For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Seth Freeman
In response to the question that was merged with this thread where it was asked what the voice of God sounds like... I'm not really sure, but I suspect it's a lot like James Earl Jones. Not so much the Darth Vader version, but you know.. the Mufasa version.
Sarah Winn
I had my own problems with this problem in my recovery from a brain injury. I would have crazy thoughts and not know where they were coming from. A person has three different types of thoughts: physical, mental and spiritual. Because the brain injury had taken away the "filters" humans all get as we mature. I had a ton of suicidal thoughts and I found out that these type of thoughts were just my physical, human side trying to escape the situation I was in. But I was able to rationalize these thoughts and realize they were not spiritual because it went against God's word. God is life John 14:16 That right there helped me realize that these thoughts I had were just my physical bodies reaction to the situation I was in.
They were not spiritual because God is life and the thoughts I had were the opposite. The thoughts were not of the devil because the enemy can't invade your mind. How can we change our thoughts? Meditate on God's word and your actions will begin to change.
Listen to Christian music. The Holy Spirit will remind you of verses that you have studied. Psalm 119:97 but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.
Mary McDonald
As a child there was a constant war inside of me. As I grew it was like the cartoons, an Angel one side, the devil the other. The struggle was to decide who was telling the truth. I didn't know Scripture then. I was taught only the hierarchy of the church could understand & interpret the Bible.
At home I tried to read the Bible, a 4" thick old world King James, where even 'v's were where 'w's should be. Difficult at best. When I had questions they were dismissed & I was reminded of my place, insignificant to know God's Word.
A whole lifetime ago.
God has answered my seeking in so many ways. One that helped me greatly with that war inside of me, & made it easy to help when my young grandson asked how I knew what voice to listen to. I told him we had to read & study God's Word for the truth & that when I heard the 'voices' telling me what to choose; the 'voice' that was trying to convince me with lots of words, & examples of why I should do something was ALWAYS the wrong 'voice'. The 'voice' that was of few words, direct, & kind, that filled my soul with peace, (even if it wasn't what I selfishly wanted) was the 'right' voice.
Like Adam & Eve in the Garden, God told them directly, lovingly 'not to eat the fruit of a certain tree or they would die!' The cunning serpent got into a whole discussion & sales pitch about the matter with Eve, & while Adam listened. They selfishly chose not to listen to their friend God's Words; but a lying selling, stranger, the wrong 'voice'!
Vern Cox
If I have been spoken to, or when I hear a voice, I usually pass it off, maybe sometimes like a dummy! But, my experiences with the Father, go much deeper! When you read about "The spirit moved him to go and stand on the Temple rooftop" (one of Jesus' temptations), it like that that I experience the teachings of GOD. In reading or meditation, I experience sudden bursts of understanding/realization that seem at first to be something I dare not consider! Yet it's then I realize that to me, it's something 'new' that I haven't heard. Later, it wouldn't surprise me to hear a preacher make the same point I "supposedly" came up with on my own! I came to realize, I have a fulfillment of Prophecy. Ezekiel 36:25-27. When I think back, I remember things I understand in my own way after my baptism. Peter plainly stated ".. you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" at baptism. When I read "why beholdest the mote in thy brother's eye but not the beam in your own?" I thought of those little green 'eye boogers' you sometimes wake up with! The beam was when there was so much, it glued your eyes shut until you washed them out! I knew about being critical of others when I had problems of my own. It wasn't till I was a grown man that I heard that those Greek words meant "splinter and board"! He was talking as a carpenter, but I read a physician. Did I really get it that wrong? Nope, GOD just knew how I would understand the truth.
George Fitt
I have heard the Lord's voice.
Jesus' voice is deep and smooth. His words are succinct and comforting.