God has made himself available to all of us because we now have a mediator in Jesus Christ who gives us access to God's presence and God's Spirit. As a result, we all now have access not just to experience God, but to actually hear Him speak to us.
Many people today claim to hear the voice of God, but how can we be certain that what we're hearing is God's voice? If not led well, people can be misled into hearing other things, such as personal preferences or possibly even the deception of the enemy, aside from God's voice. We need to make sure that what we hear are things that are of Christ.
Primarily, we hear God only through Jesus Christ. When we live Christ-centred lives, it becomes much easier to hear and discern the voice of God. In John 10:27, Jesus tells said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." Here are four non-negotiable signs that Jesus leads us to discern and know His voice more and more.
Submission to spiritual counsel. As a result of God's enabling grace, a heart that follows Christ will always look to spiritual leadership to confirm and affirm what God speaks to us. Hebrews 13:17 says, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you."
Looking at the time the young Samuel first heard God's voice (1 Samuel 3), the young prophet discerned the voice of God because he was obedient to Eli and consequently to God's voice.
Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. John 14:26 says, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." Through Christ, we can now gain access to the Holy Spirit who is more than willing and ready to in-fill us with His presence and His gifts.
Some of the gifts the Holy Spirit gives us are the gifts of discernment, knowledge and prophecy which give more light to the things around us, the people around us and to the will and move of God.
Congruence with Scripture. God's word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths (Psalm 119:105). When what we hear is not congruent or in agreement with Scripture, then chances are that it's not from God. The Bible is God's final authority here on earth and can provide us with more than enough of God's voice to us in any season and at any time.
