One Friday Morning, I was laying in bed when I heard God say to me, “Get up! Get up! Get up!” It wasn’t an audible voice, but it was urgent. The voice would not stop until I responded, “God, if you’re telling me to go somewhere, please tell me where.” He then gave me a vision of my church. As I sat on the train, headed to Harlem, I was nervous and excited at the same time. I’ve never done anything like this before. This was a test of my faith. I knew that if God told me to go, then He had my back and there was nothing to fear. If you desire to have a relationship with God like this, check out my previous blog God is that You?: How to Hear From God, to learn some tips to build a relationship with God in order to clearly hear His voice. It’s also part 1 to this blog.
I got off the train; my heart was still racing and adrenaline flowing through my veins. What was I about to experience? As I neared 122nd and Madison, I saw Haddad Trucks. These trucks are used on film sets to carry equipment, set up offices, dressing rooms and much more. I laughed when I saw the trucks because my expectations were to go to my church and volunteer; however, God only showed me my church so that I would know what direction to head in. So I tested the theory. I walked by a couple of Teamsters (men who drive the Haddad trucks) and we made eye contact. I then proceeded to my church and stood across the street from the action.
God said to me,
“Go across the street.”
I walked back across the street to the Teamsters and struck up a conversation with them. It turns out they were shooting Season 4 of Bull on CBS. After my conversation ended with the Teamsters, I walked away. I intended to actually go into my church, but God instructed me to walk to the other side of the street, so I did. I crossed the street on Madison next to a schoolyard. This time, I walked until I felt the Holy Spirit tell me this is a good place. I was right next to set. I stood there for almost an hour. Since I didn’t know anything about the show, I researched the Executive Producers and the cast. Just in case God’s plan was for me to talk to one of them. After a drunken guy tried to holla and a couple of people thinking I was an actress, I started to get cold and tired.
I said to God,
“I trust You, but I’m getting real cold. It would be great to let me in on Your plan.”
I stood longer. Then I saw a beautiful Black woman escorting one of the leading actresses to set. I thought she’s definitely the person I’m going to speak to. She’s Black, I’m Black we have something in common. But she walked by three times and didn’t acknowledge me. I waited some more.
At about 1:45p, a white guy walked to the corner. He was average height with salt and pepper hair. He didn’t look older, but the stress of the job aged him a little. He was on his phone at first, so I didn’t think he was the guy I should speak to. When he got off the phone he stood on the corner for a while. So I asked him if he was the Location Manager. He replied that he was not, but he was willing to help me anyway. I told him I had no questions. He then apologized and walked away. This was my first time doing this. I wasn’t sure if I should continue the conversation or runaway and hide.
I said to God,
“Give me the words to say.”
After mustering up the courage to approach him one more time, I took a step, but someone crossed in front of me and I got nervous all over again. I didn’t want my waiting to be in vain, so for the third time I mustered up the strength to approach the guy again. I found out that he was the First Assistant Director on set. He talked about how he started at a lower position in 2016 and worked so hard for other people, but they overlooked him. They wouldn’t promote him. He finally got this position and he liked it, but he was still experiencing a little trouble. So I spoke to him from my experience in the industry and I told him, “Every rejection is redirection. You’re exactly where you need to be.” He looked at me relieved and thanked me. Just like that I was on the train back home. My mission was over.
I know what you’re thinking right now. How did I know my mission was over? How did I know that was the guy I was supposed to speak to? And most importantly, how did I know it was God who told me to go and not myself?
Discerning God’s voice isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible. Once you have a relationship with Him, He will groom you to recognize His voice. Here are some key tips to discern God’s voice, from your voice, and from the enemy’s voice. I’m pretty sure there are other tips out there, but these tips were helpful to me.
There’s Peace When God Speaks
The most important thing to know is that God’s voice comes with peace. If you have conflicting views, worse if you feel confused, after you hear God speak, then it’s not God. God is not the author of confusion. The enemy is. There is no peace in what the enemy says, but there is peace in what God says.
1 Corinthians 14:33 reads “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace,”
I remember one year ago, I received almost $5,000 back from taxes. It was the first time I ever received this much money. I was so excited. I asked God what I should do with it and He responded,
“Give it to your Church.”
