How Do You Know the Voice of God?

John 10:3-4 "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

A friend asked me the other day, "How do you know when it is God speaking to you?" This is a very good question and one I have heard many times. I suppose I would ask how do you know when it is your wife, husband, friend, child, speaking to you? Because you are familiar with the sound of their voice. As our relationship with God deepens it becomes easier to discern God's voice when we hear it. Now I have never heard the audible voice of God but He has spoken to me many times. Remember " God is not the author of confusion." So, if the voices you are hearing are confusing to you I would wait until I knew it was the voice of God. How do we develop the ability to recognize God's voice? (Good question, that is why I interjected it here) By reading His Word each day and having a healthy prayer life. By that I mean to practice the presence of God in your life each day and have a continuous dialogue. As we do these things it becomes much easier to know when God is speaking. If you would like to contribute any thoughts on this subject I welcome your comments at nc_jeff@hotmail.com ( There is an underscore mark between the

nc and Jeff........nc_jeff)