Inner Impressions

Dear Aletha,
For me, knowing if I’m hearing God is a common dilemma. I have a quiet whisper in my mind or a soft impression on my heart, and I wonder if it’s God. Could it be my own inner thoughts? Or Satan? How can I distinguish God’s voice from other internal impressions I “hear”?
Lori

Dear Lori,
God does speak to us and to hear Him is a wonderful privilege. “My sheep listen to my voice” (John 10:27). It’s true, though, that impressions can either come from God, our own desires, or from Satan. Impressions from Satan are not always easy to distinguish from those from God, mostly because Satan disguises himself. There are differences, though.

I learned one of those when I was in high school. I was in a Christian boarding school and every night we had “quiet hour” in which we were to be in our rooms having private devotions. One night during my prayer time a strong accusation came to me. It frightened and troubled me so much that the next day I went in tears to a teacher I respected and told her of this strong impression. Her wise advice has often helped me. “Satan’s voice comes with force. The Holy Spirit is gentle; His voice is calm. Satan’s voice condemns us; God’s voice gently convicts us.”

God’s voice does not sound angry or threatening. Plus, He gives us time for consideration, time to apply tests, and time for the conviction to grow.

Here are five other guidelines. First, is the impression scriptural? We know if it is contrary to God’s written Word, then we are not listening to Truth. Knowing God’s Word safeguards us.

Second, is it right? God never requires immoral acts. Neither will He call a mother of small children to go alone as a missionary.

Third is it providential? God provides what we need to obey when He speaks. He always opens doors He wants us to go through. We don’t need to force them.

Fourth, do Spirit-filled counselors agree?  God asks us to submit one to another and to do so is a safeguard. Amos Kenworthy was a Quaker who was known for his spiritual insight. Yet, he would submit his ideas to a group of elders. They nearly always agreed, but if they did not agree with his guidance, he would submit to them and leave the responsibility with the elders.

Fifth, the peace of God is to be our empire. (Philippians 4:7) After praying about the matter, do you have God’s peace regarding the impression? "The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace" (Romans 8:6).

These five points do not mean that knowing God’s will must always involve a lengthy process. As you learn to know His voice, you can learn to recognize His promptings regarding details throughout your day. God gives us time to prayerfully consider weightier matters.
Are you considering a major decision? If so, take time to pray and wait to see if the idea fades. Natural desires or those from Satan may come and go, but God’s desires for us persist.

The secret of learning to hear the inner voice of God is a willingness to obey at any cost. Nothing will increase our sensitivity to the Spirit more than constant obedience. In fact, our ability to recognize His voice will be in direct proportion to our moment by moment obedience.
God does not tell us what He wants just to give us an option. He gives us a gentle nudge, “Why not read your Bible instead of turning on the TV?” “Anne is alone. You could invite her over for lunch.” “Don’t say those words.” “Give her some money.” Or “Ask her if she knows Jesus.” If we ignore those gentle promptings, we develop habit patterns, and the Holy Spirit finally learns there’s not much use to share His desires with us.

Perhaps it will help you to think of His guidance as a pressure rather than a voice in your soul. The impression will be specific, though. God’s voice is not vague causing us to guess at what we should do? God speaks clearly. He is, after all, the perfect communicator.

Aletha