How to know it's God speaking to you??

From Charlie's facebook page, from his friend- thought it fit perfectly here

 

I believe it was Mark Malletts words or Charlie's (or a combo?) which stated that we should pray to be able to hear God's voice as a whisper now in this time of grace so that we will know his voice and follow it in the coming time of darkness.

 

I think it came about a few weeks back during the weekly mass reading from 1 Kings 19:

[11] And he said to him: Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord: and behold the Lord passeth, and a great and strong wind before the Lord over throwing the mountains, and breaking the rocks in pieces: the Lord is not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake: the Lord is not in the earthquake. [12] And after the earthquake a fire: the Lord is not in the fire, and after the fire a whistling of a gentle air. [13] And when Elias heard it, he covered his face with his mantle, and coming forth stood in the entering in of the cave, and behold a voice unto him, saying: What dost thou here, Elias? And he answered: [14] With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant: they have destroyed thy altars, they have slain thy prophets with the sword, and I alone am left, and they seek my life to take it away. [15] And the Lord said to him: Go, and return on thy way through the desert to Damascus: and when thou art come thither, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.

 

I think this is instruction from May of 2010. Sandy Warner is a Protestant messenger. Sandy shares how to hear Our Lord's voice. Reminded me of but a little shorter, GOD SPEAKS WILL YOU LISTEN on the same subject (see the link below and may of already been posted in the GSWYL thread).

Plus, Sandy Warner shares how Our Lord's still small voice sounds!

Then, click on Father Jim's Northrop's Daily Thought for today, wow, goes along with, it fits.

Our Lord keeps saying in the messages, He wants everyone to take the time, for each one to hear His voice in their heart. Sandy, Verne and Cletus kept trying.

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HE SPEAKS THROUGH HIS STILL SMALL VOICE

by Sandy Warner
“My sheep hear My voice and I know them and they follow Me.” (John 10:27 NKJV) “But the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake, a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire, a still small voice...Elijah heard it...And, suddenly a voice came to him, and said, What are you doing Elijah?...” (1 Kings 19:11,12,13 NKJV)

Other than seeing Jesus, there is nothing more precious to a Christian’s life than hearing His still small voice. To think that He can live within our hearts is amazing, but to know He also SPEAKS there is wonderful. He lives inside, and no matter how far away eternity is, He will not leave or forsake us. One can be locked up in the darkness of a room and have complete fellowship with Him. What a gracious God we serve!

“...your body is the home of the Holy Spirit God gave you, and He that lives within you... So use every part of your body to give glory back to God...For you are God’s temple, the home of the living God, and God has said of you, “I will live in them, and walk among them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people.” (1 Corinthians 6:19,20 TLB / 2 Corinthians 6:16B TLB)

When we hear the Lord’s still small voice, He speaks INSIDE of us. We are actually hearing the Holy Spirit, Who lives deep inside. Tuning in is the key to hearing Him through His Spirit. Tuning in is not a ritualistic form of meditation, although meditation (pondering) upon His Word is great. Rather, tuning in is bringing into focus what is happening. It is a recognition of what is going on instead of just mundanely living life’s routine. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, (Psalm 139:14) and we house the very God of the universe within. Jesus said, “The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him, nor know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you....and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him.” (John 14:17, 23 AMP) What a privilege! How He wants to increase our measure of hearing Him!


HIS STILL SMALL VOICE IS TO OUR MIND
(Not Through Our Mind)

There are two main ways to hear Him within our thoughts: to our mind, and through our mind. They are not the same. Hearing His still small voice TO our mind is a totally unbiased, objective experience. Our personality has no involvement in what He says, or when He says it. An example is being in a room with someone, while having your eyes closed. You do not know if that person will say something, and if he does, you do not know what will be said or when. There is no control over the speaker, there is no involvement in what, when or if he speaks. This way of hearing bypasses the soul or personality, because there is no personal involvement. When the Lord speaks, it is a gift — a gift of approach into your world, your private space.

