1 Samuel 3:1-10 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. 2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; 3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; 4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. 8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. 9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

Here are a few questions I get asked more than any other:

Does God speak to people?
Will God speak to me?
How will I know it is Him and not myself? In other words, how will I recognize His voice in my life?
How do I know God’s will for my life?
How do I know something is in His will or not (ex: making a major purchase such as a car, home, etc; marrying the right person; job or career change)?

All of these things are major decisions that will affect your life for years to come. It is an honorable thing to want to be sure it is God speaking, and not your own flesh and desires.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

It’s important we know it is God speaking and not our own fleshly lusts. So how, exactly, does God speak? Through a variety of ways:

1. Sermons
2. Songs we hear
3. Magazine articles
4. Book
5. Someone’s testimony
6. Dreams
7. Conversation with a brother or sister

God’s voice is not usually an audible voice. As you mature spiritually you learn how the Lord speaks and works to show you His will. For example, God spoke to Samuel three times before Eli perceived it was God. Eli had more experience than Samuel; he had learned to recognize God’s voice in his life.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule [lead, have authority] over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

If you are a spiritual baby you may not always recognize the voice of God, so He places spiritual leaders in your path to help you. In the meantime there are Biblical principles that we can follow as we learn to be sensitive to His voice. The first of these is Relationship.

Relationship

God created mankind for the purpose of having a relationship with Him. If you want God to speak to you, you need to set aside time every day to be with Him. This doesn’t mean you have to pray an hour a day, but if you never talk to God you can’t expect Him to talk to you. A marriage between two people who don’t communicate is not a relationship. You can’t be a “Sunday only” Christian and ever expect to hear from God. God will not force Himself on you; His word says:

Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

A person who never seeks will never find.

The second Biblical principle for recognizing God’s voice is Is it Scriptural?

Psalm 138:2 2 …thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

1 Timothy 1:3 …charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

1 Timothy 4:1 …in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

1 Timothy 4:16 – 5:1 16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

1 Timothy 6:3-4 3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

2 Timothy 4:2-3 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

2 John 1:9-10 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God….10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

Galatians 1:8 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Clearly, doctrine is important. It doesn’t matter if you get a vision from a so-called “angel,” Paul said if it contradicts what they preached it is accursed. God will never tell you something or to do something that violates His Word.

The third Biblical principle for recognizing the voice of the Lord is has it been established (verified) in the mouth of two or three witnesses?

Matthew 18:16 16 …that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

2 Corinthians 13:1 …In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

God will confirm His word in your life, often in a variety of ways. Every sermon I preach is usually confirmed two or three times during the week; as a matter of fact, I really worry when I don’t receive a confirmation.

Another way of receiving confirmation is through counseling with elders in the church. Getting counsel from church elders is wise. Even Paul and Barnabas counseled with the elders before making major decisions. Paul prayed about his doctrine, then consulted with church elders to make sure it was accurate.

Galatians 2:2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

Hebrews 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

The fourth and final principle in recognizing the voice of God in your life is do you have peace about the decision?

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Romans 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace…

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

It is not the will of God that His people be in a constant state of turmoil. Peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit, and a fruit every child of God should experience whenever they are called upon to make a major life decision.