Was That really Him?

I was hoping God would say something about a situation I’ve wrestled with for years. When I sensed an answer, my circumstances stayed exactly the same. So, what was the point?

A few days ago, I was on my morning walk, which is also my prayer time. I love being outside in the darkness, beneath the moon and stars. Those walks feel like time alone with God. If He’s outside time as we understand it, then He has “all the time in the world” to spend with me.

That morning, I was praying about something that has challenged me mentally and emotionally for a long time. Near the end of my walk, these words came to me, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

It wasn’t an audible voice, and it felt different from my ordinary thoughts. It seemed to come from deep within.

I asked, “God, was that really you?”

Again, I sensed an answer, “Yes.”

Could I have been recalling a familiar Bible passage? Of course. I can’t prove the source of an inward impression, but I believe it was God by faith.

I also wonder whether bringing familiar Scripture to mind is one way God speaks to us. It makes sense because his words are truth.

Earlier that week, someone had asked what I wanted God to do about this situation. As I considered the question, I realized there was nothing I could tell God that He didn’t already know. He knows my desires, my pain, the other people involved, and things I may never understand.

That doesn’t mean it’s wrong to ask. Jesus brought His anguish and His request to the Father in Gethsemane. We can be honest about what we want while surrendering the outcome.

For me, the challenge is trusting God when His response differs from what I hoped for. And that brings me back to my walk.

Hearing those words didn’t resolve my situation. It didn’t instantly transform me, either. I still had to decide how I would respond.

That’s where faith and influence meet.

In my work, I teach that authority influences us because we look to credible, trustworthy sources for guidance.

For Christians, God is the authority we profess to trust. Yet there can be a considerable distance between acknowledging His wisdom and allowing it to shape our next response. I can say I trust Him and still spend hours mentally arguing for the outcome I want.

The principle of consistency offers another connection: we feel a pull to align our actions with our commitments. When I say, “I trust God,” that commitment invites a practical question: What would trusting Him look like in this situation today?

Perhaps it means resisting the urge to replay an old hurt. Perhaps it means listening patiently, extending forgiveness, or taking a step I’ve been avoiding.

Those responses affect the people around me. If I become less defensive, more patient, or more loving, my influence changes because I am changing.

Christians often call this ongoing transformation sanctification: growing in holiness and becoming more like Jesus. In my experience, it involves repeatedly bringing what I believe into how I live.

Learning to listen is part of that process. So is discernment. An inward impression deserves examination in light of Scripture, Jesus’ character, and wise counsel. Feeling certain doesn’t automatically make me right.

Still, I find something deeply encouraging about slowing down enough to listen. The Creator knows me, loves me, and wants what’s best for me, so He invites me to follow Him.

My circumstances may take time to change. Some may never change as I hope for. But each day gives me opportunities to let His words shape my actions and make me more like His Son.

Have you ever had a familiar Scripture come to mind at just the right moment? How did you discern its meaning, and did it change what you did next?

That connection between inward transformation and everyday influence is at the heart of my latest book, Influenced from Above: Where Faith and Influence Meet.

Edited by ChatGPT

Brian Ahearn

Brian Ahearn is the Chief Influence Officer at Influence PEOPLE and a faculty member at the Cialdini Institute. An author, TEDx presenter, international speaker, coach, and consultant, Brian helps clients apply influence in everyday situations to boost results.

As one of only a dozen Cialdini Method Certified Trainers in the world, Brian was personally trained and endorsed by Robert Cialdini, Ph.D., the most cited living social psychologist on the science of ethical influence.

Brian’s first book, Influence PEOPLE, was named one of the 100 Best Influence Books of All Time by Book Authority. Persuasive Selling and Influenced from Above were Amazon new release bestsellers. His LinkedIn courses on persuasive selling and coaching have been viewed by over 850,000 people around the world and his TEDx Talk on pre-suasion has more than a million views!