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As a born-again Christian and a child of God, you must understand how to distinguish God’s voice from others.
You are viewing: How To Know When God Is Speaking To You
God is constantly speaking to us in various ways, but it is easy to become confused and overwhelmed.
The only way to honestly tell apart God’s voice is to understand and recognize the signs God is speaking to you.
God can speak to us in several ways, through his word, our thoughts, an inner voice, dreams, angels, and even directly.
However, while God speaks, other voices also speak. This could be our thoughts, the voices of others, or the enemy’s voice.2 Corinthians 11:14 NLT says But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Satan is cunning, and he may take on any form to mislead us. It can be challenging to distinguish between the devil’s voice from the voice of God, and presuming the wrong one could lead to devastating consequences. It can lead to costly errors that can alter the course of your life.
God promised to show Samuel who to choose when he went to Jesse’s house to anoint the next King of Israel. When Samuel arrived at Jesse’s house, he saw Eliab and thought to himself, “This is undoubtedly the Lord’s anointed.”
Samuel would have mistaken his thoughts or views for God’s will if God had not spoken and told him that Eliab had been rejected. God had rejected Eliab, and it would have been a grave mistake to choose him as the next king.
John 10:27 NLT says My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. When it comes to crucial life decisions like your profession, relationships, or beginning a ministry, it’s vital to carefully assess that this is God’s voice and His will for your life.
The closer you get in your relationship with God, the more it is easier to recognize the signs God is speaking to you.
It is not enough to understand that God is speaking to you; you must also be willing to listen to what he has to say.
Do you remember the story of Adam and Eve? God clearly spoke to them, telling them not to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. There was no doubt in their minds that God was speaking to them, but they refused to listen. Another example is the story of Jonah.
God told him to go to the city of Nineveh and tell them that he would destroy them because they did not repent. Instead of doing this, Jonah chose to run away. He tried to run away from God.
Sometimes we make the same mistake that Jonah made. We try to run away from what we know God is saying to us, forgetting that no one can run from his presence. Perhaps God is telling you to begin your divine assignment of winning souls for him.
Don’t Ignore his call and try to run away. I pray that when you begin to notice the signs that God is speaking to you, you will recognize and pay heed to them.
When God gives us the green light to go, nothing can stop us. Who else can offer us direction if not God? He knows the end from the beginning; he is the alpha and omega; he knows what will happen way before it happens.
Isaiah 30:21NLT says Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you, a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.
Several people were given signs in the Bible; some asked from the Lord and somewhere instigated by God. The story of Gideon is a well-known biblical story regarding asking for signs.
Judges 6:17 says Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. Even after realizing he was speaking to an angel of the Lord, he still went ahead to ask for signs.
He requested that the wool on the threshing floor be wet with dew and the floor dry. He then asked that the wool be dry while the floor was wet, and God granted both requests.
Abraham’s servant, for example, prayed to God for a sign so he could choose a wife for his master’s son Isaac.
He asked God to send a woman who would agree to give him water and give his camels water. This was no small task, as drawing water from a well for a stranger and ten camels would require a significant amount of effort.
Nevertheless, a woman with a decent heart and a compassionate heart would agree to such an arrangement. Apart from these two, other believers received signs from God.
God willingly gave these people the signs they asked for because they asked with humility and believed he could do it. However, in Matthew 16, Jesus denied the Pharisees the sign that they demanded.
I used the word demanded because that is what the Pharisees did; they demanded a sign and did not ask with humility like Abraham’s servant or Gideon. They asked with entitlement.
Even if Jesus had performed a sign for them, they still wouldn’t have believed. They would have said he was using some demonic voodoo.
Matthew 16:1-4 NLT says One day, the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.
He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’
You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times! Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Then Jesus left them and went away.
Not only did they demand the sign to test God, which the Bible condemns. They also inquired because they lacked spiritual discernment and doubted Jesus’ authority.
Although Jesus had previously performed numerous miracles among them, they still had doubts about who he was, which is why he refused to give them a sign.
Although we may not receive direct signs such as Moses’ burning bush or Gideon’s wet wool fleece without drenching the floor, there are still signs you can look for to identify God’s voice and detect the signs God is speaking to you. Below are fifteen examples of these signs.
15 Signs God Is Speaking To You
1. It Is Compatible With God’s Word
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How do you know when God is speaking to your heart? If it is compatible with God’s word, that is the best response to this question.
Something is wrong if what you hear does not match what is written in the Bible. That is not God’s voice. The Bible is the voice of God written down for our admonition.
Anything identified as a sin in the Bible is still a sin today, regardless of society’s views. Compatibility with God’s word is one of the most apparent signs you can ask for; if what you hear matches what he says, you can be confident it is from him
This is why it is important to study God’s word intricately and know his will; when you study your Bible daily and spend time in his presence, you become closer to him, and you genuinely know his will.
Moreover, as I said earlier, the more you grow in Christ, the better you can clearly discern his voice.
2. It Brings You Closer To Repentance
You will definitely know that God is speaking to you when what you hear from God brings you closer to repentance. God wishes that we all make heaven; he does not want to see any of us; his little sheep go astray.
Similar to the story of the prodigal son, he is always there with arms open, ready to welcome us back whenever we go back to him.
God is ever faithful and merciful, the Bible says in Revelation 3:20 NKJV. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Therefore, when you hear an inner voice or a dream bringing you back home urging you to repent and redeem your relationship with God, then it is definitely the voice of God.
3. You Hear The Same Thing From Others
Sometimes God can confirm what he said to us by speaking to those around us instead of directly.
Usually, ministers who began a church or ministry would tell you about how God showed them and the Pastor of their Church that he wanted them to leave the church they were in currently and start their own.
