Recognizing God's Voice

February 2, 2024

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:17 NLT) 

A common question of many Christians is, "How can I know when God is speaking to me?"

John 10 tells us that His sheep listen to His voice. But, how do we listen to his voice? How do we know it’s God and not our own thoughts?

Learning to discern God’s voice is similar to how we learn to recognize anyone else’s voice… by knowing them and spending time with them. If someone close to you calls you on the phone, your child or your mother, or someone you are very close to and they start speaking, you know their voice. You recognize it immediately.

If you want to learn how to recognize God’s voice, it starts with growing your relationship with him. Through prayer and through reading His Word. He will often speak to His followers through prayer or through what he has already spoken in scripture.

You don’t hear God when your mind is filled with a thousand other distractions.

To hear God, you’ve got to get near God.

You have to get alone with God and be quiet.

The Bible says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NIV).

Sometimes we are too busy to hear that God is even speaking, or we are preoccupied with scrolling on our phones. We have to slow down enough to listen. We have to sit alone and just be quiet with our Bible and say, “God, is there anything you want to say to me?”

God speaks to people who take the time to listen — not just for a day but also on a regular basis. This is called a quiet time, and it is when we can have an intimate conversation with God.