Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
Hello, you are welcome to my podcast, Wisdom Seeds. I am Pastor Steve Olofa. Stay blessed as you listen to this episode.
[00:00:30] Speaker B: How to Hear God's Voice According to
[00:00:32] Speaker C: the Bible seven Ways God Guides His People Wisdom Seeds.
[00:00:37] Speaker B: Org how to Hear God's Voice According to the Bible seven Ways God Guides His People Today we are discussing a question many Christians how can I hear God's voice?
[00:00:47] Speaker C: Perhaps you have faced an important decision and wondered, what does God want me to do?
[00:00:52] Speaker B: You may have prayed, lord, please speak to me.
You may also have wondered, was that God speaking to me or was it simply my own thoughts?
[00:01:01] Speaker C: How can I know whether I am being led by the Holy Spirit?
How can I distinguish God's voice from my emotions?
These are important questions.
[00:01:10] Speaker B: The Bible teaches that God speaks and guides his people.
But the Bible also teaches us to test what we hear.
Not every thought is God's voice.
[00:01:21] Speaker C: Not every feeling is God's direction.
Not every opportunity is God's will.
[00:01:26] Speaker B: And not every person who claims to speak for God is actually speaking on his behalf.
[00:01:32] Speaker C: So how do we learn to recognize God's voice?
[00:01:35] Speaker B: The answer begins with Scripture.
One. God speaks through His Word.
The clearest and most reliable way God speaks to us is through the Bible.
2 Timothy 3:16 17 says:Jan 11 All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.
The Bible reveals God's character, his will, his truth, and his standards.
If you want to know what God sounds like, become familiar with what he has already said.
God will never guide you to do something that contradicts His Word.
If you think you heard God telling you to lie, steal, hate, commit immorality, or deliberately disobey Scripture, that message did not come from God.
[00:02:21] Speaker C: The Holy Spirit will never lead you against the Word he inspired.
This is why Bible knowledge is essential for spiritual discernment.
[00:02:30] Speaker B: The more familiar you become with Scripture, the easier it becomes to recognize what agrees with God's truth.
Two. Jesus said his sheep know his voice.
Jesus said in John 10:27, My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me.
[00:02:48] Speaker C: This verse reveals three important truths.
[00:02:52] Speaker B: First, Jesus speaks.
[00:02:54] Speaker C: God is not silent.
Second, his people can learn to recognize his voice.
A relationship with God involves listening.
Third, recognizing God's voice should lead to following Him.
Hearing God's voice is not merely about receiving information.
[00:03:11] Speaker B: It is about responding with obedience.
Think about a child who knows the voice of a parent.
The child recognizes the voice because of a relationship that has developed over time.
In the same way, your ability to recognize God's guidance grows as you spend time with Him.
[00:03:28] Speaker C: Prayer 2:11 Scripture worship obedience Fellowship these
[00:03:38] Speaker B: practices help you become more familiar with God's character in truth.
Three. God speaks through the Holy Spirit Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would guide believers.
John 16:13 says, but when he, the Spirit of truth comes comes, he will guide you into all the truth.
The Holy Spirit may convict you of sin, remind you of Scripture, give you wisdom, guide your decisions, warn you against danger, encourage you to obey God, help you understand God's word. However, spiritual guidance must always be tested.
[00:04:12] Speaker C: Not every inner feeling is the Holy Spirit.
You may feel strongly about something and still be wrong.
You may have a powerful emotion that is not God's direction.
[00:04:23] Speaker B: You may want something so badly that you mistake your desire for God's voice.
[00:04:27] Speaker C: This is why the Holy Spirit's guidance will always agree with Scripture and reflect
[00:04:31] Speaker B: the character of Christ.
4 God often speaks through scripture that applies to your situation.
Sometimes you read a familiar Bible passage and suddenly understand how it applies to your current situation.
My March 11th a verse you have read many times may suddenly bring clarity, correction or encouragement.
This does not mean you should take verses out of context to justify whatever you want.
It means that the Holy Spirit can use God's Word to speak directly to your heart.
For example, when you are anxious. Philippians 4:6:7 may remind you to bring your concerns to God in prayer when you are afraid. Isaiah 41:10 may remind you of God's presence when you need wisdom. James 11 may encourage you to ask God when you are uncertain about your future. Proverbs 3:5th of May remind you to trust God.