The other way of hearing the Lord is THROUGH our thoughts. Through our thoughts is subjective, meaning with involvement of our soul or personality. Many have thought they heard the Lord’s still small voice, when in reality it was their own thoughts. The Lord does speak to us through our thoughts, also inspires them, but this is not hearing His still small voice.

It is easy for Christians who are first hearing Him to fall into error, simply because they have not yet heard His still small voice enough times TO KNOW THAT THEY KNOW they are hearing Him and not their own thoughts.

It is not easy to describe His still small voice because it is without sound. However I will try to explain the way His voice sounds to me! In listening to any kind of thought, I do not hear voice patterns, pitch, timbre, tone or depth within my mind. I merely hear thoughts. His voice “sounds” the same as my thoughts. I can receive emotion from what I hear, and can also figure out by the message how the Lord is feeling sometimes, but still there is no pitch in hearing His still small voice. The only complete distinction in hearing my thoughts vs. His voice is 100 percent unbiased objectivity. I RECOGNIZE what I’ve just heard is not a part of myself. It was not formulated from my own mind or personality.

I was a Christian for several years before I had the privilege to hear Him in this way. I think some are like me, either not knowing He can speak to us this way, or not recognizing Him when He does speak. His voice is so quiet, sometimes I haven’t noticed He has spoken until AFTER He has said something. It is the same as being involved in the deep reverie of your own thoughts, and someone speaks into your world. You don’t notice that something has been spoken until after something was said, and you tune in. When this happens you also have to tune in by trying to recall what you just heard.

Many, are like me who have lived in such “noise” they cannot hear the silence of His voice. Noise comes in many fashions and modes. The foundation of all noise is the word DISTRACTION.

Ps 46:10 NKJV
Be still , and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Ps 4:4 NKJV
...commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah....

The easiest way I have heard Him is to be literally at rest, and in silence — in other words, resting in bed. The attitude of being quiet is not to say He is asking us to live monk style lives in silent meditation. However it is true when we live cluttered lives it is very difficult to hear His still small voice during the day when we are first learning.


ASSIGNMENT

Lay down, be still in a quiet environment and commit your thoughts to Jesus Christ. Tell Him how much you love Him and would like to hear from Him. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you, but resist asking Him any questions. Simply be available to listen if He should choose to speak to you. Be still before Him for 20 minutes waiting upon Him. If He does not speak to you, try again at another time. Be persistent until you breakthrough.

Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

http://www. thequickenedword.info/classes/WhereGodSpeaks/Ears/HisStillSmallVoice.htm

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pg. 14 at http://www.scribd.com/doc/22505473/God-Speaks-Will-You-Listen


Daily Thought, Nov 22, 2014
http://thegraceofpentecost.com/iframe/

 

I pasted the search link, oops. Here is the correct link to Sandy's writing:

http://www.thequickenedword.info/classes/WhereGodSpeaks/Ears/HisStillSmallVoice.htm

 

Hi,
Don't you think Sandy Warner (a Protestant messenger) goes into a little more detail on how you hear Jesus'
still small voice than other prophets/messengers who have explained?

 

I think this is excellent advice. And I believe He wants to talk to all of us. Learning His voice is of prime importance in this hour.

 

Very well said kathy k. The Daily Thought for November 22nd from Father Northrop in the OP was too, mainly one sentence.

"Modern man has lost the perspective of eternity. To distract himself from the gaping jaws of death, he engages in ceaseless activity and amusement. The practice of being still in My Presence is almost a lost art, yet it is this very stillness that enables you to experience My eternal Love."

 

When I first got to know the Lord, I used to seek out lonely spots to pray. One night I was in a grotto at 3 am in the middle of a bog, not a soul around when I heard a voice saying a person's name, I knew this person, a severe alcoholic. I started to pray for her and within a few weeks she was off the drink and has never touched it since in almost 30 years, thanks be to God. I often wondered if this was the voice of God I had heard?

