Hearing & Knowing His Voice....

[Diplomat]

For those of you to whom this applies, much mention have been made of prayer and listening to God. Amidst the hustle and bustle, as well as the other "voices" - noises if you will - how do you know, and can tell, when it is His voice?

[sistagirl]

Re: Hearing & Knowing His Voice....

Here is what I DON'T know... when it happens to you the first time, is it always unmistakable? or will you have doubt. (I can only speak on my first experience and it was unmistakeable)
It probably depends on the particular experience.

I DO know that no matter where you are in your walk you must pray for a spirit of discernment and even those who think they are strong in their walk can be deceived.

[Diplomat]

Re: Hearing & Knowing His Voice....

sistagirl: If you are able to recognize it the first time, doesn't it stand to reason that you should be able to recognize it afterwards? While it is true that the best of us can be deceived, I am thinking of John 10:14 "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.", as well as v.27 "My sheep hear my voice...". I really do think that the ability to know and hear comes from habitually spending intimate times with Him and getting to know what He sounds like.

In Romans 12:1,2 Paul reminds us: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." This suggests to me that it is only through a change in our way of thinking (our thoughts, our ways of doing things) and getting in tune with His way that we are best able to hear and know His voice. It really isn't easy.

[sistagirl]

Re: Hearing & Knowing His Voice....

Yes CEW I do believe that but since no one has shared thier experience I only have my experience to go by and I do not want to be presumptuous and say that EVERYONE knew it was His voice ..I don't know others experiences.

The first time I heard the voice of God I nearly fell out my skin there was no doubt in my mind what had happened. That experience and one other life altering instance prepared me to listen and be discerning because in those moments I quickly learned how lives can be affected if we don't listen. I have no choice now but to know and that is not an easy thing.

What do you believe CEW and what have your experiences been with hearing?

[Diplomat]

Re: Hearing & Knowing His Voice....

I have to admit that for me it is simply a matter of knowing, and I really cannot explain it adequately. My experiences are of such that whether it be in a moment of quietness, or during the hustle and bustle of the day, whenever God speaks there is absolutely no doubt in my mind who it is. There are times I do things in obedience to "that little voice" and more times than I care to recall, what was done was exactly what was needed to be done.

The other thing also is that there is a measure of peace once the voice speaks. If it is something I have been praying about, once the answer comes, and even if it it is not necessarily what I wanted to hear, there is a settledness about it that is hard for me to explain. Not anxiety, but settledness that trusts the soverignty of God.

I find the same thing applies in my writings. As a writer, I refuse to write an article that I am not convinced is God directed. There is the usual prep work of asking for direction, and sometimes something will come to mind and there is a direct "No, that is not it" that swells on the inside. Through various circumstances - conversations, a song, a message - sometimes I will hear a "That's it", and it never fails. Other times a title for the article forms in my mind and there is a knowing that it is the one I should use. Sometimes confirmation also comes through various channels that leaves no room for doubt.

I would imagine each person have their own experience. The only thing I can say is that I really do try to tune my spiritual antennae to the Holy Spirit as I do think it is He that communicates God's mind to us. It is hard to explain but when He speaks, I know it is Him. What I am also sure about is that He will not direct us into anything contrary to His Word, so "testing" what you hear if you are not sure is never a bad idea either.

[sistagirl]

Re: Hearing & Knowing His Voice....

I am so filled right now reading that CEW that I am near tears. I so understand what you write and it is the first testimony I have ever heard in regards to hearing the Holy Spirit ..I often say that your testimony is not your own because I was taught that but CEW *I* needed to hear that. That peacefulness even during chaoticness is my rock that I cling to when I am not sure you see once you hear His voice and follow, satan is right behind and I am careful to hear, but when His peace comes?!!

CEW, THAT was for me...thank you.

[Diplomat]

Re: Hearing & Knowing His Voice....

I understand the emotion, and what I shared with you is simply a testimony of the "inner voice" directing my thoughts. I am glad that you have been helped by our exchange.

[sistagirl]

Re: Hearing & Knowing His Voice....

Back to the top so Compry can join the discussion [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Guest]

Re: Hearing & Knowing His Voice....