[00:05:27] Speaker C: The Bible is living and powerful.
God's Word can speak into every season of life.
[00:05:36] Speaker B: Five God guides through prayer.
James 1:5 says, if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.
[00:05:46] Speaker C: When you need direction, ask God.
[00:05:49] Speaker B: Do not make every important decision based only on your emotions, personal preferences, or the opinions of others.
[00:05:56] Speaker C: Pray.
Ask God for wisdom.
[00:06:00] Speaker B: Ask him to close doors that are not right for you.
[00:06:03] Speaker C: Ask him to open the right doors.
Ask him to give you patience while you wait.
[00:06:08] Speaker B: Ask him to help you recognize the difference between your own desires and his will.
Sometimes the answer does not come immediately.
That does not mean God has ignored you.
[00:06:20] Speaker C: Sometimes you need to wait.
April 11 Sometimes God gives direction gradually.
[00:06:26] Speaker B: Sometimes you already know the right thing to do, but you are hoping God
[00:06:30] Speaker C: will give you a different answer.
[00:06:32] Speaker B: Prayer should not be used to convince God to approve our plans.
Prayer should help us surrender our plans to him.
[00:06:42] Speaker C: 6 God can use wise and godly counsel.
[00:06:45] Speaker B: Proverbs 11:14 says, where there is no guidance, a people falls. But in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
God can use mature believers to help
[00:06:55] Speaker C: provide wisdom and perspective.
[00:06:58] Speaker B: Sometimes you are too emotionally involved in a situation to see clearly.
A mature Christian may help you recognize something you have overlooked.
[00:07:07] Speaker C: This does not mean you should allow other people to control your life.
[00:07:11] Speaker B: It means you should not reject wise
[00:07:13] Speaker C: counsel simply because you want to make every decision alone.
[00:07:16] Speaker B: Seek people who know God's word, have spiritual maturity Demonstrate godly character will tell you the truth are not motivated by personal gain. Wise counsel can help confirm whether a decision is consistent with biblical principles.
[00:07:32] Speaker C: 7 Pay attention to God's peace, but
[00:07:35] Speaker B: test it with Scripture.
Many Christians talk about experiencing peace when making a decision.
Colossians 3:15 says, Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.
[00:07:46] Speaker C: God can give inner peace when you are following his direction, but we must be careful.
511 Peace alone is not always proof that something is God's will.
[00:07:57] Speaker B: A person can feel peaceful about a wrong decision.
[00:08:01] Speaker C: A person can feel anxious about a right decision.
[00:08:04] Speaker B: For example, obeying God may sometimes make you uncomfortable.
[00:08:08] Speaker C: Doing the right thing may require courage.
[00:08:11] Speaker B: Therefore, do not make decisions based only on feelings.
Ask does this agree with Scripture?
[00:08:18] Speaker C: Is this consistent with God's character?
[00:08:21] Speaker B: Have I prayed about it?
[00:08:23] Speaker C: Have I sought wise counsel?
Am I motivated by faith or fear?
[00:08:28] Speaker B: Peace can be helpful, but Scripture must remain the foundation.
8 Learn to distinguish God's voice from your own desires.
One of the greatest challenges in hearing
[00:08:42] Speaker C: God's voice is separating God's will from our own desires.
Sometimes we say, God told me to do this, but what we really mean is, I really want to do this.
There is a difference.
Our desires can be powerful.
We may want a particular relationship.
We may want a certain job.
We may want a specific outcome.
[00:09:06] Speaker B: Then we may unconsciously interpret every Circumstance as confirmation June 11. This is why we must surrender our desires to God.
Pray, Lord, if this desire is not your will, help me release it.
That is a difficult prayer, but it is an important prayer.
[00:09:24] Speaker C: Jesus demonstrated this kind of surrender in the Garden of Gethsemane when he prayed, yet not my will, but yours be done.
[00:09:31] Speaker B: Hearing God requires a heart willing to obey him, not merely a heart seeking permission for what it already wants.
[00:09:41] Speaker C: Nine test every spiritual message.
[00:09:44] Speaker B: 1 John 4:1 says, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.
[00:09:51] Speaker C: This is an important warning.
Not everything that sounds spiritual is from God.
[00:09:57] Speaker B: Test what you hear.
Ask does it agree with Scripture?
God does not contradict his word.
