This post was last updated on January 31, 2026

Day 334, Year 1

Hear the Lord Jesus’ Voice

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27 NASB)

Before I committed my life to Jesus, I had read the Gospel of Matthew around eight times. I did feel as if God was speaking to my heart, and then I dedicated myself to Him at fifteen. But growing up in a conservative church, I didn’t even notice the vitality of listening to God. About six years later, I met a group of charismatic believers for the first time. After they prayed, they shared the pictures they saw and what they heard from the Lord. I was astonished. Then I spent a year reading the Bible and found the verse “My sheep hear my voice.” I felt pierced. And I even wondered whether I was one of the sheep of Jesus. After all, listening to Jesus’ voice should be the usual experience for every Christian.

The word “hear” in the above verse, akouo in Greek, also means “the opposite of deaf.” The tense of the word indicates to hear Jesus without ceasing. When I saw this verse, I prayed to Jesus with all my strength, longing for Him to speak to me. During that time, I often knelt down before Him and prayed almost every night, begging Him to make His voice heard to me clearly. I also read some Christian books, and one of them taught me to be specific in my supplications. Six months later, I really felt as if the voice of Jesus had come to me. He had a concrete answer for me. But more transforming is that: I surrendered to God, willing to obey His commands, promptings, and voices unconditionally, no matter what He said.

The Greek word “know” in the verse, ginosko, means “to know from experience, or to become acquainted with.” And the word “follow,” akoloutheo, also means “to be someone’s disciple, or learn from someone for a long time.” While seeking Jesus’ voice, we usually need to humbly learn from Him for a long time and share our thoughts, desires, etc., with Him without any concealment. We can learn from the listening God experiences of godly people in the Bible. Among them, Samuel’s words, “Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9 NASB), is the proper attitude toward His voice. For God’s words are sometimes beyond any human convention, beyond reasoning or thoughts. To listen to Jesus’ voice, we need to discern promptly where the voices are from. If we are pure in heart without distortion, it is easier for us to hear His voice. It is best for us to obey immediately after hearing Him clearly. Late obedience to God can lead us into evil and even miss the opportunity to obey God for a second chance.

Reflection questions:

1) Are you one of the sheep of the Lord Jesus and always hear His voice? If you don’t hear His voice so often, is there anything you need to change by the Lord’s help?

2) Are you willing to discern the voice of the Lord Jesus and obey Him as soon as you confirm hearing from Him? Why?