“The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me.”
JESUS
Samuel’s point of view
I thought I was going crazy. I mean, I could literally hear a voice calling me. I told Eli about it and he said to answer the voice when next it called to me. Then, he spoke to me again . . .
“The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
1 Samuel 3:10 NIV
Like Samuel, some of you are waiting for your name to be called three times before you accept that GOD is speaking to you.
Quick question, why is it that you all love dramatic scenarios ?
Everyone (or almost everyone) wants to hear GOD like Samuel did or Balaam did. Or do you want to see a handwriting on the wall?
Can I shock you? It is 90% likely that GOD won’t speak to you in those ways.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not saying you should not desire to hear GOD in these ways. Neither am I saying that GOD doesn’t speak in these attention-catchy ways. I am simply saying that you should not restrict hearing from GOD to these ways.
GOD speaks to us in various ways.
I know what is on your mind now. How do I know who is speaking to me?
How to know when God is speaking to me
- Know the various ways through which GOD speaks. GOD speaks through His Word, inner witness (a deep knowing from inside), conscience, a small still voice, dreams, visions, through people and other ways. How GOD speaks isn’t limited to only these ways though. He could speak through a song or a book you’re reading or a post on social media.
- Know how GOD speaks to you. It might be one exact way everytime. It may be that so far, He has spoken to you via dreams but He wants to quickly warn you about an impending danger. I am 100% sure that He won’t blow air in your face saying, “Go to sleep my child! Papa wants to speak to you.” He will probably speak through a small still voice or someone to warn you quickly.
- Know that GOD speaks utmostly through His Word. Any of the ways GOD speaks to you, you should always confirm with GOD’S Word. GOD speaks expressly through His Son, Jesus who is the Word of GOD. So, even when you get prophesies or have dreams or get a word from your friend , please consult GOD’s Word to know God’s will concerning the matter. Then, pray about it.
“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.”
Hebrews 1:1-2 NIV
Whenever you don’t know who is speaking to you, ask yourself these questions :
Does it agree with GOD’S Word? Will GOD be proud of me if I did this? Is this the right thing to do?
Sometimes, GOD doesn’t necessarily have to say anything concerning a matter. He trusts you to do the right thing since you have the Holy Spirit in you.
Let me tell you a story…
Daniel had been having money issues. He did not have enough money to get anything he wanted. He could only afford what he needed. He went to the shopping mall to get provisions. After getting all he needed, he saw his favourite drink. About that time, the battle in his mind began. “Should I get it or not?” he thought to himself. “Go ahead and get it! It’s just a drink.” a voice said. “You don’t have enough money to get this. Just leave the mall“, another voice said. He was confused on which voice to follow.
Actually, common sense would have him leave the drink and save his money instead. If Daniel waited for GOD to say “My son, My son!” He would have grown beards waiting for the response.
Conclusion
So you see? It’s not so hard to distinguish GOD’s voice from your mind’s or the devil’s.
I trust you have been inspired. Please share this with your friends and those who have had confusion on this subject. Do you know how GOD speaks to you? Want to share how? Please do so in the comment box below as I always love to hear from you.
Gloryinspires 