How can we know God's "voice?"

[Guest]

It is common within Christian circles to talk about the "voice" of God. That is, a feeling, sense, or some other form of inclination that God is directing a person towards something (e.g., a thought, an action, etc.). How can we as believers know this voice? That is, how can we know the voice is from God and not ourselves, culture, someone or something else? Or, to restate the question another way, what are the markers or attributes of God's voice which let us know it is God's voice?

 

[Aero_Hudson]

I am a relatively new Christian but thought I could throw out my 2 cents on this one even though I have little experience at this point.

Personally, I don't think one event or thing can tell you that God is speaking to you. However, if you have mutliple experiences, conversations, cooincidences, that point you to one thing I feel that can be linked to God.

Let me give an example. I have been praying quite a bit lately for God to show me in some way how he wants me to serve him. Now that I am a new Christian, God, what do you want me to do. I have been praying for over 2 weeks now. The following things happened that I feel is God leading me down the path to figure it out.

- I have been attending a Vineyard church in Cincinnati that is about a 40 minute drive. My wife recommended that I try a church closer and knew there was a Vineyard church 5 minutes from our house.

- I went to this church and the theme of the celebration was surrounding baseball and the thought that all Christians are on God's team to help others find God and Jesus and to also live a outward focused life.

- I decided to visit the bookstore and came across a book about the International Justice Mission focused on helping slaves and other abused people across the world liberate themselves. I bought it, read it and was compelled to visit their website.

That is where I am now. I truly believe that this course of events has been guided / inspired by God to open me up to different ways that I can make a difference and serve him. This may be a bad example and some may think I am telling myself stories on this one but I get this very strong feeling that God is guding me right now and I am listening.

Aero out!

 

[Orion]

This question is the center of my own religious confusion and questioning. We CANNOT know for sure if it is "from God". No sense or feeling, even if it SEEMS right, can be assured that it has any other origin than our own mind. You may SAY that you "know that you know", which is a common phrase in christian circles, . . . but in reality, you can't.

What's the answer then? . . . . . . . Unfortunately, there can't be one. We are in the natural. Unless Jesus personally, and completely convincingly, appears to his followers (something which he can do, and would be nothing wrong IN doing), we are ALL left to our own assumptions. 100%

 

[Caroline H]

This question is the center of my own religious confusion and questioning. We CANNOT know for sure if it is "from God". No sense or feeling, even if it SEEMS right, can be assured that it has any other origin than our own mind. You may SAY that you "know that you know", which is a common phrase in christian circles, . . . but in reality, you can't.

What's the answer then? . . . . . . . Unfortunately, there can't be one. We are in the natural. Unless Jesus personally, and completely convincingly, appears to his followers (something which he can do, and would be nothing wrong IN doing), we are ALL left to our own assumptions. 100%

I disagree Orion, and am sorry you feel that way. I have been a Christian for 21 years, and for me it used to feel that same way. I thought that surely you could never be sure if God was speaking to you, or if it was your own mind. But over the years I have come to grow in my faith, and through the many various dealings that God has had with me I have come to recognize when it is my own thoughts and when it is God's voice in my heart. John 10 records a parable that Jesus gave his apostles about sheep. He said that the shepherd goes before his sheep, and his sheep follow because they know his voice (my paraphrase, John 10:4). I think it is like anything else, with practice you can know for sure if it is His voice.

I think that to tell someone that you can't ever know for sure when God is talking to you is misleading and can be damaging to someone's faith, and is against what Jesus taught. You should pray for God to help you to recognize His voice, don't you think that He want's you to be able to hear Him? I would think it a sad and lonely existence to be a Christian in this life and never know for sure if I ever heard my Father speak to me, and I absolutely believe that it must sadden God to speak to us and we not believe it is Him :verysad

God bless,

 

[Joe67]

caromurp,

Amen and amen.

Joe

 

[follower of Christ]

Fantastic topic Minnesota

Im sure we've all heard pastors and televangelists saying 'God says...' or 'God is telling me......'
But in many of those cases the things these men do and say are so godless that is obvious to most that it really isnt anything beyond their own vain imaginations speaking.

