GOD SPEAKS THROUGH A
VOICE WE KNOW AND TRUST

In the Old Testament, when God started calling to Samuel,
Samuel thought that his master, Eli, was calling him.
Twice God called, and twice Samuel went to Eli asking
what he wanted.
Both times Eli said to Samuel, “I am not calling you.” So
both times Samuel returned to his room. Then he heard
the voice again. “Here I am, Eli, what do you want?” he
asked. Finally Eli said, “It must be God calling you” (see 1
Samuel 3:1-10).
God spoke to Samuel in a voice that was familiar to him so
that he wouldn’t be frightened. God wants us to listen, so
He speaks to us through a voice that we will recognize.
Sometimes it may sound like our own voice, sometimes it
may sound like the voice of someone we know. But the
point is that the voice will always bring peace when God
speaks to us.
People who listen to my teaching tapes a lot tell me that
frequently when they are about to make a decision or do
something they are not sure about, they will hear me say
something that gives them direction or correction. What
they are really hearing is God speaking through His Word,
but they have heard my voice speaking it to them for so
long, it sounds like me when it comes to them. Samuel
was accustomed to hearing Eli; therefore, when God
called him, it sounded to him like Eli.

Above all, remember that we are to be led by peace.
A woman told me at a meeting, “I was in this situation
with my husband that was getting intense. God spoke to
me, telling me what to do by reminding me of something
you said on one of your tapes. All of a sudden I heard
your voice from one of the tapes saying just what it was I
needed to remember. God reminded me of it as a ‘word in
due season.’” Even though it was my voice she heard that
was recorded in her memory bank, it was the Holy Spirit
who called forth that memory when she needed it.
When God speaks to us, it doesn’t sound like a loud voice
booming out of heaven. Often He speaks to us through our
own inner voice. We may think that we are talking to
ourselves, but God’s words in our spirit are always filled
with a wisdom that we could never have on our own.
People have said to me, “You’re always saying ‘God said.’
You sound like you have a conversation with God all the
time.” God is trying to talk to them all the time, too. They
would hear Him if they would simply ask Him to speak to
them, then listen to their inner man or conscience, and
wait for Him to speak.
There are many different ways that God speaks to us.
Many people think they don’t hear from God because they
are looking for some supernatural manifestation that
simply won’t happen. Most of the time, God speaks
through a still, small voice within that sounds quite
natural. God says that we are His sheep and that He is our
Shepherd, and that His sheep know His voice (see John
10:1-5).

He may speak to us through nature, as He did with me a
few days after I had received the baptism of the Holy
Spirit. I drove past a field full of weeds, and in the middle
of those weeds there were two or three patches of pretty
flowers. I received an entire message from God about how
flowers can grow in the middle of the weeds, and how
good things are in our lives even in the midst of struggles
and trials.
In all the years I have been listening for God’s voice, I
have had one open vision, and maybe four or five
prophetic dreams. I am not making light of the fact that
God speaks to some people through many dreams and
visions, but most of the time He just fills my thoughts with
His thoughts and confirms them with His written Word.
He gives me peace, and I try to follow wisdom.
We need to discern the Lord’s voice carefully, but we
needn’t over-spiritualize hearing from God. It is not as
difficult as some may think. If God has something to say,
He knows how to get His point across. It is our
responsibility just to listen with expectancy and test what
we hear against internal peace.
God has something to say about most everything that
happens to us each day. It is such a shame for people to be
lonely when God is eagerly waiting to talk to them and
fellowship with them anytime they are willing to listen.