Discerning God's Voice

Have you ever heard someone say God spoke to them? Or "I heard God say..."? Maybe you have personally experienced hearing from Him. Do you believe that God still speaks directly to people? I do. As a matter of fact, He has spoken to me on several occasions. To some, that may sound arrogant. To others, it is a beautiful reminder that they, too, have heard His voice.

Psalm 85:8 says, I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. In other words, you CAN hear God when he speaks to you. Do you feel like you cannot hear Him? Or, maybe you have not heard from God in a while. If so, I encourage you to try one or all of these suggestions.

• Shut out the noise of the world - we are constantly bombarded by audio and visual noise. It is everywhere around us. In fact, many are addicted to it. To them, silence can be truly deafening. But in order for us to be able to clearly hear God, we must shut off the noise around us. It could be what we are watching, reading, hearing, thinking and/or feeling. It is a tall order but absolutely necessary.

• Calm your mind - anxiety and stress are at an all time high. Prescription medications are flying off the shelves. How can we calm our minds in an adrenaline-filled world? Through meditation, prayer, intentional rest of your mind and body along with healthy exercise (a nice walk through the woods to enjoy His creation can do the trick).

• Prepare your heart - Not too long ago, I preached on preparing to prayer. Part of my sermon revolved around making sure our hearts and minds were ready to talk with AND hear from God. If you have any type of malice in your heart, turn it over to the Lord.

I have had many people ask me, "How do I know it is the Lord talking to me?" "I hear so many voices, which one is God?" I always tell them to start with Galatians 5:22-23. If the voice is talking about the fruits of the Spirit, there is a very good chance it is coming from Jesus...

Pastor Aaron