Note: I will be on Spring Break next week. I will schedule videos to go out. But there will be NO EMAILS next week.
Today we continue our series entitled “Living the Grace Life,” where we will learn to embrace and walk in God’s unmerited, unearned, and often undeserved favor throughout 2025.
Key scriptures for this year:
2 Corinthians? ?9?:?8? ?TPT??
“Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do.”
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??Galatians? ?5?:?4? ?TPT??
“If you want to be made right with God by fulfilling the obligations of the law, you have cut off more than your flesh—you have cut yourselves off from Christ and have fallen away from the revelation of grace!”
Romans? ?6?:?14? ?ERV??
“Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law. You now live under God’s grace.”
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1 Corinthians? ?15?:?10? ?NIV??
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”
Additional scriptures for today:
Psalm 119:18 TPT
“Open my eyes to see the miracle-wonders hidden in your word.”
Job 33:14-16 ERV
“God speaks to people in ways that they don’t understand. He may speak to them in a dream or in a vision of the night, when they are in a deep sleep lying in their beds. He speaks in their ears and frightens them with warnings.”
1 John 4:1 TPT
“Delightfully loved friends, don’t trust every spirit, but carefully examine what they say to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
Colossians 3:15 TPT
“Let your heart be always guided by the peace of the Anointed One, who called you to peace as part of his one body. And always be thankful.”
Setting the Stage:
For the past few days, we have been exploring the grace to hear from God. We have seen how Biblical heroes heard God’s voice without having access to the complete Scriptures as we do today. We examined how hearing God has always been about grace, not performance, how God’s grace enables us to recognize His voice, and how His grace empowers obedience to what we hear.
Today, let’s continue by exploring the practical aspects of hearing God’s voice in your everyday life. Many believers struggle to discern God’s voice, not because He isn’t speaking, but because they haven’t learned how to recognize His voice amid the competing voices in their lives. Let’s talk about it.
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Grace Helps Us to Distinguish God’s Voice from Other Voices.
In this noisy world filled with countless voices vying for our attention, the grace to hear God includes the ability to distinguish His voice from all others. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).
How this applies to you:
— God’s voice typically aligns with His written Word, which is why you must know your Bible. When you receive a leading or prompting, the first filter should be Scripture. The Spirit of God will never lead you contrary to the Word of God. So, the more you know God’s character, attributes, and will (all found in the Word of God), the more apt you will be to recognize His voice.
— God’s voice often carries a unique sense of peace, even when challenging you. Paul refers to the “peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). By grace, you can learn to recognize this supernatural peace that accompanies God’s genuine communication.
— God’s voice builds up rather than tears down. First Corinthians 14:3 tells us that prophecy (God speaking through people) “speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.” Even when God is correcting you, His voice carries hope and restoration, not condemnation and shame.
— The enemy’s voice typically pushes urgency and rash action, while God’s voice usually provides sufficient time for confirmation. As Isaiah 28:16 reminds us, “Whoever believes will not act hastily.” The Holy Spirit can give you the grace to distinguish between God’s promptings and satan’s pressure.
— Your own voice often reveals your personal preferences and comfort zones. God’s voice, however, frequently calls you beyond yourself into His purposes. Abraham’s call to leave his homeland, Moses’ call to confront Pharaoh, and Mary’s call to bear the Messiah all required moving beyond personal comfort.
— You have to be careful not to just take anything someone says as “A Word from God,” because they may be well-intentioned but misguided. When David wanted to build the temple, Nathan initially encouraged him, saying, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you” (2 Samuel 7:3). That same night, God had to correct Nathan, and then Nathan had to go back and explain to David what God actually said. This is why you must learn to discern God’s voice and make sure you get confirmation in your spirit.
— Sometimes, the most spiritual-sounding counsel is the most misleading. Nathan’s initial response seemed spiritual, yet it wasn’t aligned with God’s actual plan. Grace helps you distinguish between religious-sounding advice and genuine divine guidance.
— Living THE GRACE LIFE positions you to hear God clearly. When you’re not striving to perform or earn God’s favor, your spiritual senses become more receptive to His whispers.
2. Grace Teaches Us Where and How to Listen for God’s Voice.
Hearing God isn’t just about distinguishing His voice from others; it’s also about knowing where and how to position yourself to hear Him clearly.
