Check off These 5 Characteristics to Discern God’s Voice
From the moment Jesus calls your name, you crave His presence. You long to hear every word He speaks to you. So the problem in developing a relationship with Jesus is never a lack of desire. Rather, it’s a struggle with your mind and the demons of your past! We have all asked ourselves, “Is what I just heard really the voice of God?”
Your Spiritual Parents Got You!
Do not despair! Your #NextGenProphets family is there! Craig and I got your back! We released a podcast with a checklist of 10 characteristics that will tell you if you heard God’s voice or not.
In this blog, I want to share the first 5 with you. Listen to the podcast for the rest ok?
What the Voice of God Sounds Like
"4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Checklist for “Is This God’s Voice?”
1. His Voice is Kind
You easily recognize the tone of someone you love on the phone! In the same way, Jesus’ voice has a distinct tone. It is kind. It’s why I love Him so much. He is the only person in my life that can say, “Colette you were completely out of line and in the flesh” and I want to hear more! He says it in such a way that makes me feel loved and accepted, even though I just messed up.
His voice is kind, regardless of the message. When Jesus speaks to you, the way He says it makes you fall in love with Him all over again!
2. It Does not Envy (It Does not boil with Anger)
For those of us who knew the wrath of a natural dad, this point might be difficult to grasp. When Jesus talks, He does not talk angrily. He does not talk to make you angry at others. His voice does not encourage you to be envious!
Does this mean Jesus never gets angry? Not at all! He gets very angry at the enemy’s ploys. He gets angry when His Bride is mistreated. However, when you come to Him as a child, He reaches out with compassion. He does not respond with a backhand. You can trust Him.
3. Does Not Parade Itself - Does Not Engender Self-Promotion
Jesus is no enabler! He is not going to puff up your flesh so that you think yourself higher than others. Rather, He has a way of talking that makes you feel like His favorite child, while at the same time showing you how much He loves others equally.
He will not tell you, “You were right to fight back. You are a much better person than they are.” Jesus is the lover of your soul and He is well aware of your limitations and gifts. He is not an insincere friend that will tell you what you want to hear.
You can count on Him to tell you the truth about yourself.
4. God’s Voice is Not Brash or Rude
We live in a world of opinions and unwanted advice. Jesus is not like an annoying neighbor who forces you to agree with them. He is a gentleman and when He speaks, He woos you. He does not emotionally arm wrestle you into submission!
He speaks in response to your questions. He invites you to speak on His behalf. Sure, sometimes He can raise His voice so that you hear Him clearly. He isn’t pushy. He leads. His voice stirs you to action. You want to follow where He leads because you love Him.
5. God’s Voice Does not Provoke. Jesus Doesn’t “Call to War” Just for the Sake of It
Jesus is a peace bringer! He is not the schoolyard bully that relishes a fight. If you come to Him frustrated, He will calm your mind. If you pray while anxious, He will give you a peace that passes understanding.
Once you have heard His voice, you will feel secure in who you are. You will be able to stand within the storm. Once He has spoken, you will have the wisdom to tackle your problems. You will not leave His presence with the urge to pick a fight with someone!
Why God Wants to Talk to You
There are five more characteristics to discern God’s voice. I want to switch gears for a minute and talk about how precious you are to the Lord.
As Craig and I taught on these characteristics of hearing God’s voice, I was reminded of how patient Jesus is with us. He woos us. He says the same thing over and over again until we get it. He is gentle. He is kind.
Don’t misunderstand - He ain’t no pushover! He can say it straight. You will discover in the second 5 characteristics that He does not rejoice in sin. What I want you to take away is that He will always pursue you. He will keep talking even if you don’t want to listen. He will keep trying to get through to you, even when the enemy tries to drown Him out.
He died to have this relationship with you. So trust Him. Trust Him to reach you. Then come to peace and know that you are already hearing God’s voice!
How to Know if This is God’s Voice Project
Listen to the podcast and then write down all 10 signs of what God’s voice sounds like.
Now, weigh each point against:
a. A message you received from the pulpit
b. A prophetic word given to you
c. A prophecy (or journal) you got from the Lord
Colette Toach of Toach Ministries International is the author of forty books, including the widely popular I'm Not Crazy – I'm a Prophet. She works alongside her husband, Craig Toach, training their passionate Next Gen Prophet Team with divisions in South Africa, Switzerland, Mexico and the United States. To receive daily prophetic words from Apostle Colette Toach and the #NextGenProphets Team, visit prophetic-network.com.
