us however He chooses! But even in that “yelling” there will be a sense of urgency, getting our attention, rather than threat or coercion. It’s best to learn to rely on our “inner-knower” to be able to recognize His voice rather than on a set of guidelines.