Sometimes we can have a really hard time discerning what exactly is the voice of the Lord.

We think that we'll hear this audible, loud, clear voice and know that it's the Lord, and while there are some instances in the Bible where that happens, it's not always the case. Sometimes it is still and quiet, or sometimes He can speak to you through dreams, Scripture, prayer, or worship songs.
We tend to stress over whether or not the voice we are hearing is the Lord's. "Was that just my subconscious?" "Was that really God?

We overanalyze and worry about understanding God, when in reality, we already know how to hear and communicate with God. Its just a matter of practice and growing in it.
Now y'all may be thinking, how do I already know how to communicate with God? It's because you have the Holy Spirit in you.
The Holy Spirit bridges that gap of communication between you and the Lord.

In order for us to really propose change for the Kingdom and be a powerful generation, we can't just rely on other people's testimonies and next week's sermon at church. We have to listen to the Lord.

John 10:1-8 says, "Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."

So a big thing in order to understand the voice of the Lord is to know what it looks like and sounds like. The voice of the Lord encourages, motivates, empowers, and convicts us. It's loving, powerful, and good. Now, the voice of the enemy is any lie or negative thought you have about yourself or others. It is anything that goes against the Word of the Lord.

Now even though the verse says that "the sheep do not recognize a stranger's voice.", we have become friends with the stranger's voice and have grown to accustom to what it sounds like. We are quick to listen to it rather than the Shepherd's. We begin to believe the lies that tell us you aren't worthy, pretty enough, smart enough, good enough. We believe the lies that the enemy uses to steal, kill, and destroy our hope.

We need to take our thoughts captive, declare truth over ourselves, and to not let the lies, negative emotions, and doubts consume you, Know that you are called to be fearfully and wonderfully made, to live in peace, and to live in righteousness.

So how do we do that?

1. Renew our minds and take our thoughts captive. We don't need to entertain those negative thoughts.

2. We also need read Scripture. We need to burry ourselves in scripture because it is living and active, and we need to speak the Word over our lives.

3. We need to develop a relationship with the Holy Spirit because we are interwoven into God's heart because of the Holy Spirit.

4. We need to have Godly counsel. We need to know that we don't need to accept or listen to every opinion, but only the people that will point you to truth.

5. We need to follow peace.

So what voice are you listening to? Is the voice that you are listening to making you feel encouraged or discouraged? Is it knocking you down or giving you life and building you up? Have you become friends with the stranger's voice?

I encourage you to reflect on that and to really pay attention to the Shepherd's voice, because he will never lead you astray.