I came across this prayer of St. Columba, which I feel says it all:

Sometimes in a lonely cell , in the presence of God.
I stand alone and listen.
In the silence of my heart. I can hear His Will when I listen.
Despairing people flock to me.
They expect that I can see the answers, and they ask for my advice.
They say that "I am wise."
I answer that "nothing can deceive me if I stand alone and silently listen."
For I am but a servant who is guided by his King. When I listen.
Sometimes in a lonely cell, in the presence of God.
I stand alone and listen.

 

You guys know I like to check the daily non-Catholic Christian (Protestant) messages.

+ + +

February 5, 2015

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by MARSHA BURNS:

Beloved, I want you to be the best you can be in My kingdom. Go beyond the mundane and experience the spirit realm first-hand. Don't be satisfied with hearing the stories of the extraordinary spiritual experiences of other people. Step out in the faith that what I do with and through others, I will do with you. I do not discriminate, nor do I value one individual more than another, says the Lord. Be assured that if you are available and completely surrender to Me, I will manifest Myself to and through you.

Acts 10:34
Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.

http://lit4ever.org/revivalforum/index.php?action=homepage

 

I check the daily non-Catholic Christian (Protestant) messages and notice repeatedly, God speaks to hearing Him personally in our hearts.

+ + +

Prophetic Word by KJ

Thus saith the Lord;
February 12, 2015

How very often My Word tells you to be silent. Sadly the world is very noisy. If you desire to hear My still small voice, then you must learn how to find silence in your life. Our enemy uses all the noise to keep you from hearing the voice of your Lord. There are many noises you will be unable to silence, but you must turn off all you are able to. Talk less and listen more.

You will be stronger when you learn the value of silence. You do not need to run to a high mountain like Elijah. Simply find a place as quiet as possible, then spend time with Me listening.

"The Lord is in His Holy Temple, let all the earth be silent before Him."(Habakkuk 2:20)

You may repent of something you said, but you will not need to repent of being silent. When you are with Me in the stillness you will feel My Presence.


Moses put up a small tent outside of the noisy camp of the Israelites and there communed with His Lord. (Exodus 33:7-11)

Since the very difficult last days have begun you need the rest and strength you receive in our silent times together. Allow your heart to be aflame. Learn what a blessing solitude is, and never fear being alone with Me. (Exodus 33:12-23) (Colossians 1:19 and 2:9)

http://lit4ever.org/revivalforum/index.php?topic=32543.msg47902;topicseen#msg47902

 

I will attempt to share from my own experience. Some of that comes from time involved in Charismatic prayer meetings wherein I exercised the gift of prophecy on occasion. The other source would be from my own prayer time. Just a word of caution: Saint Paul in 1 Cor 14 speaks of the purpose of prophecy:
3 On the other hand, he who prophesies speaks to men for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.

Notice there is no direct mention of prophecy as a prediction. Most persons who prophesy at prayer meetings do so because they believe God has given them a word of encouragement or correction for those present. Prophecies as predictions are rare. The prophecies shared for the benefit of a group are received in a similar way, I believe, that the Lord might speak in each of our hearts for our own personal benefit.

The first manner of touching our hearts comes more as an inspiration or insight rather than spoken words. I'm sure you all have experienced this. You might be reading through a passage of Scripture and a new meaning virtually leaps off the page, an insight that you never perceived before. This is a great grace and gift that the Lord grants. Or perhaps you've misplaced an item and have spent ten minutes frantically running around your home looking for it. Finally, in frustration, you remember to pray about it, and lo, a thought or image of where it is crosses your mind. You go and look and it is there! Isn't God good! These are definite ways the Lord speaks.

A prophecy or locution is a little different. It can come whether one is at prayer or not. One experiences it as an interruption in one's train of thought. It is usually experienced in the form of words or images. Once I was at my job, working on the computer when I got the distinct impression of someone speaking to me, "Your wife is pregnant with a girl and you are to name her Therese." Now this was definitely a break in my concentration and thought pattern. I almost looked around to see who said it. At this point, discernment is important because such a thought could have its source in an active imagination or maybe even the devil. So one should pray about such things and definitely make use of something like the attachment provided by Charity up in post #2. Perhaps you will receive a subsequent confirmation through another such person, to help sort things out.

