DAY 3 DEVOTIONAL | Is This God or Something Else? Learning to Discern the Voices You Hear

So we recognise that we hear voices. Correct? We have also come to accept that we must know what voice we are listening to and therefore obey. Correct?

So that’s what we will talk about some more today: Is This God or Something Else? Learning to Discern the Voices You Hear.

It is said that one of the greatest challenges believers face is not hearing voices, but discerning which voice to trust. 

Scripture makes it clear that not every voice we hear carries truth or authority. Discernment is essential in the life of faith. So what is spiritual discernment? It is the ability to recognise, test, and distinguish what is from God and what is not, by measuring every voice, thought, and influence against God’s Word, character, and Spirit.

How do we know whether what we are hearing is God’s Voice? Because it is always consistent with His character and His Word. 

The Bible describes the nature of God’s wisdom clearly.

James 3:17 (KJV) “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

As the popular Jimmy Swaggart song says: His Voice Makes the Difference.

God’s voice produces purity, peace, and clarity. It invites reflection and obedience rather than panic or pressure. When a voice leads to confusion, fear, or condemnation, it does not reflect the wisdom that comes from God.

Jesus also teaches that God’s people can learn to recognise what is not His voice. 

Notice we started with God’s voice. You have to know the real thing so you can identify the counterfeit. We know what they say about people trained to identify counterfeit money: they study the genuine currency so closely that anything false is immediately recognised by contrast.

John 10:4–5 (KJV) “And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.”

Family, recognition comes through familiarity. As believers grow in relationship with God, they become more aware of what aligns with His voice and what does not. God leads; He does not coerce. Fear pressures; God invites. Condemnation drives away; conviction restores.

Scripture also warns that not every voice that sounds spiritual originates from God.

2 Corinthians 11:14 (KJV) “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

This reminds us that deception often appears convincing. That is why God does not ask His people to accept voices blindly, but to test what they hear against His truth.

Learning discernment takes time. Confusion does not mean failure; it means growth is in progress. God does not condemn believers for learning how to hear Him clearly. Instead, He teaches, confirms, and corrects with patience.

Discerning the voice of God is not about never questioning. It is about developing spiritual maturity so that what is false becomes easier to recognise and what is true becomes more familiar.

As we reflect today, let us consider this question: What fruit does this voice I am hearing produce in me — peace or pressure? 

Click on this link for the full Live Empowerment Session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdOHzB1lIuw