How to discern the voice of God

In case you missed it, last Monday, I listed some ways to discern the voice of the enemy.  This week, I hope to do the opposite. You see, I've become really interested lately in hearing from God. I've come to believe that God speaks to us just as He did to the people in the Bible. Why? Because God never changes, and His Word is true. Can you imagine hearing directly from God? I'm not talking about just reading His Word, which is awesome in itself and very profitable, but I'm talking about the Creator of the Universe actually speaking to you directly about something specific in your life.  I believe God longs to speak to us, to instruct us, direct us, teach us, as well as just enjoy our companionship.  What a privilege!!!  Yet so many of us miss His voice because we're too busy, too preoccupied, lack faith, or are too spiritually deaf.

First of all, to truly hear the voice of God, you have to really want to. It has to be top on your list of importance. God says we will find Him when we seek Him with all our hearts. 
Secondly, we have to be willing to wait, be patient and spend time with God in silence. I think this is one of the hardest things for people to do these days. To turn off all the noise, TV, Ipod, Twitter, Iphone...etc... and just sit, talk to God, and wait for His answer. I know it's a huge struggle for me to do that because a thousand obligations and tasks are beckoning to me constantly.  In truth, it takes discipline, so don't be discouraged at first if your mind wanders or you get fidgety or frustrated.

Remember this, God is your Father. And if you come to him humbly asking for an answer to a question, or for help, He's going to answer you. He wants to answer you. He may answer you right then, or He may answer you later. But he will answer. The question is, do you really want to hear Him? 

Honestly, you may have already made some decisions in your life based on God's instruction and didn't even realize it. What some people call intuition or a gut feeling could very well be God.  What about those times when you just "Know" something and can't explain how.
Here's some things to look for that may help you recognize God's voice:

God's voice is

• always calm and gentle
• a whisper
• a perception
• a knowing
• always encouraging
• brings joy
• brings peace
• brings hope
• is sometimes convicting but never inflicts guilt
• is positive, not negative
• never goes against God's Word
• will lead you to do something you know it's right even if you don't want to do it
• filled with love
• encourages love for others

So, I encourage you to set aside a block of time every day and just talk with God. Practice listening to His answers. Don't be discouraged. Be determined. Be disciplined, and stick with it until you learn to recognize His voice. You won't be sorry.