How to Respond when You Hear the Voice of God
Have you ever felt like God’s word to you was on repeat?
Everywhere you look, everything you read seems to reflect the message He is giving you.
A friend gives you an encouraging word. A stranger says something spontaneously accurate.
When you finally think Okay, Lord. I think you’re speaking to me, you scroll through Facebook to see a picture covered in the same message to, yet again, reiterate what you’ve been hearing.
And if that’s not enough, God smiles down at you lovingly and answers, You think?
God is speaking to us. He’s giving us words for the year and messages to carry out. This year, I believe He wants us to not just hear Him, but to respond.
There are two kinds of responses to His nudges….
Those who analyze and those who actually go and do.
I’m usually the former type, who analyzes things to death. By the time I finally quit analyzing, I’ve lost interest in actually doing the thing I was prompted to do.
How do you respond when you hear the voice of God?
Do you overthink situations until you’ve thought yourself into circles or do you just go do it?
It’s amazing to me how much God loves me. Seriously.
He actually loves me so much that He graciously surrounds me with wonderful friends who are Go Do It Sisters. They don’t spend precious time considering every.single.aspect of the situation, they just do it. They push me out of my fears (the real reason I’m hearing, but not doing!) and point me toward my destiny.
So this year, I’m refusing to just listen… I’m choosing to take the words that God gives me and go and do them. I’m laying down all the fears and insecurities. Many of the the Bible greats had to do the same thing to fulfill the calling God had for them.
I immediately think of Peter.
So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. Matthew 14:29
You have to love Peter. He was definitely a Go Do It Brother.
There was no holding back for him.
If it came to his mind he said it. If he held it in his heart to do it, it was done.
He wanted to walk on water with Jesus, so he stepped out of the boat and began walking.
He did first and thought later.
Notice: When he began thinking, he began sinking.
Sometimes we just have to trust and not analyze. I know that’s hard for some of you, it is for me.
But…
The fear of failure, the main reason we don’t step out, can completely hold us hostage if we don’t push past it.
Why do we worry so much about failure?
It will happen to all of us at some point in our lives. It’s a fact. Perhaps we need to change the way we see it.
My pastor once said:
And it’s true.
When we fail, God lovingly wraps His arms around us and reminds us of who we are and whose we are. It’s what He did for Peter. When Peter heard the cock crowing 3 times, knowing he denied Jesus, he came close to giving up on his destiny. He went back to fishing. But Jesus came to him and reminded him of what he had been called to do. He, in essence, was saying, “Peter, go for it! Don’t let one failure ruin your destiny! I have a plan and a purpose only you can fulfill.”
He is saying the same thing to you and I.
Go For It.
What is keeping you from stepping out? Is it fear, failure, something else? Don’t let these things rob you from the abundant, adventurous life Jesus died to give you. This year I challenge you to step out of the boat my friend, keeping your eyes on Jesus. Once you do, you’ll never want to get back in!
Peter as a Go Do It Brother. I love that. I’m glad to have come across your blog in #livefreeThursday. Have a blessed weekend, sweet writing sister.
Thanks Carolina! I’m so glad you stopped by. Have a wonderful weekend!
I am an analyzer as well! It drives me crazy sometimes! I really enjoyed your post. I am visiting today from Word Filled Wednesday Link up. Glad I stopped by:)
Thanks for stopping by Lisa! I look forward to checking out your blog!
I am a huge analyzer!
I’m in the process of changing the way I think about failure, too. Learning to be ok with not succeeding and gaining wisdom from the experience instead of tossing it aside as a “failure”.
Me too, Rebecca! Failure can be a launching pad if we allow it. But it’s so easy to get sidetracked by disappointments that come along with it! Praise God He’s working it all out!
SO many good nuggets in here! Especially “when he began thinking, he began sinking.” and the quote by your pastor about failure. Thanks for this post!
Thanks Liz!
I have a question… (just found your site today, via Pinterest). I’ve been a big believer in God speaking to us, but lately several people and sources keep contradicting that. For example, this article by Tim Challies.
While I agree that nothing should be added to (or removed from) the Bible — that God’s Word, and everything we need for salvation, is complete, I do still believe that God wants a relationship with us, and therefore, He speaks to us, using whatever means He chooses.
I’ve had many instances where, like you mentioned in this post, God got my attention through various sources about a specific thing He wanted to work on me. But I also believe I “heard” God speak to me about something specific to my personal life… not audibly, but a very distinct “voice” in my head. He told me something that I could not have known any other way, except if it was from Him. And it’s something I don’t believe the devil could have placed in my mind, either. I’ve tested & tried what I “heard” over and over and over, for 11 years now, and have asked God to show me CLEARLY if I’m “wrong” that I heard from Him. But every time I start to doubt, He seems to bring even MORE “confirmations” to me.
So, for now, I’m choosing to believe that God “spoke” to me.
I’m curious what you think of those who –like Mr. Challies– believe God DOESN’T speak to us, any more. Any thoughts?
Hey Jenn! You are correct in that God can most definitely speak to our hearts! There is His divine will for all of us written in His Word, but He also speaks to us directly. That is the very reason why He sent Jesus- to reconcile our relationship with Him, so that we could come boldly to His throne of grace. He longs for a relationship with us. A relationship requires a two way street, speaking and hearing. Part of spending time with God is prayer (us speaking to Him) and listening (Him speaking to us). His words to us will never contradict His written Word. I usually share what God’s speaking to me with a close friend or my husband for confirmation, especially if it involves a big decision or change. But I would say “Yay, for you!” You are hearing His voice! What a wonderful gift it is to hear Him.
Hi Alisa,
I just found your blog via pinterest and I am glad I did. It’s amazing.