His Voice FreesSample

Before we came to know Jesus, we lived under the influence of the devil. He is the source of deception and tries to shape us through wrong thoughts, feelings, and choices.

But Jesus came to break that power. Our focus is not on searching for deception (and trying to clean it up), but on knowing the truth. The better we get to know Jesus, the easier it becomes to recognize and break deception.

Just like someone who studies real banknotes intensely and immediately recognizes a counterfeit, not because they know every possible fake, but because they know the real thing inside and out, we are invited to fill ourselves with Jesus and His Word. When we truly come to know Him, when His voice becomes familiar in our hearts, other voices lose their persuasive power. They may still make noise, but they no longer have a grip on us.

Reflection questions:

• How much time do you give to Jesus each week? (Quiet time, reading His Word, worship, prayer, and/or fasting, seeking Him together with other believers.)
• Pause for a moment. Truly pause.
• How many minutes, how many hours, do you give to His voice? And how much to the voices of this world?
• How many hours of Netflix and social media do you spend listening to each week? Be honest—dare to hold up a mirror. And how much time do you give to Jesus?