I made it a big point in my own walk to NEVER say God is telling me something or saying something to me.
Even when Ive been certain that it was, I try to keep in a habit of not saying it is because I dont want to end up like those guys who every whim they have is 'god' speaking.

We have to be very careful about it because in the OT it seems that some prophets were claiming that God was speaking and He says He wasnt speaking at all.

When I think God is speaking to me I generally spend a LOT of time in His word and in prayer before acting on anything. He really has to hit me with a lightning bolt if its something He is wanting me to move on quickly because I want to be absolutely certain that Im not just making things up myself in my own mind.

What Ive found is that in general when God has told me something MOST of the time it is confirmed by some really odd circumstance that I cant easily dismiss. I still look for other things to try to discern it as well, tho, so its not just coincidence.

 

[Orion]

I disagree Orion, and am sorry you feel that way. I have been a Christian for 21 years, and for me it used to feel that same way. I thought that surely you could never be sure if God was speaking to you, or if it was your own mind. But over the years I have come to grow in my faith, and through the many various dealings that God has had with me I have come to recognize when it is my own thoughts and when it is God's voice in my heart. John 10 records a parable that Jesus gave his apostles about sheep. He said that the shepherd goes before his sheep, and his sheep follow because they know his voice (my paraphrase, John 10:4). I think it is like anything else, with practice you can know for sure if it is His voice.

I think that to tell someone that you can't ever know for sure when God is talking to you is misleading and can be damaging to someone's faith, and is against what Jesus taught. You should pray for God to help you to recognize His voice, don't you think that He want's you to be able to hear Him? I would think it a sad and lonely existence to be a Christian in this life and never know for sure if I ever heard my Father speak to me, and I absolutely believe that it must sadden God to speak to us and we not believe it is Him :verysad

God bless,

You can surely disagree with me, . . . but that doesn't mean that you ARE hearing from God, regardless of how certain you are. Any learned behavior can appear to be more than it is.

However, having said that, . . . you're right that it IS sad that I don't hear from God. I'd like to, but relying ONLY on "faith that what I'm hearing IS from God" is hardly enough. I would need something much more concrete before saying, "Yes, . . . THAT was God, for sure." Pity me if you must, but as it is, God doesn't attempt to reach me in any way that I PERSONALLY see AS an attempt, so what am I supposed to do? "Play the game" when I know inside that it isn't real? Wouldn't that be the same as me lying to myself? Wouldn't it be a deception? I'll answer my own question. Yes, it would be.

 

[merlow]

I think that to tell someone that you can't ever know for sure when God is talking to you is misleading and can be damaging to someone's faith, and is against what Jesus taught. You should pray for God to help you to recognize His voice, don't you think that He want's you to be able to hear Him? I would think it a sad and lonely existence to be a Christian in this life and never know for sure if I ever heard my Father speak to me, and I absolutely believe that it must sadden God to speak to us and we not believe it is Him :verysad

God bless,

It's great that you can hear from God. I just want to know what you mean by "His voice". Do you actually hear a voice outside of your head? Do you hear a voice in your head? Is it just a feeling? A peace?

 

[JoJo]

This question is the center of my own religious confusion and questioning. We CANNOT know for sure if it is "from God". No sense or feeling, even if it SEEMS right, can be assured that it has any other origin than our own mind. You may SAY that you "know that you know", which is a common phrase in christian circles, . . . but in reality, you can't.

What's the answer then? . . . . . . . Unfortunately, there can't be one. We are in the natural. Unless Jesus personally, and completely convincingly, appears to his followers (something which he can do, and would be nothing wrong IN doing), we are ALL left to our own assumptions. 100%

I disagree Orion, and am sorry you feel that way. I have been a Christian for 21 years, and for me it used to feel that same way. I thought that surely you could never be sure if God was speaking to you, or if it was your own mind. But over the years I have come to grow in my faith, and through the many various dealings that God has had with me I have come to recognize when it is my own thoughts and when it is God's voice in my heart. John 10 records a parable that Jesus gave his apostles about sheep. He said that the shepherd goes before his sheep, and his sheep follow because they know his voice (my paraphrase, John 10:4). I think it is like anything else, with practice you can know for sure if it is His voice.

