How do I discern the Holy Spirit’s voice?

1 John 4:1-3Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.

To discern whether the Holy Spirit is speaking to us, we must consider the content. The Holy Spirit never contradicts the truth of God’s Good News about Jesus.

John 14:26“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

John 16:13-15“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’”

The Holy Spirit only speaks in agreement with Jesus’ teachings and God’s will.

Ephesians 4:30-31Do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.

The Holy Spirit is saddened by sin.

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.

Any claims of the Holy Spirit’s guidance should be held against God’s standards of good and evil.

John 10:4-5“After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

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

Just as a sheep learns to recognize the voice of its shepherd, we are learning to recognize God’s voice. Through studying God’s Word, through prayer, and through following Christ in our daily lives, we will become more familiar with who God is and what his voice sounds like.