[00:10:05] Speaker C: Does it honor Jesus Christ?
[00:10:07] Speaker B: The Holy Spirit always glorifies Christ.
Does it produce godly fruit?
[00:10:13] Speaker C: God's guidance will not lead you into deliberate rebellion and sin.
Is it consistent with God's character?
[00:10:20] Speaker B: God is holy, truthful, loving, and righteous.
[00:10:24] Speaker C: 7 out of 11 does it withstand wise counsel?
[00:10:28] Speaker B: Be cautious about messages that require you to reject all godly advice.
[00:10:33] Speaker C: Spiritual discernment is essential.
[00:10:39] Speaker B: 10 Sometimes God speaks through closed doors.
[00:10:42] Speaker C: God can sometimes guide you through circumstances.
A door may close.
An opportunity may disappear.
A plan may fail.
A relationship may end.
Sometimes a closed door protects you.
Sometimes it redirects you.
Sometimes it teaches you patience.
However, we should not automatically assume that every closed door means God is saying no.
Circumstances must also be interpreted through Scripture and prayer.
A difficult situation does not necessarily mean you are outside God's will.
[00:11:18] Speaker B: The apostle Paul experienced opposition and hardship while doing God's work.
[00:11:23] Speaker C: Therefore, do not judge God's guidance solely
[00:11:25] Speaker B: by whether life is easy.
[00:11:28] Speaker C: Sometimes obedience is difficult.
[00:11:34] Speaker B: 11 God's voice will lead you toward obedience.
[00:11:37] Speaker C: A genuine encounter with God's truth should produce a response.
[00:11:41] Speaker B: When God speaks, he may correct you.
[00:11:44] Speaker C: He may challenge you.
He may ask you to forgive.
He may ask you to step out in faith.
August 11th he may call you to stop something.
He may call you to begin something.
The question is not did God speak to me?
The deeper question is, am I willing to obey what God has already shown me?
Many people want more revelation when they have not obeyed the instruction they already understand.
[00:12:12] Speaker B: If Scripture clearly tells you what to do, you do not need to wait for a supernatural sign.
Obey God's Word.
[00:12:23] Speaker C: A Prayer for hearing God's Voice Father, I want to know you and follow your will.
Help me recognize your voice.
Teach me to understand your Word.
Give me wisdom and spiritual discernment.
[00:12:37] Speaker B: Help me distinguish youh guidance from my emotions, fears, personal desires, and the voices of the world.
[00:12:43] Speaker C: Give me a heart that is willing to obey youy if I am going in the wrong direction, correct me If I am afraid.
[00:12:51] Speaker B: Give me courage.
[00:12:52] Speaker C: If I am confused. Give me wisdom.
Help me surrender my will and follow youw direction.
Let yout Word be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
In Jesus name, Amen.
Conclusion God still speaks.
[00:13:12] Speaker B: He speaks through His Word.
He guides through the Holy Spirit.
[00:13:17] Speaker C: He gives wisdom through prayer.
He can use Godly counsel.
He can guide through circumstances.
[00:13:25] Speaker B: But the foundation for recognizing God's voice is knowing God's Word.
Do not chase voices, signs, or supernatural experiences while ignoring Scripture.
Do not allow every feeling to become a message from God.
Do not confuse your desires with God's will.
[00:13:42] Speaker C: October 11 Learn God's word.
Pray.
[00:13:46] Speaker B: Wait, Test what you hear.
[00:13:50] Speaker C: Seek wisdom and be willing to obey.
[00:13:54] Speaker B: Jesus said, my sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me.
[00:13:59] Speaker C: The goal is not simply to hear God's voice.
[00:14:02] Speaker B: The goal is to know him well enough to recognize his truth and follow him faithfully.
The more closely you walk with God, the more familiar you become with his character, his His Word, and His ways.
Hearing God's voice begins with knowing His Word and develops through prayer, obedience, spiritual discernment, and a surrendered heart.
Related Resources 30 Days to a Stronger Faith 365 Days of God's promises strengthen the storm prayers that anchor the soul Related Episodes how to hear God's voice According to the Bible how to build a strong faith when life is difficult how to overcome doubt and strengthen your faith how to walk with God every day seven Biblical Habits for a Closer Relationship with God if this episode encouraged you, consider sharing it with a friend or family member who could benefit from it. November 11th.