How this applies to you:
— The Holy Spirit will teach us that God often speaks in unexpected places and ways. Elijah didn’t hear God in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:11-12). Moses heard Him from a burning bush. Jacob heard Him in a dream. And remember, none of these men had a Bible to read, nor were they filled with the Holy Spirit. By grace, you learn to recognize God’s voice in unexpected ways.
— Stillness often creates space to hear God more clearly. Psalm 46:10 instructs us to “Be still, and know that I am God.” This stillness is a grace-based positioning to receive from God. In the daily rush of life, grace enables you to create moments of stillness where God’s voice can be heard above the noise.
— The Holy Spirit speaks to your spirit, your inner man. First Corinthians 2:14 says, “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God.” Grace activates your spiritual senses to perceive God’s voice beyond mere intellectual understanding.
— Prayer should be a two-way conversation, not a one-way monologue. As you pray, grace enables you to transition from merely talking to God to listening for His response. As Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10). Many believers are still saying, “Listen, Lord, your servant is speaking.”
— Corporate worship often creates an atmosphere where God’s voice becomes more clearly discernible. Acts 13:2 tells us, “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said…” When you are in a place where everyone is worshipping God, the grace of God will be present to hear His voice more clearly (see Psalm 67).
3. God’s Grace Can Help Remove the Barriers That Prevent Us from Hearing God’s Voice.
Many things can hinder our ability to hear God clearly. The beauty of grace is that it addresses these barriers, not through our own efforts, but through God’s enabling power.
How this applies to you:
— Guilt and shame create static that interferes with hearing God’s voice. Romans 8:1 assures us, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Grace removes this condemnation, clearing the channel to hear God more distinctly.
— Unbelief can block God’s voice. Mark 6:5-6 tells us that even Jesus “could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.” It’s God’s grace that empowers you to believe.
— Busyness drowns out God’s voice with activity. Jesus often withdrew to quiet places to pray (Luke 5:16). When you live THE GRACE LIFE, you give yourself the permission to step away from the bondage of busyness to create space for hearing God.
— Having a hard heart is a blessing blocker. Hebrews 3:15 warns, “If you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Thankfully, when you live THE GRACE LIFE, God softens your heart to receive because you are no longer striving in human effort, and you are no longer looking down on others.
— Distractions of this world create noise that competes with God’s voice. Luke 8:14 mentions those who “are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures.” When you live THE GRACE LIFE, you learn to prioritize resting in God and hearing His voice. This keeps you from life’s distractions.
4. Grace Gives Us Confidence in What We’ve Heard from God.
One of the most common struggles believers face is uncertainty about whether they’ve truly heard God or just their own thoughts. Grace addresses this uncertainty by giving us confidence as we grow in discernment.
How this applies to you:
— Because of God’s grace, He provides confirmation through multiple sources. God often confirms His voice through His Word, through other believers, through circumstances, or through an inner witness. This isn’t because He doubts what He’s spoken; it’s His grace helping you gain confidence in what you’ve heard.
— When you make mistakes in hearing God, grace turns them into learning opportunities rather than disqualifying failures. Peter thought he heard God correctly about defending Jesus, but he was wrong when he cut off the servant’s ear. Yet this failure didn’t disqualify him; it became a teaching moment. That’s grace.
— The more you respond to what you believe God is saying, the clearer His voice becomes. John 7:17 says, “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God.” Grace creates an upward spiral where obedience leads to greater clarity. The more you walk with God and obey Him, the more clearly you will know His voice.
— The fruit of what you’ve heard provides evidence of its source. Jesus said, “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16). By living THE GRACE LIFE, you are free to exercise patience to wait for the fruit that confirms divine communication.
— Most importantly, grace reminds you that God is more committed to communicating with you than you are to hearing Him. He isn’t trying to hide His will from you or make it difficult to discern. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). By grace, you can trust that God will make His voice clear to you as you walk with Him.
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for the grace that enables me to clearly distinguish Your voice from all other voices competing for my attention.
I declare that by Your grace, I am positioned to hear You in every circumstance, recognizing Your voice even in unexpected places and ways.
Your grace removes all barriers that would prevent me from hearing You clearly, freeing me from guilt, unbelief, busyness, and fear.
I walk in confidence about what I hear from You, trusting Your grace to confirm Your voice through multiple channels.
I am Your sheep who knows Your voice, and by Your grace, I follow Your leading with increasing clarity and certainty.
Each time I respond to Your voice, Your grace sharpens my spiritual hearing for the next divine communication.
I am living THE GRACE LIFE in 2025, and GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!
I declare this by faith, in Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and prosper!
