Oswald Chambers’ litmus test for a dream, vision, or unusual
circumstance is simple: “Never nourish an experience which
has not God as its Source and faith in God as its result.” 11
Your faith will grow as you develop your listening ear to the
voice and thoughts of God. As you journal and share humbly
with others about your experiences and encounters with Him,
you will become more familiar with how God talks to you.
“I think God is talking to me.”
Hearing God talk takes time and practice—which means you
might not always be 100 percent sure that you’ve heard Him
correctly.
Early in my relationship with God, my husband suggested
that I not use the phrase God told me, because I could be
wrong. (I tend to be impulsive and very enthusiastic.) Instead,
Roger encouraged me to say, “I think or feel God is directing
me” in a specific way.
Roger’s wise and pastoral counsel has given me permission
to express my initial impressions of how I hear God talk to me.
This practice allows God to confirm His plans to me over time
and through a variety of ways rather than relying on one
moment or thought to be my single source of counsel. As I
take time to hone in on God’s voice, I don’t struggle with
lingering doubt or a fear that I will make a mistake or
misrepresent God. Over the years, this practice has proven to
increase my faith and improve my listening ear, giving me
confidence to express to others what I “feel and think” God is
prompting, encouraging, or asking me to do.