Developing Confidence In God's Voice

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min read

Understanding what the Holy Spirit is saying can be a challenge.

The Bible says He is your helper and guide through life, but how can you have confidence in what He’s saying? Or even if He is speaking in the first place? Is that voice telling you to study at uni the Holy Spirit? Or when you hear that “she’s the one,” is that Him or just your emotions? Is it possible to develop a way to understand what the Holy Spirit is saying when He speaks?

In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear talks about setting up systems to help you achieve your goals. He writes, “I began to realise that my results had very little to do with the goals I set and nearly everything to do with the systems I followed.” A musician, for example, might have a goal to perform a difficult new piece. Their system involves how often they practise, how they break down and tackle difficult measures, and their method for receiving feedback from an instructor. Their success is determined, not by their internal motivation, but by their dedication to the system they’ve created. If your goal is to understand what the Holy Spirit is saying, you can gain confidence in that by developing a system.

Here’s a simple system to help you:
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Listen

We can assume the Holy Spirit is always speaking, so we need to stop and listen to Him. His voice is small and still, so this can take time and patience. Give yourself time and space to intentionally stop and listen to that voice.

Hear

Take detailed notes of when you feel like you’ve heard from Him. Does it line up with God’s character? Does it line up with what the Bible says? Include the date and time as well as the details of what He said; your memory alone can be unreliable. Hold onto those notes so you can review them later.

Respond

Put into action what you feel like He has told you to do. Whether it involves some sort of sacrifice or putting yourself outside your comfort zone, embrace the challenge and trust that God will help you do it.

Review

Evaluate what happened. Was there a positive outcome? Did you or someone else grow because you responded?

Use this system to familiarise yourself with the voice of the Holy Spirit. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and have grace with yourself, as this is something you will learn over time. It’s also helpful to check in with a close Christian friend and go on the journey together. The more you live out this system, the more familiar you will become with the Holy Spirit’s voice.

John 16:13“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”