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There is a hunger in many souls to hear directly from God, to hear His voice and to get revelation directly from Him. While this desire is, I think, generally good, I have concluded that
wrong thinking in this area led to most of my big mistakes in life. What follows is what I have learned about hearing from God. It helps me now every single day. All feedback is welcome. Most of us know people who
are quick to say, "God told me." It is a powerful claim of significance and legitimacy that is difficult to dispute. We may also know the longing, especially in painful or difficult circumstances, to "hear a word
from God." We want to be comforted, to have clear direction, to understand. This longing feeds psychics and fortune tellers the world over, as well as energizing much of the "prophetic" in Christian circles. Yet when
touching the supernatural there is always danger, and we must be very careful. Jesus speaks openly on this topic, yet (as is often the case) His point is easy to miss. "He that entereth in by the door is the
shepherd of the sheep… and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out… and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice." (John 10:2-4) Let's ponder this for a bit.
Jesus points out a simple fact: sheep know their shepherd's voice instinctively; it is not something they are ever confused about. Sheep immediately respond to and follow their shepherd's voice without having to "discern"
or "test" it. While it is true that we are to "test the spirits," (1 John 4) the context for such testing is not discerning whether we are hearing from God or not... but whether someone else is. When someone
else claims to have direct revelation from God, we must check everything they say using both wisdom and the Bible. But sheep don't test the voice of their own shepherd. When a shepherd speaks, his sheep respond
to him immediately because it is built right into their instinctive nature to do so. Jesus is saying that when God speaks directly to one of His children, they will know this immediately and without any doubt or reservation. They
will be unable to act as if someone other than God has spoken. So, unless you want to be led by the demonic, it is wise to dismiss all direct spiritual revelation which you are able to dismiss. One thing is certain
from Jesus' teaching: you will not be able to ignore God; so every form of direct spiritual revelation that is offered to you which you are able to ignore, you should. The Holy Spirit generally leads
His children from within, as a very part of them, not through external direct revelations or impressions. "Christ in us," the Spirit of Christ, works in us "both to will and to do of His good pleasure." (Phil 2:13) God dwells in
believers in a place the enemy cannot occupy: "in us," where we cannot tell Him apart from ourselves. Believers are one spirit with God (1 Cor 6:17), such that when the Spirit is leading we do not sense anything external, but it
seems to us perfectly natural and organic, as our very own thoughts, our very own wills... because it actually is. It is from within our very wills, hearts and minds, not externally from the outside, that God
generally leads believers. Believers are very active in this process, not passive. God works in us by becoming one with us, transforming us into the likeness of Himself, engaging us, completing us and enriching us. As we yield to
Him we do not become less ourselves but more; we do not become passive and yielding in the use of our facilities, but discerning and deliberate and powerful. While we purpose to walk with God He leads us in and by our very act
of willing. God calls us to think, will and act for Him, and as we do He leads us from within this very activity. The enemy cannot work like this in believers, but instead must supplant and usurp and replace
us, enlarging himself and weakening, diminishing and de-activating us, pushing us to the sidelines. External impressions that he offers us from the spiritual realm, which he wants us to accept as from God, are one of his primary
means to deceive and destroy us: this is how the enemy attempts to live vicariously through us. When Satan speaks to a believer, and he does so nearly constantly, he is attempting to deceive, kill and destroy.
While he may actually be speaking truth much of the time, and helpful truth at that, his ultimate purpose is to win the trust of his victim so that he will be able to deceive. He does not do this in a way that would expose himself.
His manner may be very familiar, inviting and accepting. His aims to imitate God, the Holy Spirit, and can make his tone and manner to be absolutely anything he wishes. You cannot tell that it is the enemy merely from the content
of what is spoken, or by the tone or manner of the input. If you try to discern the source of an impression using these types of tests, you will most certainly fail. Once the enemy sees that you have begun to trust
him as he uses a particular tone or manner, as you fail in discerning him and begin to presume that God is speaking to you... the enemy has you positioned right where he wants you: a willing and obedient servant, unwittingly
allowing him to live through you, willing to do most anything he asks. You can bet your bottom dollar that he tries his level best to achieve this state in every committed believer, and I fear that he is largely successful,
corrupting the spiritual life in far too many ignorant saints today. Satan is not stupid, he is brilliant; he has been at this game for nearly six millennia. Don't think you can outwit him. You can't, not even with the Holy Spirit,
if you are ignorant of his devices. We are no longer taught how to defend ourselves against this kind of infiltration and deception. The enemy sees to it that any good teaching here is stamped out, drowned out, and
cast out. Understanding this dynamic and learning to defend ourselves against his wiles effectively takes out his only real weapon against us. Make no mistake; the concept is vital to our spiritual well-being.
