How Do I Know It's God Speaking?
Month 8: Talking with God — The Praying Family · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 10:27 & Psalm 119:105
27 My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. — John 10:27
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. — Psalm 119:105
Memory Verse
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”— Philippians 4:6 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Jeremiah 51–52
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time.The Heart of It
Yesterday Samuel learned to listen. But a fair question follows. How do I know it's actually God, and not just my own thoughts or feelings? Jesus gave us a gentle picture. He said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (). Sheep learn their shepherd's voice by spending time near him, day after day, until they can tell his call from a stranger's. That's how we learn God's voice too. We live close to Jesus in His Word and prayer until His ways become familiar to us. The more time you spend in the Bible, the more easily you recognize when something matches God's heart and when it doesn't.
So how do we test what we think we're hearing? Here is the first and most important rule. God will never contradict His written Word. says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." The Bible is our flashlight. It never lies. It never changes. It never leads us astray. If a thought or feeling tells you to do something the Bible calls wrong, that voice is not from God. Full stop. As Spirit-filled believers, we welcome the Holy Spirit's leading. But we always test it. Does it agree with Scripture? Does it sound like Jesus, full of truth and love? Does it lead toward obedience and away from selfishness? Wise counsel from godly people helps too (). God's guidance and God's Book always agree, because the same Spirit gave us both.
Around the Table
Sheep know their shepherd's voice! The more we listen to Jesus in the Bible, the better we know His voice.
Let's do it: Have one person hide and call your name. Can you tell who it is? That's how we learn to know Jesus' voice!
God never tells us to do something the Bible says is wrong. The Bible is like a flashlight for our feet.
Let's talk: If a "feeling" told you to be unkind to your brother, could that feeling be from God? How do you know?
The Holy Spirit really leads God's people. But we test every leading by Scripture, because God never contradicts His own Word.
Let's go deeper: Name three "tests" for whether a thought is from God. (Hint: Does it match the Bible? Does it sound like Jesus? Does it lead to obedience?)
💬 Conversation Starter
How do you recognize a friend's voice on the phone before they even say their name? How is knowing God's voice kind of like that?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says: "How can you trust some inner voice? You're just hearing your own imagination." That's a fair question, and here's our kind, confident answer. We don't trust feelings on their own. We trust God's written Word. It has been tested for thousands of years and never fails. We weigh every impression against the Bible, against the character of Jesus, and against wise counsel (, "test all things"). A voice that tells us to love our enemies, forgive, and stay pure isn't the kind of thing our selfish hearts invent. The Shepherd's voice always matches the Shepherd's Book. And we're always ready to give a reason for our hope with gentleness and respect ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
One of the most pastoral things you can give your children is a settled answer to "How do I know it's God?" The alternative is a generation tossed around by feelings. Or worse, a generation paralyzed by fear that they'll miss God's will. Anchor them in this truth: God's clearest, most certain voice is His finished Word. Teach them that the Spirit and the Scripture never disagree. The same Holy Spirit who inspired the Bible () is the One who leads us today. Beware two ditches. There's the cessationist ditch that silences the Spirit. And there's the hype ditch that elevates every impression above the Book. Walk the warm, classic Pentecostal middle. Stay open to the Spirit's leading, governed always by Scripture, prizing character over flashy experiences.
Draws on: Natasha Crain, Talking with Your Kids about God; Sam Storms, Practicing the Power.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that we are Your sheep, and that Your voice is always kind. Help us know You so well that we can tell Your voice from any other. Lead us by Your Spirit. Keep us close to Your truth. In Jesus' name, amen."
God's voice always agrees with God's Book. The more I know His Word, the better I know Him.