Tune Into God’s Voice and Tune Out the Opposition - Part 1
Many voices compete for our attention daily: the Lord (Holy Spirit), our own thoughts, other believers, the devil, demons, and people influenced by the enemy. Each of these voices has a different source and intent.
With so many voices, we can feel pulled in different directions. Yet we have the authority and discernment to choose which to hear and which to ignore.
Radio offers thousands of stations globally, all seeking listeners. Similarly, we must choose which frequency to tune into based on what we want to hear.
This shows how voices fight for our attention. The challenge is knowing which to listen to and which to ignore. If we’re not tuned to the right station, we hear the wrong voice or chaos—like a radio between stations. But when we recognize God’s voice, we confidently focus on the Lord, blocking out the enemy's voices that might derail or frighten us.
In John 10:27 Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” In Greek, “hear” (akouō) means to understand and comprehend. This means we’re not just hearing a sound; we're grasping what the Lord is saying. The words capture our attention, so, as Jesus says, 'they follow me.'
The Greek word “follow” (akoloutheō) means to follow and become a disciple. We don’t just hear words that pass by; we hear words that move us to passionately follow the Lord.
The only way to distinguish God’s voice is to know Him. In a busy playground when we’re with our kids, other parents can call for their children, but our kids stay focused playing, that is, until we call them. Because our children know our voices from time spent together, especially since we homeschool, they easily pick us out in a crowd. After the Lord, they know their parents’ voices matter most.
Like with our kids, we must know God and His voice. This only comes from intentional, daily time in His Word and prayer, so we know who God is, His voice, and who He says we are.
With that in mind, here are a couple of things to remember when it comes to recognizing God’s voice.
God speaks to all of us in different ways, such as:
An impression in our spirit
Feeling God’s presence
The still small voice of the Holy Spirit within us
A verse in the Bible jumps off the page to us.
Visions and Dreams
Words spoken to us by others
Hearing or seeing the same thing over and over from multiple sources
An audible voice (although very rare)
God’s voice will never contradict the written Word. If we think we are hearing from the Lord, we should seek confirmation in Scripture to make sure it aligns.
1 John 4:1 states: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
God’s voice will never carry fear (which is distinct from urging us to step out of our comfort zone).
Condemnation (this is different than conviction)
Negativity
Criticism
Doubt
Pride
Arrogance
Shame
Etc.
God’s voice will carry:
The fruits of the Spirit
Righteousness
Holiness
Boldness
Faith
Conviction
Etc.
Hearing God’s voice is crucial in our walk with Christ. God created us with purpose—specific plans assigned before we were born. Psalm 139:13-18 shows our value and God’s plans for us.
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.”
When we tune into the Lord, we discover the unique purpose He designed for us. The main point: discerning God’s voice is essential for following His plans and living confidently in our identity and purpose.
To see this in practice, let’s turn to one of our favorite Bible stories: Nehemiah. This story powerfully demonstrates what it means to tune into the voice of God and tune out opposing voices (even our own).
If you haven’t read the book of Nehemiah, we highly encourage you to do so. It’s not very long, and it contains powerful principles for living boldly and wholeheartedly for what the Lord has called you to do.
Nehemiah, convicted by a God-given vision to rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, commits, secures resources, gathers people, starts work, and completes the rebuilding faster than expected.
In Nehemiah Chapter 1, Nehemiah learns that the wall of Jerusalem is still broken down and destroyed, and it breaks his heart. He spends time fasting, praying, and repenting for the people’s sins, and he asks the Lord to hear his prayer and restore his people. He knew the Lord wanted to restore his people because he cited God's promises to Moses in Chapter 1. Nehemiah already knew what God’s word said, so he knew that the conviction he felt about the wall of Jerusalem aligned with God’s word and will.
Chapter 2:1-8 states: “In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I WAS VERY MUCH AFRAID. I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” SO I PRAYED to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it.” And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.”
We know the above section is long, but it is important to see what is going on. The King, one of the most powerful men in the world at that time, asks Nehemiah what is bothering him. We immediately see that fear (his own voice or the voice of the enemy) strikes Nehemiah. However, before Nehemiah responds, he stops to pray first to God and ask for guidance.
This is such a key part, not just in this story, but in our own lives. Too often, we base our actions and decisions on our feelings, which either cause us to miss the will of God out of fear or to ignore the Lord's warning cry, and God’s ultimate will in the moment is missed. It’s vital that we are in constant communication with our heavenly father, even in moments that seem as if there’s no time to pray.
Chapter 2 does not tell us the response Nehemiah received from the Lord, but based on his response to the King, we know he received confirmation to speak boldly. And his response was definitely bold, carrying a risk that could have gotten him killed. He not only explains what is bothering him but also asks the King to let him leave his current job as cupbearer and to provide safe passage and pay for the entire thing.
These are outrageous requests when we think in the natural. But Nehemiah knew God’s will, God’s voice, and the supernatural power of all that God can and wants to do, so he was bold and confident in moving forward with what he was hearing. However, he had to tune out some opposing voices to get started and complete the work.
In Part 2, which we’ll share next week, we will discuss more of Nehemiah’s specific response to voices of opposition.
A few things to reflect on:
Is there anything the Lord has put on your heart to do that you have not started yet because you are not sure if you are hearing God’s voice clearly?
Are you facing voices of opposition to what you know the Lord has called you to do?
We are praying for you all!
Prayer: Father God, thank you for speaking to me and for making your voice known. I ask that you help me learn your voice more intimately and recognize when it is you speaking to me. I pray that you reveal your will to me and show me the plans you have called me to so that I may boldly walk in my calling like Nehemiah. I pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Praying for you all!
Ryan and Julie
