Hearing His Voice, Part 1

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies (Psalm 107: 1-2, NLT).

The human brain is so fascinating to me, and I don’t think that’s just because I’m a physical therapist. Scientists have been studying the brain for years, and we are constantly discovering new things about its capacity. We are continuously being exposed to so many different inputs—bright lights, loud noises, changing environments. As we grow from infants into adulthood, our brains mature, and, eventually, they function at an incomprehensible level to help us filter all the inputs we receive throughout the day. This growth and maturity allow us to focus and accomplish necessary tasks, like driving to the grocery store, ordering food at a drive-thru, or completing a household chore with young kids running around. Without that ability to properly filter everything we’re being exposed to, it would be nearly impossible to do anything in a productive manner, as our brains would be in a constant state of chaos trying to attend to everything that’s in our immediate environment. Thank goodness for the physical maturity of our brain that allows us to selectively choose what holds our attention. Fortunately, when it comes to physical maturity of the brain, this process generally happens naturally as we’re gradually exposed to more complex environments as we grow.

However, as I have discovered over the last couple of years during my own personal journey, spiritual maturity doesn’t happen quite as naturally. If we are to grow spiritually beyond the stages of infancy this side of heaven, it’s a process that must be intentional. Because we live in a fallen, broken world, we are constantly exposed to circumstances that require us to choose whether we will live according to the standards and expectations of this world as compared to the biblical principles laid out in the living, breathing Word of God. Phrased differently, we are relentlessly exposed to competing interests and, just as we must be acutely aware of the inputs of our external environment while driving to the grocery store, we must develop an ability to properly filter what voices are driving our decision-making on a daily basis.

A key component of the process of spiritual maturity is voice recognition. In the natural realm, voice recognition is a process we’re all familiar with as we have devices that are designed to respond specifically to our voice in order to complete specific tasks—just ask Alexa. Similarly, in the spiritual realm, in order to grow, we must learn to master the concept of voice recognition as we are being exposed to competing forces. The Garden of Eden is a perfect example as Eve succumbed to the voice of the enemy when she ate fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, even after God had given explicit instructions this was forbidden.

Voice recognition is so critical, and it’s something I struggle with daily. When we fail to properly train our minds to differentiate between our own thoughts, outside opinions from close family and friends, as well as the voice of the enemy compared to that of the Lord, we ultimately set ourselves up to succumb to temptation as Eve did in the garden. Joyce Meyer’s book, Battlefield of the Mind, is an excellent resource that educates believers on the process of intentionally learning the tone and temperament of the voice of the Lord, which is critical in the process of voice recognition, and thus, our spiritual maturity.

So, what does the process of voice recognition look like in the spiritual realm? Though I can only speak for my experience, I have found several key components throughout my training: quiet time, prayer, reflection upon and memorization of the Word of God, worship through music, and sound guidance from selective spiritual mentors in my life. Let’s expound on each of those things just a bit.

When I make it a priority, my quiet time with the Lord has always provided an opportunity for me to better know and recognize the voice of Jesus. As it states in the tenth chapter of the book of John, verses 27 and 28, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (KJV). I love the truth contained within that one simple verse, and it is such a great reminder that when I give my time to the Lord in the quiet, without any distractions, I am learning to discern His voice.

Prayer has been a game-changer for me, too. That sounds kind of silly, initially, but one thing I have come to understand is that, through prayer, I have come to better understand and know the voice of the Lord and His good, gracious love for me. Pausing to pray allows me to quiet the competing voices and focus my mind and thoughts on our omniscient God. It is in that space I am reminded how needless my worries are, and I am better able to follow His guiding voice.

Memorization of scripture flows from my quiet time and prayer. Meditation on and memorization of key scriptural verses are a critical tool for fighting against the competing voice of the enemy and, until recently, I have always underestimated its power. When we are in the midst of a heavy battle with our enemy, we must fall back on the Word of God because, as it’s written in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and powerful” (NLT). The Word of God is our greatest weapon, and so, I urge you to make it a priority to increase your library of Scripture. It is through that library of Scripture where God will speak to your heart during your most difficult trials.

Worship music has become something so valuable in my life as well. When I really first began listening to worship music, I distinctly remember listening to MercyMe on a regular basis. My best friend had put together a CD of their really popular songs and, for several weeks, I played that on repeat in my car. Since that time, I’ve clung to worship music, and it’s truly amazing to me how God can use specific lyrics from a song to connect with and speak to our hearts during our most difficult battles. It’s His voice we hear in the music and, with limitless resources available to us these days through entities like Spotify and Apple Music, there is no reason for not utilizing this weapon as a way to train ourselves to hear the voice of the Lord.

Lastly, but maybe most importantly, is gleaning advice from sound, spiritual mentors in our lives. I feel very fortunate to have Christian friends with a variety of ages, backgrounds, and experiences. When doubt, fear, and distractions from outside forces begin to make it difficult for me to decipher the voice of God, I have found myself turning to those spiritual mentors in my life. Though these spiritual mentors are never meant to be elevated above the authority of Jesus in my life, the Bible reminds us we were created to live in community with other believers and, though it may not always be the answer I want to hear, I know they will always point me back to Jesus, His truth, and His wonderful plan for my life. That is something that cannot be replaced and has been so valuable in my ability to hone my voice recognition capabilities on my spiritual journey.

Once we begin to master the process of spiritual voice recognition, we’re able to begin gaining control on the battlefield of our minds, discerning God’s voice among others, and making conscious decisions to follow His promptings in our lives. It is through that obedience we are afforded the opportunity to speak out for the Lord and allow Him to work through us for His glory and the benefit of others.

What other things would you add to this list? Feel free to share with others in the comments below. I want this to be a community of believers who are learning from each other as we journey through this life. And tune in next week as I highlight a very specific example of how this concept has played out in my life.