15. Scripture helps me to know and recognize Jesus’ voice. 

(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.) 

What steps do you sense Jesus inviting you to take regarding His written Word?

Try taking in Scripture by reading short portions. Ask the Spirit to speak to you, then stop and meditate on what you hear before you read more. 

If you are regular and faithful in reading Scripture, can you imagine taking a break at times and simply letting Jesus talk to you about what comes up? 

What does your heart deeply desire from God’s written word?

As we are learning to hear Jesus speak to us and developing an awareness of His voice, it will help to have an idea of the content of what Jesus might be saying to us. Scripture is our best source for knowing the kinds of things that Jesus would say to us.

The words that Jesus spoke in the Gospels are the foundation from which we judge what we think He might be saying to us. Scripture is the reservoir from which Jesus still draws His words to us. If what we hear or think we hear Jesus saying to us conflicts with what Jesus said when He lived on earth, then what we are hearing most likely is not Jesus. However, if it agrees with His words in Scripture, then it certainly could be Him speaking to us.

It’s important to realize that here is a difference between reading the words of Jesus in the Bible and hearing Him speak them to us. As rational thinkers, we are conditioned to read for truth and accuracy. We see ideas as things that need to be researched and explored, tested and proved. Science has given us much, but it also influences us to see truth as impersonal.

If we bring this rationalistic approach to Scripture, we may find it difficult to hear Jesus. Rather than seeking a personal conversation, we may become distracted with impersonal information. Jesus’ words to us are not just ideas or theories that we know are true.

When we hear Him speak to us in our hearts and minds, His words are personal and connect with us. It’s the difference between have a conversation with an author or reading that author’s book. The Bible is God’s living word in which God’s Spirit can speak to us about us. He tells us who we are, what God thinks of us, and how to live well. It comes down to the approach we take to Scripture.

If we go to Scripture asking, “What is true?” or “What does the text say or mean?” we may find answers to those questions. But if we come with questions like “What do you want to say to me, Jesus?” or “What do you desire for me, Father?” we have created the space for God to speak personally to us through the words we read in Scripture.