Knowing GOD'S Voice
Sometimes we have dreams and visions and we aren’t sure where they are from. Was that dream a warning from God, or just another dream? Or was it something from the enemy to make me think it was from God and confuse me? Or was it from God but now the enemy is playing tricks with me? Maybe it was just a dream…
How do you know when God is speaking to you?
I’ve asked this question many times to many people and I’ve gotten a mix of very good answers but nothing that would make me go—ohh, I get it now! The truth is, I can’t make you hear from God. I can’t give you a formula to punch out to help you understand the voice of the Lord. Just like I can’t make you read your Word or pray or have faith, I can’t make you discern the voice of God. That is something you have to learn to do yourself. Now, that doesn’t mean someone else cannot interpret a dream or a vision or a message for you from God, many of the men of God in the Bible did this. What I am saying is that knowing God’s voice is a gift—an understanding—that comes from spending time with Him. Alone. One on one. In prayer. In fasting.
Spend time with the Lord!
The answer can’t get any simpler—and yes, sometimes that might sound frustrating and even disappointing when you’ve got a question that needs answering right this moment. But you know what else you learn when you seek out God? Patience.
In my experience with God, I can personally testify that sometimes I’ve had dreams or seen visions that I did not understand at all. And when I went to higher authorities in my church for counsel, they prayed about it and sometimes it was weeks or months before I got an answer. But during that time, I was constantly praying, fasting, and finding scriptures related to the dream or vision. I was seeking out the Lord, spending time in His Word, spending time with Him, cultivating my faith, and learning patience in the meantime.
Sometimes not understanding something is better than instant interpretation.
Don’t get me wrong, there have definitely been times where I heard God speak to me and I knew without a doubt that it was the voice of my Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. There have been times where I’ve had a dream and when I spoke to my Pastor about it, she immediately interpreted it for me, with clear understanding. But the times where the answer seemed slow in coming and the message was still unclear to me, I know now that it was the mystery behind my dreams that pulled me closer to God.
There are people who will tell you: When God speaks, and it is truly God, you just know it.
When I was younger, that sort of answer would have made me pull my hair out. But how do you just know it??? Years later, and much closer to Christ, I have to agree with those words. I know some of you might be at the hair pulling stage right now but don’t worry! The fact that you are reading this article means you are seeking God and He sees that. Every prayer you pray brings you closer to the Lord, the next time you get down on your knees may be the time that God answers your questions. You never know—but keep pushing, keep growing, keep coming back to the Lord.
John 10:27 KJV says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me…”
As Children of God, we are His sheep. As frustrating as it may seem when you are just beginning to cultivate your faith, the truth is that when God speaks, and it is truly God, you just know it. Why? Because the Word says so. My sheep hear my voice—and when you are close to God and when you are covered in the Blood of Christ and steeped in His Word, you don’t just hear Jesus’s voice, you know it is His voice and you yield to His words.
Don’t feet upset or frustrated when you can’t figure out a message or dream or vision from God, or when you aren’t sure if what you’ve seen/heard is from God. The answer will come in time if you are patient and trust in the Lord. But while you wait, dedicate yourself to God; pray, fast, worship—spend time with Him! The answer to every puzzle or problem you will ever face in this life is in the Word. Read it.
God bless.