I think that to tell someone that you can't ever know for sure when God is talking to you is misleading and can be damaging to someone's faith, and is against what Jesus taught. You should pray for God to help you to recognize His voice, don't you think that He want's you to be able to hear Him? I would think it a sad and lonely existence to be a Christian in this life and never know for sure if I ever heard my Father speak to me, and I absolutely believe that it must sadden God to speak to us and we not believe it is Him :verysad

God bless,

 

[JoJo]

It's great that you can hear from God. I just want to know what you mean by "His voice". Do you actually hear a voice outside of your head? Do you hear a voice in your head? Is it just a feeling? A peace?

For me, it's in thought form.

For instance, when my son was first diagnosed with cancer and was still in ICU, I asked the Lord if my son was going to die. I wanted to know so that I could be somewhat prepared. Several times, I received this "thought": "Your son will live. Your son will live. Your son will live." And once, "I didn't bring him to the hospital to die. I brought him there to be healed and to live." I recognized the Lord's voice in these statements, but hindsight (my son did live and is still in remission 3 years later) tells me, without a doubt, that I was hearing from God. Praise Him!

Some may chalk it all up to coincidence or wishful thinking. To them I say: I'm sorry you feel that way. I pray you will one day experience the same comfort from the Lord's voice.

 

[Caroline H]

I think that to tell someone that you can't ever know for sure when God is talking to you is misleading and can be damaging to someone's faith, and is against what Jesus taught. You should pray for God to help you to recognize His voice, don't you think that He want's you to be able to hear Him? I would think it a sad and lonely existence to be a Christian in this life and never know for sure if I ever heard my Father speak to me, and I absolutely believe that it must sadden God to speak to us and we not believe it is Him :verysad

God bless,

It's great that you can hear from God. I just want to know what you mean by "His voice". Do you actually hear a voice outside of your head? Do you hear a voice in your head? Is it just a feeling? A peace?

For me, like JoJo, it is in thought form. But not just a thought, like ones I think, it is a complete and finished thought all at once...before I even have a chance to even think of thinking, as though someone else used my mind to think and I simply observed. It's really hard to explain . He doesn't speak like this to me every day, and I could probably count the times it has happened on one hand.

 

[follower of Christ]

It's great that you can hear from God. I just want to know what you mean by "His voice". Do you actually hear a voice outside of your head? Do you hear a voice in your head? Is it just a feeling? A peace?

it depends.
Ive had a very quiet 'thought' that I knew wasnt me.
Ive had the thought and the peace as well.
Ive had a voice come into my head that I could 'hear' inside my mind, but not with my ears if that makes sense.
Ive had very strong words put into my mind that took me off guard and freaked me out, including once where I was being chastised in a very direct way for something I said....and at the same time the brakes on my car locked up and the car screeched a stop.
It was bad because I had just said that it may be better if this very vile woman I knew would just die and get it over with. I was a very young Christian then. As soon as the words left my mouth I could hear a voice in my mind rebuking me and at the same time the brakes froze up. I was on a road that didnt have stop sign for at least 2-3 miles in either direction...no lights, no tracks...just road. Ive driven it a thousand times and never had a problem. And I drive with one foot, not two, so my foot was on the gas, not the brake. So Ive had even physical manifestations that went along with the 'voice' I could hear in my mind.
It was something that taught me that, like Jonah, it doesnt matter how *I* feel about someone and what I think is evil about them. Their life and death are GODS to decide and MY attitude needed to be like Christs...'Father forgive them'...instead of what it was.

God speaks to those He knows are listening in different ways.

 

[Joe67]

When God speaks to us he is fulfilling his new covenant promise:

Heb 8:10-12
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. KJV

His voice is speaking to us through the blood of Jesus from the new Jerusalem that is above.

Heb 12:22-26
22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: KJV

Joe

 

[Guest]

It seems the general conclusion keeps suggesting one will simply know. Granted, others have hinted at ideas of external confirmation, but the general notion seems to be that one will simply know. Would that be a fair summary? Thus far, anyway.

