Discerning the Voice of the Lord

The apostle Paul said, “I am determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

Have you sought to know the voice of Jesus, sitting quietly in his presence — just waiting? Have you sought him for things you can't get from books or teachers? The Bible says all truth is in Christ and he alone can impart it to you, through his blessed Holy Spirit.

A question may arise in your mind: "Isn't it dangerous to open my mind to a still, small voice? The enemy can come in and mimic God's voice and deceive me. And isn't the Holy Spirit to be our only teacher?"

Like the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit is a distinct, living, divine person in himself. Scripture calls the Holy Ghost the Spirit of the Son: "God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts" (Galatians 4:6). He's also known as the Spirit of Christ: "The Spirit of Christ who was in them" (1 Peter 1:11). "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit is the essence of both Father and Son, and is sent by both.

There's a way we can be protected from deception during deep prayer. Our protection is in waiting. The voice of the flesh is always in a hurry. It wants instant gratification, so it has no patience. It's always focused on self rather than the Lord, always seeking to rush us out of God's presence.

The voice of the enemy also is patient, but only to a point. It can be soft, sweet, assuring and logical. But if we test it by simply waiting — that is, not acting on it right away, testing it to see if it's the Lord's voice — it will grow impatient and expose itself. It will suddenly become ugly and demanding, railing at us and condemning us.

This is why the Bible says again and again, "Wait on the Lord — wait on him — wait." It's during our waiting that these other voices are exposed, or grow weary and leave. We're to wait, wait, wait, so that both heaven and hell know we won't give up until the Lord takes over.