Originally posted by sistagirl:
[qb] Back to the top so Compry can join the discussion [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] [/qb]

No need to Sistagirl...seems you and my friend have it under control. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

there is a measure of peace once the voice speaks

Also, if you're about to make a decison that is contrary to God's word and you experience an uneasy feeling...that's God.

[neutral]

Re: Hearing & Knowing His Voice....

Originally posted by CEW:
[qb] For those of you to whom this applies, much mention have been made of prayer and listening to God. Amidst the hustle and bustle, as well as the other "voices" - noises if you will - how do you know, and can tell, when it is His voice? [/qb]

I too used to hear the odd "voices",but I guess I am better now,..I switched to a different dealer,dont smoke that brand no more [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[sistagirl]

Re: Hearing & Knowing His Voice....

Oh, Compry I thought you wanted to continue a discussion we were having in the HIV thread...you said in regards to couples, you strongly believed that if God speaks to one person and reveals to them who their life partner is that He will reveal it to the other...

Your belief is what?

[Diplomat]

Re: Hearing & Knowing His Voice....

sistagirl: I have to side with Compry on this one. Where courtship is involved, it would be utter confusion if God revealed His will to just to just one of the parties. I do think however that there are times when one person may know before the other, and if the spiritual antennae is tuned properly, the knowing party will know when to proceed. The fact that one knows something does not mean the time of its manifestation is immediate. Ultimately, God will reveal His will to the other party. The knowing party simply have to exercise patience, trust God with what He placed in his/her heart, and be careful not to get ahead of themselves.

[LINDA]

Re: Hearing & Knowing His Voice....

Hello CEW, i was wondering are u a minister? U seem very knowledgeable of God's Word. Well, even if you are not, i want to ask you a question...is it ever possible to "mistake" God putting something on your heart? Like for instance, what you were saying above, the other person doesn't know yet....but u think God put it on your heart...but in your head you're like, no way is THAT person supposed to be my life partner because you feel like this about them. Could it have just been a mistake that you thought it came from God?

[sistagirl]

Re: Hearing & Knowing His Voice....

Originally posted by CEW:
[qb] sistagirl: I have to side with Compry on this one. Where courtship is involved, it would be utter confusion if God revealed His will to just to just one of the parties. I do think however that there are times when one person may know before the other, and if the spiritual antennae is tuned properly, the knowing party will know when to proceed. The fact that one knows something does not mean the time of its manifestation is immediate. Ultimately, God will reveal His will to the other party. The knowing party simply have to exercise patience, trust God with what He placed in his/her heart, and be careful not to get ahead of themselves. [/qb]

I agree that God will reveal His will at some point.. What I thought was being said is that BEFORE the knowing party does anything that the OTHER party must know too. That is what I disagreed with. If I had waited for God to reveal His plans to him (my husband)..I would have been disobedient.

I did not mean to imply that God would just tell ONE of them indefinately! My husband and I have had this conversation before and although confirmation has not come to him YET, he has mentioned that something that has made him believe immediately. That peace, that something that is truly unexplainable. How God can move like he does between us both for the same purpose is simply amazing.

Thank you CEW for making that clearer for me as I must have confused this somewhat. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Diplomat]

Re: Hearing & Knowing His Voice....

LINDA: Thank you for the compliments. I do have a passion for the Word, have completed 3 years of Bible Training, and do enjoy the opportunities I have had to minister the Word.

[qb]...is it ever possible to "mistake" God putting something on your heart? Like for instance, what you were saying above, the other person doesn't know yet....but u think God put it on your heart...but in your head you're like, no way is THAT person supposed to be my life partner because you feel like this about them. Could it have just been a mistake that you thought it came from God? [/qb]

It IS possible to make mistakes, and many people have made them in thinking that God has spoken when in fact He has not. There are times when what He tell us seems so far-fetched that we are tempted to think it could not be Him. Remember Sarah laughed in disbelief when told she was going to have a child in her old age!

In the scenario you described, the bigger question would be: Why would the person think it was a mistake? Is it that the other person was *better* than what they thought they deserved, or that the person was not good enough? If we go into prayer with preconceived notions/ideas, we are likely to run into problems. Once we pray "Not my will, but thy will be done", we have to be prepared for anything, even that which we initially thought was not good enough, or far more than we deserve. Consider however that that is what *we* are thinking. It doesn't necessarily mean that God agrees.