When He said it, I had so much peace with it. I just knew that if God was calling me to sow this seed that He was planning to bless me in return. So I tithed the entire thing. Months later, I found out that the seed money I sowed, helped pay for our Women’s Retreat. I felt so blessed to help out. At the end of that same year, I received a large bonus from my job. This time I had plans to pay some bills and save significantly. But I heard the voice again, “Give it to your church.” 2 Times in a year. What was going on? Did God want me to suffer? I felt such turmoil. Even worse, I started feeling bad that if I didn’t sow the seed I would be punished, I had no peace about it. I sought the counsel of a friend and she reminded me that if I didn’t have peace about it that it was not God. I decided not to sow the seed and I had peace with that decision. I knew God was talking to me.
It’s a Still Small Voice
Recognize how God speaks to you. God speaks to us in many ways, but one of the ways He speaks to us is internally to our spirit. Remember, God is Spirit and therefore He is communicating with your spirit.
1 Kings 19:11-12 reads: The Lord said [to Elijah], “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, 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.
It’s important to spend quiet time with God and meditate to shut out the noise of the world. When God drops something on my spirit I can usually feel it deep down in my stomach. Most recently in my chest. Other times, in my right ear. It’s important that you are tuned in to when God is speaking, so you can recognize how He speaks to you.
Now, it’s important to know that the enemy also tries to influence our thinking and he tries to make his voice heard over God’s. But He is sly, and nothing he says is the truth. Usually his voice is subtle and starts off as a thought followed by guilt, shame, condemnation, or doubt. If you allow his voice to continue to speak to you he will plant seeds that will bear fruit of fear, worry, jealousy, pride and will prevent you from doing God’s will.
Check the Fruit
When God tells you to do something you can know for sure that He has told you to do it by the fruit you produce. If God is speaking to you then you will produce good fruit, but if satan is speaking to you then you will produce bad fruit.
Matthew 7:15-17 reads: Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
God told me to move in crazy faith and I shared this news with my friend. In her attempt to “save me” she shot down my hopes. She fed into my fear. In fact, she told me that I needed to relearn God’s voice because clearly I didn’t hear from Him. For months I felt regret, sadness, and shame. Fear consumed me so much that I convinced myself that the gifts God gave me were not real. How could I misperceive God’s voice so badly? Months later, God confirmed that He in fact was talking to me and because I let someone stop me from doing His will, the blessing He had for me was delayed. My friend thought she was helping, but she actually sent me down a spiral of fear, doubt, and opened me to the attacks of the enemy. The fruits that she sowed were not Godly; therefore, she was not instructed by God to speak to me.
God’s Voice HAS to be First
This tip is especially in regard to someone prophesying over your life. If someone is telling you something that God had not revealed to you first, then chances are he or she did not hear it from God or they revealed it too soon. However, our God is soooo good that everything shared with us, can always be confirmed in His word.
Jeremiah 29:13 reads: You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
I remember I was at a friend’s church. One of the leaders came to me and prophesied over my life.
She said, “You are called to be a lawyer. You will uphold the law.”
This was the first time I heard this. Her prophecy also didn’t align with what God has already called me to do.
So I responded, “Yes, God’s law.”
She then responded, “No, not just God’s law in the church but also in the court room.”
Now, I knew that she did not hear from God because God had NEVER revealed that to me. In fact, I’m a TV Producer, God has called me to tell stories, bring people together, and help people heal from their trauma. God never confirmed that I was called to be a lawyer, but He did confirm that I was called to create.
Now that you have the tips down, let’s see how these tips played out in my Friday adventure.
I woke up that morning and God said, “Get Up! Get Up! Get Up!” And then He showed me a vision of my church, which was the direction I needed to go. I know the thought wasn’t mine because my plan was to go grocery shopping. I had it planned for days. I had peace when God told me to go to my church. When I got to my church, I waited for God’s still small voice to instruct my next move. That’s when He told me go across the street. After I spoke to the First Assistant Director on set, he thanked me and he was relieved with the news. The fruit I bore was peace and joy. When I got home, I shared an Instastory about my adventure and several people reached out to me asking me how did I know it was God. Which then led me to write this blog. The fruit that my daring walk with God is still baring is peace. Knowledge about God’s word always brings peace.
I hope you found this blog helpful. Share your thoughts with me. Let me know if any of these tips help you. I’ll also share another blog on the different ways that God speaks to us.
Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a blog.