How Do I Know It's Really God?
In my two previous posts, I tried to make the point that our relationship with the Lord is more than theoretical – it’s real. And any loving relationship has at its heart communication. (Hearing God, The God Who Speaks)
I noted that to be sure, Scripture is the ultimate Word. But is it the only word? That is, does God still speak? Not that He would ever speak at odds with Scripture, but can He speak outside of Scripture?
To my way of thinking, there’s plenty of biblical evidence that He does. And perhaps you’ve come to that conclusion as well.
However, that assumption quickly triggers another question. “So how do I know that the word I’m ‘hearing’ isn’t just my own imagination or, worse yet, a thought planted by an ‘unholy’ spirit?”
What if I get it wrong?
For much of my Christian walk, it was this fear of “getting it wrong” that prevented me from being open to anything but Scripture. Yet I’ve come to see that such a fear is itself a tool of the Evil One to limit my access to a word from God.
Am I capable of misunderstanding what God might be saying to me? Yes. But I’ve come to believe that the greater danger arises from never even attempting or desiring to understand what God may be trying to say to me.
Am I capable of misunderstanding what God might be saying to me? Yes. But I’ve come to believe that the greater danger arises from never even attempting or desiring to understand what God may be trying to say to me.
Test Every Whisper
So, how do we make room for that still, small voice without opening ourselves up to either self-inflicted error or the error of other well-meaning, yet off-base believers?
The Bible tells us to test what we hear. For example, I Thessalonians 5:19-21 says, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good...”
Over the years I’ve compiled a list of filters that help me “test” every whisper I receive. If a whisper fails to make it through these filters, I question whether it is really God and dismiss it. Or at the very least, I proceed slowly. Here are the filters.
Five Filters for Hearing God
1. Does it line up with Scripture?
In John 10:35 Jesus bluntly said, “…Scripture cannot be broken.” In John 17:17 He added, “…Your word is truth.” If a whisper or a prompt or a word someone wants to give me doesn’t agree with the Bible, it’s not of God because God will never say something that is at variance with what He has already said.
If a whisper or a prompt or a word someone wants to give me doesn’t agree with the Bible, it’s not of God because God will never say something that is at variance with what He has already said.
2. Does it square with God’s character?
Based on what we know about who God is, what God values, and how God acts, does it seem like He would say such a thing? Can you in fact say, “You know, that sounds like God.” Or does the word seem out of character? “That just doesn’t sound like God.”
3. Is it a word a loving father would share with his precious son or daughter?
In light of who we are as cherished children, we would expect that the content of a whisper and the tone with which it is offered (even if it is corrective) would be administered tenderly and lovingly. On the other hand, a word that is accusative or demeaning would never come from Him.
In light of who we are as cherished children, we would expect that the content of a whisper and the tone with which it is offered (even if it is corrective) would be administered tenderly and lovingly.
4. Do those people you most trust and who know you best sense this is a word for you?
The vast majority of the time a word given to an individual resonates with his/her community. Toward that end, there is great value in seeking the godly counsel of wise, spirit-filled friends. And then humbly listening.
5. Does it seem to resonate with the Holy Spirit living within you?
One of the greatest aspects of our salvation is that God already resides within us. One would think that when we hear a whisper or prompt that is from God there would be an inner resonance resulting in peace rather than an inner conflict resulting in consternation.
I’ve come to see that if what I’m sensing is a word from God, it will match up with most of these five filters. I don’t say match up with all of them because there are sometimes exceptions.
For example, there might be an occasion when the Lord is prompting you to take a step of faith or a change of direction that seems strange to some of your closest friends, so number four wouldn’t seem to apply. While those times might be rare, there are examples when individuals launched a ministry or missionaries went to a foreign land without the encouragement of their colleagues.
In my next post, I will offer some suggestions as to how you can stance yourself to hear from God. Because while we can’t force Him to speak, we can at least create an environment where we can hear Him when He chooses to speak.
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