That way, there is no confusion, and God is not the author of confusion; he has the power to speak to various sources to reassure and reinforce his word.
It’s beautiful for Christians to have a community of believers who can encourage and assist us when our faith falters. I Thessalonians 5:11 NKJV says Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
God can use the people around us to deliver his messages to us. Therefore, when you hear the same thing from other sources or multiple sources, you can be sure that it is a confirmation that it is from God.
4. It Gives You Peace
One of the signs God is speaking to you is when what you hear gives you peace of mind. There is serenity and calmness rather than confusion in your decision.
You know in your heart because it feels right. When God speaks to you, no guilt comes with the decision you make. In fact, you feel free.
God promises to give us peace that passes understanding, so if what you hear makes you uncomfortable, then it is probably not from God.
5. A Strong/ Sudden Conviction
God speaks to his children sometimes with an inner voice. 1 Kings 19:12 NKJV says And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire a still small voice.
God can speak to us with a still small voice just as he spoke to Elijah. You suddenly have a strong desire to take action.
It is sometimes unexplainable; you just get this nagging urge to do something, which you can’t ignore no matter how hard you try.
It may be a nudge for you to begin evangelism and sharing the gospel, it may be God pressing you to go to a specific location, or it may be a nudge to call someone. That is something God is directing you to do.
6. A Strong Prompt To Pray
The urge to pray is one of the signs God is speaking to you. It comes as strong as the sudden conviction we talked about above.
It is critical to never dismiss the need to pray; prayer is both a master key and kryptonite for the enemy. One of God’s ways of shielding us from approaching danger is to inspire us to pray.
Do not dismiss this sign from God, no matter how tired you are. Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 NKJV
7. It Leads To The Advancement Of The Gospel
When what you hear from God leads to the gospel’s advancement, that’s another proof he’s communicating to you.
God’s Great Commission is for us to preach the gospel to everyone. Therefore, it is most likely from God if what you hear from Him leads to you winning more souls for Christ.
2 Peter 3:9 NIV says The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
8. Road Blocks/ Detours
One of the Signs God is speaking to you is when you keep having roadblocks or disturbances.
God might be warning you against something or someone. It might be challenging to accept a firm no from God, but he knows what is best for you.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV says For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Those disappointments or detours are blessings because he has something better in store for you. He has bigger and greater plans for you. So do not ignore this sign.
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1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV says, However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him.
9. It Leads To A Step Of Faith
You can tell that God is speaking to you when it leads to a step of faith. After Gideon confirmed from God that he was the one speaking to him, He hard to match the Army of Israel to war.
Gideon had as many as 33,000 soldiers to take down the Moabite army, but God told him that the men he had with him were too much. God told Gideon to lead his people to battle with only 300 warriors.
The Israelites were going to face a vast Moabite army which just 300 people. This required complete faith and trust in God. Another Bible character we can examine is Abraham.
God told Abraham to leave his hometown, his comfort zone, and travel to a place he had never visited before.
Blindly trusting God, Abraham packed his belongings and left. It is God speaking to you when what you hear from God is a sign for you to place your whole trust in Him.
10. A Verse Repeats Itself In Your Heart
When a bible verse you’ve read starts repeating itself quite often in your heart, you know God is communicating to you. It’s suddenly not about David or Goliath or Paul or Silas, but about you.
You can sense that that bible verse contains all the solutions to your questions.
You feel a stronger connection to that text, which you may have read hundreds of times before, but God opens your eyes to a new level of understanding. When this happens, You know it’s an indication that God is speaking to you.
11. A Dream Or Vision
God is speaking to you when you have a clear dream or vision. God communicates with us in various ways, one of which is through dreams and visions.
Some dreams don’t need much interpretation because they’re so precise and clear. Especially when God verifies something you’ve been wondering about and praying for His guidance on, you can be sure he is communicating with you.
12. You Can Not Stop A Prayer
A prayer point you can’t seem to stop is one of God’s prompts you shouldn’t disregard. It could be the key to opening the door to the next stage of your life.
That prayer point could be precisely what you need to solve any issues you’re facing. When praying, make sure you’re connected to God and don’t pray religiously, mumbling incoherent words.
When your heart and spirit are connected to God, you will be able to hear God speak to you.
Prayer is an opportunity to interact with God, and if we’re the only ones talking, we’re not communicating correctly.
Matthew 6:7 NLT Says, “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.
13. When It Encourages You To Forgive
One of the signs God is speaking to you is when you are encouraged to forgive someone. For example, the Bible says in Matthew 6:14-15 NLT, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. You have to learn to forgive and let go of all hurt, no matter how badly hurt you are.
Unforgiveness and holding grudges can hurt you and affect your relationship with God. Do not ignore the sign from God to forgive someone, be at peace with everyone
14. When A Sermon Strikes You
Just like the bible verse, you can tell that God is speaking to you through his word from a pastor or minister.
It begins to feel like you are the only one in the room with the preacher, and what he says directly hits your heart.
It might be a word of encouragement or a call to repentance. God can speak to you through sermons and preachings. It is essential to open your heart and not be distracted in the presence of God.
It is also crucial that we spend time growing in his presence in fellowship with other believers. Hebrews 10:25 NLT says And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
You can also listen to sermons online or on the TV or read faith-based articles and books inspired by God. As long as your heart and soul are receptive, you will receive from him.
15. When God Confirms It
This is one of the most evident signs God is speaking to you. When God directly confirms it, there is no longer any source of confusion.
Gideon asked God directly to show him a sign that this conquest was from him, and God did. You, too, can do the same thing. Ask God to show you what he wants you to do.
Conclusion
It’s not enough to discern the Signs God is speaking to you. You must also adhere to them.
Therefore, I pray that God grants you the ability to recognize his voice and that he assists you in obeying his commandments.
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