READ: JOHN 10:1-18; 14:26; 1 JOHN 4:1-21

Have you ever heard someone talk about what God is “telling them” and felt frustrated, wondering, “Why isn’t God talking to me?” I remember feeling that way.

But let me encourage you! It takes time to learn someone’s voice. If I met you for twenty minutes today, and tomorrow you shouted to me in a crowd, I probably wouldn’t turn around. I wouldn’t recognize your voice. You would have to get louder, more persistent, even grab my arm—and I still may not remember who you are or where we met. However, if my mom or dad shouted to me—someone I spent every single day talking and listening to for eighteen years—I would turn around immediately. Even if I couldn’t see them, I would start in the direction of their voices, trying to find them.

Faith is a lot like that! It takes time to learn God’s voice and how He speaks to us. It takes time in His Word, in prayer, and with other believers. Sometimes God might repeat Himself to try to get your attention, like you trying to catch up with me in public. Remember, He wants to talk to you, because He loves you. Since Jesus died and rose from the dead, everyone who puts their trust in Jesus is brought near to God and receives the Holy Spirit, who speaks to us. So be watching and listening. Test what you think may be Him—hold it up to the Word, share with a mentor to see what they think. You will grow more sensitive to His voice, and more familiar with it, over time. Don’t give up! • Abigail Aswegen

• A huge part of learning to listen for God’s voice is knowing His Word—the Bible. Scripture is the primary place where He speaks to us, and it’s the first place we should go to test whether or not something we heard was from Him. So, to know what God is saying, we have to know what the Bible says. How could this affect the way we read Scripture?

• Often God will communicate with us by bringing Bible verses or stories to mind when we need them. Have you ever experienced something like that? What happened?

• If you know Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives in you, offering comfort and guidance. And He lives in every believer, so one way of discerning whether God is communicating something to you is to ask another believer, since you both have the same Holy Spirit. It can be especially helpful to spend time together in prayer, bringing your questions to God and listening patiently for His answers. Who are trusted Christians in your life who could pray and dig into Scripture with you?

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 (NLT)