LESSON 4
“THE VOICE OF GOD”
DISCIPLESHIP SERIES
I. GOD WANTS TO TALK TO US
The Bible says God wants to have a relationship with the people He created
in His own image. He spoke both to the people in the Old and New
Testament. He has revealed His character, ways, and will. Our God is alive
and He remains the same forever (Malachi 3:6). If so, He continues to
speak to us today like He did in the past. He invites us to personally listen
to His voice. His commandment to the seven churches in Revelation, which
was to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, is the same command for us
today, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches!” (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).
II. WE CAN HEAR GOD
If God wants us to hear Him, this means that He also gives us the ability to
hear His voice. Since we are one with Christ, a new spirit has replaced our
old self (Ezekiel 36:26). Therefore we can already hear His voice because
we have spiritual ears (Rev 2:7). All God’s children can hear the voice of the
Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14, 6) in the same manner the sheep can recognize
the voice of the shepherd.
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My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
John 10:27
III. WHY DO WE NEED TO HEAR GOD?
a) To deepen our relationship with God
Without communication, a relationship cannot be intimate. We understand
that prayer is not only talking to God but also hearing from Him. There are
times when we are the ones who talk to Him, and there are times when we
simply listen. Prophet Isaiah talked about his daily experiences of hearing
from God, “He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen
like one being taught” (Isaiah 50:4b). Isaiah’s relationship with God is
strong because he listened to His voice.
b) To be able to obey God and do His perfect will
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When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his
sheep follow him because they know his voice.
John 10:4
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Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
Ephesians 5:17
c) To receive knowledge on the secret things of God
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but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things,
even the deep things of God.
1 Corinthians 2:10
III. GOD’S WAYS OF SPEAKING TO US
The Bible cites many instances of how God speaks to us. Let us discuss
seven ways He communicates to His children who have received His Spirit
(Romans 8:15).
1. Bible - God speaks to our lives through the Bible. While reading
the Bible, the Holy Spirit gives us living words that personally
speak to us. Called the “rhema words”, they are very sharp that
they pierce the heart and soul (Hebrews 4:12). (To understand this
fully, read Lesson 4 Maturity Series of Equipping the Saints 1).
2. Inner voice - Because the Holy Spirit is already inside us, we can
hear His voice (1 Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:14).
3. Peace of God - there are times when God leads us by a sense of
peace in our spirits. The Holy Spirit gives us exceptional peace as a
sign that our decision is of God (Colossians 3:15).
4. Vision - Sometimes God gives a picture in our minds which He will
use to talk about something to us (Acts 10:9-13).
5. Dream - God also speaks to us through a dream, just as He did
with Joseph (Matthew 1:20).
6. Spiritual Leaders - God also uses people, especially Godly leaders,
to speak to us (Hebrews 13:17). It is therefore important for us to
respect our church leaders (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13).
7. Circumstances - God can also use situations to reveal His message,
like what happened to Jonah (Jonah 1:12).
IV. HOW TO HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD
Not all voices are of God, no matter how loud or clear it is. There are voices
that belong to deceptive spirits (1Timothy 4:1). We need to test if the voice
we hear is of God, man or the devil. The voice must be…
1. Biblical
The voice must not contradict the principles in the Bible. The message of
the voice is confirmed in the Scriptures. The Bible is the measure on how
we judge the voice (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
2. Exalts Jesus
If the voice we hear exalts a person, group or ministry more than Jesus
Himself, this voice does not belong to God. The Holy Spirit exalts Jesus
Christ only and no one else (1 Corinthians 12:3).
3. Gives Inner Witness
The voice of God gives inner peace (Colossians 3:15) but the voice of the
enemy brings sorrow and confusion (Psalms 55:2-3).
4. Brings Confirmation
The Bible says that every matter should be established by two or three
witnesses (Matthew 18:16). If we hear a voice, especially if it pertains to
important decisions, we need to share it to others, especially the spiritual
leaders, for confirmation if it is of God or not.
V. THREE HINDRANCES WHY WE CAN’T HEAR FROM GOD
1. Worldliness
A Christian chained to worldly things can hardly hear the voice of God.
What this person can hear is the sinful nature and evil spirits that push him
or her to wickedness. If we want to hear God, we need to repent from sins
that bind us. We need to remove the hindrances in our spiritual ears to be
able to hear God clearly.
2. Unbelief
All in God’s Kingdom operate through faith. We are saved through faith
(Ephesians 2:8). We are called to walk in faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). We
receive in faith (Mark 11:24). Through faith we can please Him (Hebrews
11:6). The same is true with our communication with God. We need to
have faith that He speaks to us if we call upon Him (Jeremiah 33:3;
Proverbs 3:5-6). We also need faith to accept that what we hear is from
Him, and not from our selves only (1 Samuel 3:4-10).
3. Busyness
Busyness is the main reason why we can’t hear from God. Many Christians
still believe that God still speaks to us today; however, they have no time to
listen. They are filled with so many activities, but they don’t prioritize God.
In their prayers, it is always they that speak. We need to give time to listen
to Him, just like Mary so that we won’t be filled with worry and weariness
like what happened to Martha (Luke 10:38-42).
VI. GOD SPEAKS AT ALL TIMES AND IN ALL SITUATIONS
We are called to pray at all times (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This means
constant communication with God. Our Heavenly Father desires to speak to
His children. God is really a conversationalist because He wants a living
relationship with us.
VII. WE CAN HEAR ANYWHERE AND ANY TIME
If we have a strong relationship with God, we can hear from Him anywhere
even if we have not asked for it. This is what happened to Phillip (Acts 8:26-
30), Ananias (Acts 9:10-17, Peter 10:9-11), Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:2)
and Paul (Acts 16:6-10) to name a few in the book of Acts. As long as our
relationship with God is right, then we can tune in to His voice.
APPLICATION:
1. Have you heard God’s voice? Is it always or rarely?
2. Which among the three hindrances on hearing His voice is found
in you?
3. Do we really need to hear from God in making big decisions?
Why?