How To Filter Discerning The Voice Of God

By Janine Hughes


Jesus made a mysterious and amazing promise that being his followers, we can and should hear the voice of God. We should listen as well as respond whenever he calls. In order to shine when it comes to Discerning the Voice of God, four filters need to be applied.

The Number One Filter that helps us in voice of God discerning is the Bible. It constitutes the supreme source containing all the material which will enable us do so. We all have people that we could look up as being the models of how a person in constant conversation with God looks like. What is paramount about such people is their intimate knowledge of the Bible. This helps us in the translation of the unseen and invisible Gods world into our concrete and tangle world we live in.

To put it in another way, as Psalm 119.11 says, the word of almighty is hidden in his heart or treasured the word of most high. This verse can be identified as the core dimension in discerning Gods voice. This translates to mean that each time we read the Scripture, it is an opportunity to get some divine raw material. This raw material is what God will use to speak directly into our hearts. Each reading is an opportunity in investing in our inner treasure trove.

Number Two gives you the Bible as grounds upon which you will be given a litmus test about discerning Gods voice. It may seem similar to the first one to you but its difference can be found in that it is the stand of objectivity on which he or she will be held. Faith comes through hearing Christ. This means one will never hear anything from God that shall contradict what is written in the holy book.

Many times, we have heard of Christians claiming to hear from God regarding anything from bad relationships traits to obsessive gambling tendencies. This is often not true and if someone claims God is telling us to do something contradicting the Scriptures wisdom, we should assume that that is not God speaking.

Filter Number Three points out that a community is the best form of having Gods voice discerned. Paul admonishes in Romans 12:2 that the community and individual should hack to the calling of God. In a verse just before, Paul insists that communities must give their bodies as living forms of sacrifices. In translation, we should discern the will and voice of the most High as a collective community.

We are told in John 10 that Jesus identifies with being the good shepherd and we are his flock of sheep. Although he identifies each sheep by name individually, he moves the whole flock as one big community. Thus, this filter embodies both our individual discernment as well as a community.

Filter Number Four screams the importance attached to humility. God does not like proud people but will uplift humble people. This covers the sentiment of a verse slightly alarming but often repeated within the Bible. An ability to hear God fast develops into pride. This arises from the power that a fragile person can communicate with God directly infuses into such a person. A feeling of pride creeps into such a person steadily. Humility is the knowledge that even though Gods word can never be wrong, it does not mean our understanding is forever right.




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