Do you Claim to Hear from God?

 Categories : Listening to God

 

A close friend called me right before our big leap to Italy. She tearfully confided that another friend didn’t believe we’d heard from God. She didn’t say it outright, but she clearly agreed.

She cited ministry leaders who claimed to hear God, and fell into sin. From the crusader cry “God wills it!” to the present day, God has been used as an excuse to harm innocent people.

I wish I could tell you listening to God will protect you and your loved ones. But if you make listening to God a priority, at some point you will “hear wrong”. People will get hurt.

The truth is, even when you discern correctly, people will still get hurt. Following God may cost you friendships, or worse.

People ask me, “Who do you think you are, claiming to hear from God?” My question is, Who do you think you are to not hear from God? Yeshua said, “My sheep hear my voice” if He’s your king, you can hear His voice. If you disagree, you’re either saying you aren’t His, or you’re saying you know better.

There’s no need to question your salvation if you don’t hear the audible voice of God. Most believers don’t. Whether you sense words, thoughts or pictures, if you’re His, you can be led by His Spirit. In fact, Yeshua says the key aspect of “hearing” isn’t how you sense God’s direction, but whether or not you act on it.

discernWhy am I so passionate about encouraging people to listen to God?

We’re all “listening” to someone. Is it more dangerous to believe you can hear from God, or trust someone else to discern for you? Pointing fingers at people who use God as an excuse for abuse doesn’t protect anyone. Teaching people how to accurately discern God’s voice (in the content of the body) does.

Those instances of abuse actually support my point. In many cases, it would never have been possible if believers were equipped to recognize God’s will for themselves.

That’s why I’m so passionate about encouraging people to listen to God. We need discernment to recognize God’s voice, humility to admit our mistakes, and tenacity to not settle for less than ongoing intimacy with Him.

What excuses keep you from giving God your full attention? How can you be more receptive to Him?



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  • Lil

    I think many people hear from God, but they do not know it. I have only heard His audible voice 5 times, but I”hear” Him often. I would never say you did not heard right when you went to Italy. When we see God working in one area He is doing million more things at the same time. Even if we hear wrong He can still use us. I just want to hear Him so I have to do my part. SPEND TIME WITH HIM!

    • mlekallio

      I agree with you. A lot of people miss communication from Him because they don’t recognize it. And I also agree about Italy. We don’t always get to see the fruit of our actions, and sometimes things appear to have gone awry, but we just don’t see the good yet. It can take generations to unfold. Thanks for the encouragement!

  • http://reverendbaum.blogspot.com Diane Baum

    Yes! I also believe in “hearing God.” I can’t tell you how many times I have heard His Voice! It isn’t all the time, it’s at those moments when I have been talking to him, about things that are on my mind, and then, either my prayer is answered or I will hear two or three words of comfort. I do believe that it is as you said, “my sheep know Me.” and it is because I talk to Him. Why wouldn’t He respond?

    • mlekallio

      Thanks for sharing your experience Diane. I agree with you that when we talk to to Him, He will respond. But of course, we’re really responding to the grace He’s already extended to us.