The Voice of God
The Voice of God
When you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. (Matt. 6:6)
One day while on the phone with my friend Beth, I said, “A lady at church says she hears God’s ‘still, small voice’ all the time. Other women say that God told them to do something. I pray, and I love the Lord, but apparently I’m not plugged in like they are. I’ve never heard His voice. Have you?”
“No, but God doesn’t always speak audibly.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Sometimes with Scripture I sense Him showing me what it means and how to apply it to my life. Sometimes I feel a prompting to reach out to or pray for someone.”
“How do you know it’s from God and not yourself?” I asked.
“With the insights from Scripture, the thoughts that come are way beyond me spiritually. If a thought or feeling I have doesn’t contradict Scripture, it could be Him. If it would bring Him glory or further His kingdom, it probably is Him.”
“And if I feel prompted to pray, it’s probably God,” I said.
“Right. These are not things Satan would want you to do because they honor God. And of course, if you feel an urge to sin, that’s definitely not from God.”
“I think I’m beginning to understand this a little better.”
God speaks in different ways. But most often—maybe every single time—He will impress upon our hearts an internal prompting or insight that we know couldn’t have come from us. He will speak through Scripture, through the words of a sermon, through prayer, through quiet times alone with Him. If you aren’t sure, talk with a mature Christian friend about your impressions.