Learning to Recognize the Voice of God

The Best of You

Dr. Alison Cook

Mental Health, Health & Fitness

4.9 • 956 Ratings

🗓️ 27 May 2026

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today's Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1–10 Have you ever wondered if God was speaking, but you weren’t sure? In today’s episode, we look at the story of Samuel learning to recognize God’s voice. His story reminds us that discernment is not always instant clarity. Sometimes it begins with practice, humility, repetition, and the help of wise guides. We explore: *Why discernment often takes practice *How anxiety and urgency can masquerade as guidance *How your nervous system impacts your ability to listen *What Samuel teaches us about hearing God with humility and openness Go Deeper: Check out our weekly deep-dive episodes each Thursday on The Best of You Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support. While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey everyone, I'm Dr. Allison.
0:03.0	Today's scripture offers us a wiser way of being human as we step into the day.
0:12.0	Have you ever wondered if God was speaking, but you weren't sure how to recognize the voice?
0:17.0	Maybe you've prayed for direction and then second-guessed every thought that came into your mind.
0:22.7	Was that God? Was that me? Was that fear? Was that wisdom? Was that just the voice of someone else? I've
0:28.6	internalized. Discernment can feel especially confusing if you grew up in environments where God's voice was used to pressure, threaten, or control. It can also
0:38.0	feel confusing if your nervous system tends toward anxiety, people-pleasing, or hypervigilance.
0:43.9	Urgency can sound like guidance. Fear can sound like warning, even when it's not. Shame can
0:49.6	sound like conviction. Today's passage gives us a picture of how learning to recognize God's voice often
0:56.0	begins, not with instant clarity, but with practice, humility, and help. Today's scripture
1:04.3	is for Samuel 3, 1 through 10. The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli.
1:11.2	In those days, the word of the Lord was rare.
1:13.5	There were not many visions.
1:15.9	One night, Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see was lying down in his usual place.
1:22.2	The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord where the Ark of God was.
1:29.0	Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, here I am. And he ran to Eli and said,
1:34.8	Here I am. You called me. But Eli said, I did not call, go back and lie down. So Samuel went and
1:41.3	lay down. Again, the Lord called, Samuel.
1:45.9	And Samuel got up and went till Eli and said, here I am, you called me.
1:50.4	My son, Eli said, I did not call, go back and lie down.
1:56.3	Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord.
1:58.6	The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
	...

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