 

[Hawkins]

God knows every individual's belief system, He knows more clearly than ourselves do. So He can choose any method to "talk" to us. "Voice" is commonly refered to as the whisper guidance from the Holy Spirit. As long as you pay attention and believe in Him, the Holy Spirit will give out guidance very often.

From my speculation, God no longer speaks to us sinners with true voice, say, voice in English or Greek or Hebrew nowadays. Perhaps in ancient times He still speaks to humans with Hebrew or perhaps ancient greek. ( if you'll be able to speak to any other spirits, you'll be surprised that they may speak your native tongue ;) )

And I believe that He has ways to deliver messages to His messagers. In modern terms, it's more or less pattern recognition. More importantly, messages can be confirmed by miracles, signs and prophecies closely related to the messages delivered. Please notice that miracles and prophecies are external to human brains, they are human brain independent. And more importantly, usually and in a from, witnesses are needed. That is, witnessed miracles and prophecies can be used to confirm His own messages.

Act 14:3
So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.

And I believe that He also has ways to deliver messages in a mass, and truly complicated form. When you are led to read messages of this kind, you have to sort messages by their importance instead of their sequence of occurance, or else you'll be missing the important ones. Sequence of occurance, somehow, is not important ;) .

 

[Sparkey]

We are told to repent and be baptized and we shall receive the Gift of the Father.

To answer the question about how we might be able to "know" God's voice, if we believe on the one who is sent we are able to understand. Jesus said, "My sheep know my voice and will not follow another."

How can we know God's voice? Some can't.

If we ask our own dads here on earth for a good gift, will he give us a stone? How much more so does our heavenly Father know how to give good gifts to His children!

 

[whirlwind]

I heard a voice one time. He called my name and it awakened me out of a deep sleep. It was firm and strong but not loud. I sat straight up in bed looking around for someone but with no fear. No one was there except my husband who was fast asleep beside me....and it never happened again. I am often awakened at 11:44, 1:14, 4:44, etc. or see those numbers during the day...all 1 & 4's in all combinations. A sign? Yes, I think so.

I read the following verse after that experience and was astounded....

John 10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

As I read His Word suddenly a revelation is opened. At times it is so strong I am shaken and have to get up from my chair. Now, I just smile and thank Him but...I know He is speaking through His Word.

 

[mondar]

This question is the center of my own religious confusion and questioning. We CANNOT know for sure if it is "from God". No sense or feeling, even if it SEEMS right, can be assured that it has any other origin than our own mind. You may SAY that you "know that you know", which is a common phrase in christian circles, . . . but in reality, you can't.

What's the answer then? . . . . . . . Unfortunately, there can't be one. We are in the natural. Unless Jesus personally, and completely convincingly, appears to his followers (something which he can do, and would be nothing wrong IN doing), we are ALL left to our own assumptions. 100%

I disagree Orion, and am sorry you feel that way. I have been a Christian for 21 years, and for me it used to feel that same way....

Oh well, maybe you can feel sorry for me too. I have no problem with what Orion said. However, I doubt Orion and I agree on the "voice" of God either.

I am not looking to enter any debates, but I am curious how many who are convinced of sola scriptura would see any further special revelation as a violation of sola scriptura?

 

[follower of Christ]

I am not looking to enter any debates, but I am curious how many who are convinced of sola scriptura would see any further special revelation as a violation of sola scriptura?

God giving us individual direction in our UNIQUE situation is not the same as trying to give 'inspired instruction' to the church.

 

[mondar]

I am not looking to enter any debates, but I am curious how many who are convinced of sola scriptura would see any further special revelation as a violation of sola scriptura?

God giving us individual direction in our UNIQUE situation is not the same as trying to give 'inspired instruction' to the church.

If I understand you correctly, you seem to be claiming that you believe sola sciptura to be correct doctrine, but also have an infallible authority outside scripture for our "UNIQUE situation."

I suspect you see the term..... "sola scritpura"....... as merely suggesting the the bible is an infallible and inerrant authority, but that there are others. Would you not be missing the "sola" part of the definition? The bible "alone" is the only infallible authority for faith and practice.