"Preacher, how do I know God is talking to me?"

Yesterday, we tackled some tough questions about hearing God's voice, and I wanted to answer some of those specific questions:

1. There are times when I pray about something. How do I know this is God's answer and not the devil making me think this is God's answer?  We have an incredible ability to convince ourselves into believing what we think we want.  If you've ever been house or car shopping, you know how you start to see 'signs' that you're supposed to buy a particular car or house.  That's just the way our brains work.  I think the story of God talking to Samuel as a young boy points to three important things that can help us discern God's voice:  Come to God's place (get in a church, a LIFE Group, or a volunteer team -- be where God is talking), Consult God's leaders (find spiritual mentors who will speak truth into us), Compare it to God's Word (God's not going to tell us to do something contrary to the Bible.  Do those things and pray some more, and I believe we'll begin to get clarity.
2. People say they know when God is talking to them…I want to know what I can do to feel God talking to me. I feel that he is doing great things in my life, but I can’t feel him talk to me.  Get close and get quiet.  I find that the times I hear God speaking the least, it's usually me who has moved.  Get closer to God.  Get plugged into worship and dig deep in Bible Study (which is how God often speaks to us).  Secondly, often, we're just not quiet enough to hear.  We spend all of our time in prayer in a one way conversation where we do all the talking.  Communication with God is a two-way street.  Take time to be still...and listen.
3. How do you know how long to feel God's nudge or when God is waiting on you to make the first step?  (I guess I struggle at times with 'is this God's will or mine perceived as His?)  We all struggle with this.  The good news is that everyday we get the opportunity choose God.  One wrong step won't define our lives.  Some people view God has a big room with a bunch of closed doors and we're waiting on Him to open the right one for us to walk through.  I see God as a big room with a bunch of open doors and we walk where we feel led and he'll shut it if He wants to, so we go on to the next.  There isn't one way this can work out, there are many.  He's weaving a story in history, and the closer we get to him, the better we get at walking in the right doors and being a part of His story.  You see, that's it.  I can tell you what God's will is for your life:  to get involved in His story.