Discerning God’s Voice: A Family’s Journey Through an Open Vision
- Peter Huang
- May 27
- 4 min read
A Family Culture of Hearing God
In Genesis 37, Joseph grew up in a family attuned to God’s voice. Dreams were a common way God spoke to them, as seen with Joseph and his father, Jacob. When Joseph shared his dreams, his family immediately grasped their symbolic meaning—though it stirred offense rather than celebration. This story reminds us of the importance of building a family culture that understands the parabolic language of dreams and visions. As parents, it’s our role to empower our children to recognize and interpret God’s voice in their lives.
A Vision Unfolds
Yesterday, something extraordinary happened in our home that reminded us how God speaks in unexpected ways in everyday life. Right before dinner, my son Josiah experienced an open vision that left us in awe and led our family into a beautiful time of seeking God’s heart together. Here’s what happened and the profound lessons we learned about discerning and receiving God’s voice.
As we were preparing for dinner, Josiah noticed a small light flickering in our kitchen. Curious, he paused to observe it. Suddenly, he saw a toy wheel roll from the kitchen, through the hallway, and into our bedroom. In the darkness of the bedroom, he could no longer see the wheel—until bursts of light exploded in the room. As Josiah walked out to the living room, he saw our world map on the wall illuminated with light, followed by the dining table glowing brightly, and finally, he saw me, his dad, light up. Then, just as mysteriously as it appeared, the small light moving through our home vanished.
That night, before bed, our family gathered to seek the Lord about the meaning of Josiah’s vision. We asked Jesus to reveal its interpretation, trusting that He would guide us. During this time, I felt prompted to pull out God’s Big Picture Bible Storybook by N.T. Wright. We read about Ezekiel’s vision of the wheels of God, which felt strikingly relevant. Together, we discerned whether Josiah’s vision was from God, the enemy, or simply his soulish imagination. After prayer and discussion, we agreed it was a message from God.
Unpacking the Parabolic Language
To understand the vision, we carefully examined each element Josiah saw, treating them as parabolic symbols. We started with the wheel, asking the boys what a wheel represents. They shared ideas like movement, forward motion, and carrying something forward. Then, we moved to discuss the illuminated objects: our bedroom, the world map, the dining table, and me. Here’s what we discerned about each:
Wheel: Represents movement, forward progress, and carrying God’s purposes.
Light: Symbolizes God’s presence, guidance, illumination, revelation, and Kingdom works.
Parents’ Bedroom: A place of intimacy and rest.
World Map: God’s assignments in the nations.
Dining Table: A space for fellowship, family, and bringing the lonely into community.
Dad: God’s presence resting on me, perhaps renewing how Josiah sees me.
The Message God Spoke
After piecing together the meanings, we crafted a statement to summarize what we believe God was saying to Josiah:“God is wheeling His presence into our home and family, especially in places of rest and intimacy. He is highlighting the nations, inviting Josiah on future adventures and assignments with Him worldwide. There is glory and presence to be discovered around the dining table as we eat, fellowship, and welcome the lonely into family. Finally, God’s presence is on Dad’s life, potentially renewing Josiah’s perspective of him.”
When I asked Josiah how this made him feel, his face lit up. He said he felt excited and deeply loved by God. That moment was a reminder of how personal and intimate God’s voice is when we take time to listen.
Receiving God’s Word
As a family, we spent time receiving what God was revealing. We vocalized our acceptance of each part of the message, thanking the Lord for speaking to us. As we did, a euphoric sense of God’s presence filled the room. The boys noticed it too—a tangible glory that comes when we receive by faith what God is speaking.
Key Lessons for Hearing God
This experience taught us valuable lessons about discerning and responding to God’s voice:
God is always speaking—but are we paying attention?
Pause when something unusual happens around you. It might be God trying to get your attention.
Discern the source of the vision or encounter to confirm it’s from God.
Break down each symbol to understand its function and meaning.
Apply the message to your life and context.
Receive the word by faith, inviting God’s presence to confirm and activate it.
This encounter with Josiah’s vision reminded us that God is near, speaking through the ordinary and extraordinary moments of life. May we all learn to pause, discern, and receive what He is saying with open hearts.
If you want to start the journey of pursuing God's voice, you can purchase my Prophetic Activation Journal. It consists of 120 prompts, 40 about hearing God about your personal life, 40 about hearing God for those around you, and 40 about hearing God for your sphere of influence that God has placed in your life. By the end of the 120-day journal, you will grow in supernatural faith and confidence to hear God’s voice.
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