How confident do you feel right now in your ability to hear and know God’s voice?
God wants each of us to hear and know His voice for ourselves. But many times, we don’t always know what to listen for.
God makes it clear that He has confidence in our ability to hear Him!
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)
God believes you’ll know His voice when He calls to you.
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’ “ (Isaiah 30:21)
If God has this much confidence in us to hear His voice, it’s time we gain that same confidence. Understanding a few of the different reasons God speaks will help us learn to recognize His voice in our daily lives.
1. God speaks instructions to us!
Have you ever had the experience of an idea popping into your head and you know there’s no way you could have thought that up on your own? You could be hearing the voice of the Lord.
A man in the Bible, named Jonah, knew He was hearing God’s voice but going to a town called Nineveh to preach to people was not exactly on his radar. So, he ran away from God’s instructions and he got swallowed by a giant fish in the process!
Many of us don’t act on what we’re hearing from God because we’re afraid. We’re afraid we might be hearing God incorrectly or we’re afraid to act on it. But don’t worry, because God is a God of second chances.
“Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.’ ” (Jonah 3:1-2)
Jonah went to Nineveh this time, and many people were shown God’s love and mercy.
2. God speaks encouragement to us!
God likes to let us know we’re on the right track. When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, as a sign that He was entering into His public ministry, God spoke from Heaven to confirm who Jesus was!
“A voice came from Heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased’.” (Mark 1:11)
God’s voice can feel like confirmation while you’re on your journey.
Remember, He won’t leave you or turn away from you. Listen for Him to confirm that you are exactly where you need to be, or if you need to switch direction!
3. God speaks destiny into our lives!
“So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:10)
When God called Moses to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Moses was an outcast to his people.
“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’” (Exodus 3:11)
It can be easy to miss the times when God speaks destiny to us if we feel like we’re not worthy.
“And God said, ‘I will be with you’.” (Exodus 3:12)
God is saying to you that He is with you and He has made you worthy!
I hope this brought some clarity to you, so you can see a few different reasons why God wants to speak to us.
If you want to grow in your ability to hear God, my new book, Hearing God Every Day: Understanding the Supernatural Ways God Speaks to Us. Published byDestiny Image, it will give you tools to hear how God speaks to you so you can apply what He says to your everyday life!
I want to encourage you to be confident and step out when God speaks to you. As you do this, the Lord will meet you with some amazing surprises that will deepen your intimacy with Him and give you a boost!
Doug Addison is the founder and president of InLight Connection. He is a prophetic speaker, author and coach. He is known for his Daily Prophetic Words, Spirit Connectionwebcast, podcast and blog. He and his wife Linda live in Los Angeles, California where they are impacting the arts, entertainment and media industries.
