How Do I Know I Really Hear Him?

In John 10:3-5 we learn that sheep follow their shepherd’s voice and they do not follow a stranger’s voice. God does not have a speaking problem. 

So, how do you know if it's God talking to you? 1 John 4:1 teaches us to test the spirits. Have you ever had someone tell you they believe God is telling them to tell you something? If what they say confirms what God has been impressing upon you, then it is a good chance they have heard from God and are speaking truth to you. Cool. But, sometimes, a message such as this is obviously off base. And, sometimes, if you haven't got a confirmation but you also think it’s possible, you can put a message such as this on the shelf. I had a message like that. It took 17 years, but what I was told did come to pass eventually and it was truly exciting when it did!

Whether we are hearing for ourselves or whether someone believes they are hearing God on our behalf, people do miss it. A great example of this was the Apostle Peter. In one moment, he had a revelation and rightly proclaimed Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah. But, in the next, he was rebuked by Jesus for speaking against Jesus’ road to Calvary. Jesus actually looked at Peter and exclaimed, “Get behind me Satan!” 

This is one reason I am very careful saying “God spoke to me.” Proverbs 14:12 explains why. There is a path that seems right to man that ends in death. So, what do we do about this and how do we make sure to stay on the right path?

I have four processes that will help you know what to do with God’s whispers and promptings and will give you confidence that you're moving in the right direction.

1. Make sure what you believe you have heard lines up with the Bible. God will not contradict his word. He has the right to say something is right or something is wrong but He will not go against His own word. 
2. Ask yourself if what you feel God is telling you will make you more like Christ. The more you know God the more you’ll become like Him. Let him work on your attitude and on your decision making and choices. Read the Bible, listen to messages about God, go to a new believer’s class, discover your purpose. Our goal is to become like Christ and the decision you are making should draw you in the direction of that goal. Philippians 2:5, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” James 3:17-18 explains this mindset, “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”
3. Another way to know if it is God speaking is through godly counsel. Do you have agreement with people you know who follow God and whom you trust? There's power in agreement. Proverbs 12:15 enforces this, “The wise listen to others.” Proverbs 19:20-21 says it another way, “Take good counsel and accept correction— that’s the way to live wisely and well. We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails.” Don’t keep trying to get God to say what you want to hear. If you don't get agreement, stop. Do what God is telling you to do or stop doing what God is telling you to stop.
4. A fourth way to know you are hearing from God is His peace. As a Christ follower, we have the Holy Spirit living on the inside. God inside of us! Think of it! So, we know we are hearing from God when we have peace, a peace the world can't give us. God is not a God of disorder but of peace - 1 Corinthians 14:33. Even if something looks like it lands in the “do” file based on your pro/con list, if you don’t have peace, don’t do it. Remember, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7). 

Each of these processes is important on its own, but if all four line up, you can have confidence that you're on the right track.

Tune into God everyday. Read your Bible, not just to check off your list, but to lead you to the person of the Bible so that you can tune in to His character. As we get to know Him, we can hear His voice more clearly. We become familiar with His voice and we will know how to follow Him. We also must tune out the other stuff. Actively shut down the voices that oppose God. We need to get far away from those things that are not of God. Tune in, tune out, and the closer you get to God, the clearer His voice is. Choose a “God-first life” and you will be amazed at what He is speaking to you.