10. The tone of Jesus’ voice, the way He communicates, is kind, gentle, and affirming.

(Before looking at the questions below, take a few minutes to think about this statement. Invite Jesus to speak to you about what He would like you to notice.) 

When you think of God, do you imagine Him as gentle, kind, and loving, or does He seem harsh, stern, and angry? Do these impressions of God affect how you hear Him?

Do you find that you are sensitive to tone when speaking and listening to people? How do different tones make you feel?

In what situations is it hard to hear tone? (For example, texts.)

When you invite Jesus to speak to you, what tone are you expecting?

Language includes more than words. Some experts suggest that words are only a small part of the information we communicate. Other factors include body language and tone of voice. When we work to discern whether the thoughts we hear are truly coming from Jesus, it helps to notice the tone and character of those thoughts.

We know that Jesus is gentle, kind, and loving even when He corrects us, so we can expect that the thoughts that come from Jesus will carry a kind and gentle tone. Thoughts that come from Jesus also may sound familiar. If we belong to God, then the Voice—that is, the Spirit—of God lives within us.

If we want to hear God we do not need someone or something else to speak for Him, we only need to learn how to hear the Spirit of God in our hearts speaking through our thoughts and feelings. When Jesus speaks to us through our minds, His communication often has the tone of affirming what we already know to be true, what the Spirit has put in our hearts as truth, and what we know to be true from His Word.