How to Recognize God’s Voice

[How to Recognize God’s Voice]( Current Teaching Series [Hearing the Voice of God]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [How to Recognize God’s Voice]( By Rick Warren — 09/24/2021 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email]( “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." Luke 21:33 (NIV) Sometimes it’s hard to recognize God’s voice. When an idea comes into your mind, you wonder if it’s an instruction from God, a deception from Satan, or just something you want to do. But it’s important to know how to discern God’s voice, because it can have eternal consequences. A lot of evil gets blamed on God when people say, “God told me to do it!” The Bible says in 1 John 4:1, “Don’t always believe everything you hear just because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it really is” (TLB). God will never contradict his Word. So you can ask yourself: “Does that idea in my mind right now agree with the Bible?” God doesn’t say one thing and then change his mind and say something else. If he said it, it’s true—and it will always be true. God is consistent. He isn’t moody. He doesn’t change his mind. He will never tell you to violate a principle that he’s already given in his Word, the Bible. So, when you’re wondering whether you’re hearing God’s voice, the first question you need to ask is, “Does this thought line up with what God has already said?” If what you’re thinking contradicts something that God has already said in the Bible, then you know it’s wrong. Jesus said in Luke 21:33, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (NIV). God’s Word is eternal, because truth never changes. If something was true 5,000 years ago, it was true 1,000 years ago, it is true today, and it will be true 5,000 years from today. People might say, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.” No! God said it, and that settles it—whether you believe it or not! God won’t contradict himself. So, when you’re trying to recognize his voice, the best starting place is to ask yourself, “Is this idea in harmony with the Word of God?” [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - What do you believe God has been telling you to do? - Do those instructions contradict any part of the Bible? How do you know? - How can you develop a deeper walk with God so that you more easily understand and discern his instructions? The post [How to Recognize God’s Voice]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email]( [Get the Hearing the Voice of God Scripture Cards and Box when you give a gift to support Daily Hope]( Good communication is vital to a healthy relationship. And God wants you to not only talk to him—but also hear his voice. He wants to have a conversation with you! That’s why we’re so excited to send you the Hearing the Voice of God Scripture Box. This unique, high-quality, vegan leather Scripture box is filled with 52 beautiful Scripture cards that feature key verses from Pastor Rick’s, Hearing the Voice of God teaching series. These verses will help you tune in to what God has to say to you. And as you do, you’ll experience not only the peace of his presence—you’ll also discover his great plan for your life! And if you’re able to become a Partner in Hope with your first monthly gift below, we’ll also send you an exclusive Daily Hope welcome gift to show our appreciation. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 3 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series Hearing the Voice of God. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: God Wants to Talk With You Message 2: Recognizing God's Voice Message 3: Getting God's Vision for My Life [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan]( to address five global issues—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. You can listen to Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, his daily 25-minute audio teaching, and sign up for his free daily devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2021 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States