Listen, friend. If and when God decides to speak directly to us from the outside, apart from our own wills such that we are essentially passive in the experience -- which is generally quite rare -- we will indeed know
that it is God, and any thought of a "test" will be out of the question. Only God is able to cause us to know that it is Him when He speaks. When God told Abraham to offer up his only son Isaac as a burnt offering (Gen 22),
Abraham did not test this word to see if it was from God: in fact, he could not test it. Abraham simply obeyed, knowing without hesitation or qualification that God had spoken and what God wanted. If you aren't that
sure about your experience, then ignore it and be on your way. Develop the regular spiritual discipline of immediately dismissing every single thought or impression which seems to come to you rather than
from
you. If you become aware that you might not be the source of a thought or impression, if it is something that you did not intend with your own will, if it did not spring naturally from within you, and if you are also able to think that the source might not be God, if you are able to even ask the question, "Who are you?" -- then don't evaluate the input…
ignore it. Filter out everything you can which does not originate within you yourself. It may take time to train yourself to notice what is going on within your mind and spirit, to become aware of these
dynamics. At first, you may find it difficult to discern what is internal and external, and feel uneasy upon the discovery that you have largely been driven by a constant stream of external suggestions and
impressions, that you have not been living intentionally and deliberately on our own, that you have not been thinking and feeling for yourself. Not to worry: we have all lived under this debilitating stream, for it is in this type
of spiritual and mental passivity that the enemy "works in the children of disobedience." (Eph 2:2) Such passivity of the mind is the chief basis of demon possession, (see the classic, Once we become children of God, by the power of God we must train our minds to resist the enemy's constant attempts, like a relentless spiritual parasite, to live through
us in this manner. Learn to ignore his every nudge, every whisper, every smooth suggestion, every clamor... even every feeling ... everything that is offered to us -- we do not need any of it. In Christ we may ignore him entirely
and learn to think and feel and act in progressively greater freedom. Resisting the enemy is truly a battle, and we grow in it over time as we walk this out in the power of God. The discipline is basic to what the Bible calls,
"girding up the loins of your mind" (1 Pe 1:13), and it is foundational in It is foolish then, understanding how God works in believers, as well as how the enemy does, to try to hear from God, to quiet
As a general rule, do not seek special rhema words from God. Walk in wisdom: this is the principle thing. (Pr 4:7a) Be content with the revelation that God has already provided, and with the way that He has
chosen to reveal Himself. When you really do need direct, special, supernatural revelation, God will certainly provide it, you will not need to ask Him to do so, and He will speak very clearly and unmistakably. Meanwhile, avail
yourself of the means that God has already provided for you to discern His will, to prove
it. (Rom 12:2, Eph 5:10) Spend a LOT of time in the Bible, memorizing it, meditating on it, obeying it, asking Him to teach you and give you wisdom. With all of your getting ... get understanding. (Pr 4:7b) Connect often with spiritual brothers and sisters and listen for truth and wisdom in them. Ask them to challenge you, to question you, to check out what you are thinking and why. Root out all of your lies as if they were poison, and think of this process as a team effort. Note carefully problem texts that don't integrate seamlessly into your theology, beliefs that do not square up precisely with His Word. Replace every deception with truth as best you are able. Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened unto you. (Matt 7:7) Be humble, carefully considering any kind of criticism, repenting promptly when in any error. Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. Look for clarity, look for simplicity ... and look often at the stars and revel in the beauty and power of God's creation. Hear them declare His glory and majesty to you.
Look for truth where God has already placed it, and don't take ultimate comfort or find your significance in anything or anyone but God Himself.
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