I remember the time Geralyn and I were preparing for a trip to Medjugorje in 1987. In early September my beautiful wife stated that the Holy Spirit had spoken to her heart saying we would not be paying for the trip. To tell you the truth, I doubted her because we had the money in our savings account. Less than a month later, we ran into car problems that ate up our $3000 savings! What to do? What to do? Shortly after that I received a call from a friend who explained that God had moved his heart that morning to give us $3000. This friend had known nothing about our car problem! Now that's what you call a confirmation! How great is our God! And how open my wife was to listen!

I'll share more in a second post!

Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!

 

Mario,
They are a help your experience and instruction. I especially liked...

"Notice there is no direct mention of prophecy as a prediction. Most persons who prophesy at prayer meetings do so because they believe God has given them a word of encouragement or correction for those present. Prophecies as predictions are rare."

And your testimony about the monetary gift, wow!

I wasn't sure about Medjugorje and didn't give it much notice because I thought the messages always read the
same. It wasn't until I started hearing of the healing miracles, that I now believe.

 

Now when a prophecy or locution is received, it is for the sake of a larger audience. The prophecy or word from God can be short or long, but it is not like you hear a voice. As I said in the last post, it is more like an interruption or intrusion into one's thought process. When I received a word at prayer meeting, it was usually accompanied by a sense of urgency which would build until a suitable moment came when I would share. I would try to "test" it in my mind beforehand. Is it sensible? Does it go against any teaching of the Faith? Is it my imagination? Sometimes I would ask God to remove it if was not from Him.

Jeremiah 20:9 If I say, "I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name," there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.

It would be my humble guess that the messages sent out on the Pelianito Blog are received in the form of a prophecy. I believe the difference between a prophecy and a locution is that in a locution the voice of the messenger is actually heard and at times a conversation takes place. Charlie's interaction with St. Michael is like that.

So in our own personal prayer life, I believe that God can also speak in the form of a prophecy or locution, but it would be for our own personal benefit or direction. The only time I heard a word from God in the form of a locution was back in 1977. It was a singular event.

Then in mystical prayer, as indicated by St. Theresa of Avila, there is the prayer of union, but that is outside my scope of experience and you'd have to ask Padraig or someone else who has received such a grace of a direct experience of God.

Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!

 

I take comfort from the fact that St Therese of Lisieux never once heard the audible voice of God yet was a great saint.

 

garabandal,

Very true. We must always keep in mind that the gifts, consolations, and nudges from the Holy Spirit are not the evidence of holiness. Only fruit is:

Galatians 5: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, pray for us!

 

On the few occasions I would have received locutions (usually in interruptions in my thoughts or in a sense of something, or in a scripture verse and it's interpretation) in prayer meetings, my experience was similar to yours Mario... The test in my mind, sense of urgency until a suitable moment arose to share it, and it usually would be confirmed within the group, I also used to experience a physical sensation immediately afterwards in which my whole body would shiver for a few moments, but wouldn't be noticeable to anyone else.

 

Yes to the sensation , not always, but yes. And the confirmation from others, through a Scripture or testimony, would always bolster everyone's faith. Praise God!

Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!

 

The truth is often, especially in complicated matters I sometimes get a little confused about whose voice is whose. Maybe because I don't want to listen at that particular point...in temptation.

But I suppose since we have all of us listened to His voice since childhood we all Know His loving accent. I suspect like all good Fathers He speaks to us in His own particular way as all good Fathers do, knowing each of us is not the same.

For instance one thing I always noticed about God is His great sense of humour.

http://www.mysticsofthechurch.com/2009/11/gabrielle-bossis-he-and-i.html



http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/He_and_I.html?id=fomp-rQzl5oC