Say What?

Have you ever been in the midst of prayer, or quiet time with God, and heard him speak? I can remember the first time God clearly spoke to me. It was in the midst of pain, and as I poured it out to him he responded and said, "I will never make you cry." It was a pivotal moment for me because in that moment, my desperate need for love and approval was filled by him. And I learned that night that only the Lord can fill the empty spaces in our hearts, no matter how much we try to fill them with things of this world.

Have you ever thought you heard from God, but you really hadn't? I once had a friend who decided she was going to convert from Christianity to Islam. I met with her and as we spoke about it, she tried convincing me that she still prays to the same god, hears from the same god, and worships the same god. Clearly, Allah and the Great I AM are not the same God.

Have you ever questioned whether a thought, feeling, or spoken word was from God, but you just aren't sure? I certainly have! Discerning things that God has laid on your heart can be difficult. And we often question or doubt the authenticity of what we hear or feel. This was a challenge that not only we face, but the believers before us have as well. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses was speaking to the Israelites, preparing to transfer his leadership over to Joshua. The Lord said to Moses:

"I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. 

I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him."

Deuteronomy 18:18

Sometimes it's a struggle to discern what I have personally heard from God. How much more difficult might it be to believe someone else, and trust their discernment? The question is, how do you know when it's really from God? Moses knew the Israelites would question. The verses continue:

You may say to yourselves, “How can we know 

when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” 

If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not 

take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken.

Deuteronomy 18:21-22

In our own walks to faith, it takes time to develop relationally with God. The gift of the Holy Spirit is a beautiful thing. We don't need to rely on a prophet to receive messages from our Father. We have direct access to Him. When we question what He might be saying to us, or question the authenticity of what we hear, we can take it to scripture. Obviously God's spoken word will never contradict His written Word. 

We can also compare it to our own desires. Very often God asks things of us that we would never dream up on our own! 

There are lots of great articles and books that talk specifically on hearing from God. The better we tune our ear to God and His voice, the greater life adventure we will find ourselves on!