Hearing God’s Voice: Seven Ways to Test a Voice

Don’t believe everything you hear just because someone says it is a message from God; test it first to see if it really is! 1 John 4:1 (LB)

Anyone who wants to do God’s will can test this teaching and know whether it’s from God or whether I’m making it up. John 7:17 (Msg)

The Bible tells us that the heart is deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9). In other words, our hearts are unreliable and we cannot always trust what they’re telling us. So how, then, can we know if what we’re hearing is from God? In today’s episode, we’ll discuss seven ways you can test a voice to discern if it’s from God.

1. DOES IT AGREE WITH THE BIBLE?

Luke 21:33 (NIV), Proverbs 12:19 (NLT), Galatians 1:8 (NLT)

2. DOES IT MAKE ME MORE LIKE CHRIST?

Philippians 2:5 (NCV), 2 Corinthians 10:5 (GW), James 3:14-17 (NIV)

3. DOES MY CHURCH FAMILY CONFIRM IT?

Ephesians 3:10 (NIV), Proverbs 11:9 (GN), Proverbs 11:14b (KJV)

4. IS IT CONSISTENT WITH HOW GOD HAS SHAPED ME?

Spiritual Gifts | Heart | Abilities | Personality | Experiences

Your SHAPE reveals significance!

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV), Romans 12:6 (LB)

5. DOES IT CONCERN MY RESPONSIBILITY?

John 21:22 (NIV), Romans 14:4 (NIV), Romans 14:10, 13 (Ph)

6. IS IT CONVICTING RATHER THAN CONDEMNING?

CONVICTION (from God) VS. CONDEMNATION (from Satan)

Conviction exposes what’s wrong, while condemnation attacks your value.

Romans 8:1 (NLT), Revelation 3:19 (Amp), Revelation 12:10 (NIV)

7. DO I SENSE GOD’S PEACE ABOUT IT?

We need God’s presence in the midst of fear and uncertainty.