42 | How to Hear God's Voice in Your Author Business

Has "hearing from God" about your author business ever led you straight into debt, disappointment, or confusion?

You prayed about that expensive marketing package. You fasted over the decision to quit your job and write full-time. You were absolutely certain God was opening that door. But months later, you're broke, discouraged, and wondering how you could have been so wrong about hearing His voice.

The crushing truth? Sometimes what we think is God's voice is actually our own desperation, the enemy's deception, or wishful thinking dressed up in spiritual language. And when every business decision feels "spiritual," the stakes—and potential for mistakes—skyrocket.

In this episode, discover the 5 biblical tests that distinguish God's true voice from everything else competing for your attention. Learn to identify the four specific deceptions that target Christian authors. Plus, understand the critical difference between legitimate business deadlines and manipulative urgency tactics that drown out God's voice.

You'll learn:

• The Scripture Test that immediately exposes counterfeit "words from God"
• Why mixed results from the 5 tests actually mean something important
• How to recognize when "holy urgency" is actually human panic
• The difference between God's peace and emotional excitement
• Why God keeps some platforms small (and it's not punishment)
• When deadlines are legitimate vs. when they're manipulation

Stop building your author business on misheard whispers. Learn to recognize the Good Shepherd's voice with confidence.

👉 Listen now to uncover the secret to becoming an anointed scribe!

Episodes related to discernment in your business:

> Episode 22

> Episode 38

Transcript

One of the areas I've made some of my biggest mistakes in has been.

Hearing God wrong in my author business.

I'll never forget the time I was absolutely convinced God wanted me to invest in a certain marketing package,

one I didn't have the 1000 plus dollars for, but I was certain was going to be the breakthrough I'd been praying for.

I prayed, fasted, even felt a holy urgency about it. But months later,

not only had the campaign failed, I was left even more discouraged and broke.

And I had to face the crushing reality that I had totally misheard God.

How about you friend?

Has this ever happened to you?

Have you ever been certain God told you to do something only to later find out you were wrong?

Perhaps you thought God told you to quit your job and write full time, or to go into debt on that advertising course,

or to completely change your genre. Because surely that dream last night was prophetic.

We've all been there, and it's one of the most crushing realizations a Christian author can face.

Because we don't end up only losing valuable time and money.

We also end up feeling disappointed and disconnected.

And here's the uncomfortable truth that doesn't get talked about enough in Christian circles.

It's possible to be so hungry for God's direction that human desires, fears, or even the enemy's whispers get mistaken for his voice.

And when building a business,

especially one that feels like ministry, the stakes feel even higher.

Every decision becomes spiritual.

Every opportunity feels like it could be the one God is opening.

So after making this mistake one too many times,

I turned to the Bible in search of a biblical test of sorts to apply.

And sure enough,

there it was.

Practical scriptural checkpoints that help distinguish between God's voice,

human flesh, and the enemy's deception.

And that's what I'll be sharing here.

With you today, friend.

Five Biblical Tests to know when it's.

Really him speaking to your author heart.

So that we Christian authors aren't left with costly mistakes and spiritual confusion that leave us trapped and doubting our calling. So if you've been wrestling with how.

To hear God's voice clearly in your.

Author business,

then grab your favourite beverage and Turn up the volume, friend.

This is episode 42.

I'm Urcelia Teixeira, ex real estate agent turned award winning Christian fiction author.

When I wrote my first novel on a bucket list whim, I had no idea it would spark a spiritual journey that would redefine my calling.

But you know what friend?

Self publishing wasn't easy. I got caught in the Hustle, chasing rankings and sales while desperately trying to stay rooted in Christ.

Now, by God's grace, I'm building my author business his way. And now he's called me to help you do the same.

Welcome to the Anointed Scribe Podcast, where faith meets business for Christian writers. Let's write, publish, and grow our author business God's way. Are you ready? Well, then, let's get started.

Hey, it's your author friend, Urcelia.

And welcome to this week's episode of.

The Anointed Scribe Podcast. Thank you for choosing to tune in.

Today, and I pray as we dive.

Into this crucial topic, you'll be equipped with practical biblical tools to test what you are hearing from for your writing journey. If you're new here, welcome.

Consider this your official invitation to join the Anointed Scribe tribe by clicking the follow button so you never miss an episode.

Because I always say you never know when God uses this show to give you the exact answer you've been praying for, right?

It's not by coincidence you found your way here, friends. So lean in and pay attention to the Holy Spirit's gentle whispers.

And I want to be really honest here. As Christian authors, we all long to follow God's leading in our writing.

Yet sometimes that longing itself can trip us up.

We crave his direction so much that we run with the first thing that feels spiritual without slowing down to test it. Right?

That's why today's conversation is so important.

Because if we don't pause and discern,

we can end up mistaking our own voice. Or worse, the enemy's for God's. And friend,

I don't want that for you.

So let's slow down together and get practical.

Because hearing God's voice isn't meant to be complicated or mysterious,

but it does require us to be intentional. And the good news is,

God hasn't left us guessing.

He's given us scripture, his spirit, and his people to help us test what we hear.

Now, I know what you might be thinking,

but Urcelia, I pray all the time. I read my Bible. I'm close to God.

Why do I still sometimes get it wrong? And I get it. I've asked myself the same question.

But rest in this.

Even Moses misheard God's timing.

And in 1 Samuel 3, the word tells us that Samuel, too, had to learn how to recognize his voice.

The disciples misinterpreted Jesus more than once.

So, friend,

if they struggled, it's no surprise that we will too.

See, in any given moment, especially when seeking direction for our author business we are potentially hearing from three sources.

First, there's God's voice, which always aligns with Scripture,

produces His peace that surpasses understanding and is often confirmed through multiple witnesses.

Second, there's our human flesh and desires,

which tends to be rushed, emotionally driven, and ultimately self serving,

even when it dresses itself up in spiritual language.

And third, there's the enemy's voice, which creates confusion, contradicts Scripture even subtly, and often leads to isolation from wise counsel.

Learning to distinguish between these three voices is critical for every Christian author who wants to build their business on solid ground.

And here's the beautiful truth we need to remember, Friend, God isn't frustrated with us when we get it wrong. He's patient. He wants us to learn. And he's given us simple ways to test whether what we're hearing is really from Him.

So let me walk you through each of these five biblical checkpoints you can use the next time you think you've heard God's voice for your own writing business.

The first one is what I call the Scripture test.

This comes straight from 1 John 4:1 where we are told to test the spirits to see whether they are from God and friend. This one is non negotiable. God's voice will never ever contradict His Word.

I'm not talking about cherry picking a verse that happens to line up with what you want.

I'm talking about the full counsel of Scripture and God's character revealed throughout.

For example,

if you think God is telling you to write steamy romance because it sells better and you can still include faith elements,

you've got to check that against what Scripture says about purity,

not causing others to stumble, and whatever is noble, right and pure. Think on these things, right?

If it violates God's word or his character, it's not God's voice full stop.

The second test is the peace test.

Colossians 3:15 says to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.

That word rule literally means to act as an umpire.

God's peace is meant to call the shots in our author decisions.

Now, peace doesn't always mean easy.

Sometimes obeying God feels weighty. Like when he calls you to skip the trendy booktok marketing everyone swears by and focus on prayer instead.

Or to write another book when the first one left you $3,000 in debt.

But there's a difference between a holy burden and anxious striving.

If you feel frantic, panicked, or like you have to force that book deal to happen,

that's not God's peace.

Now this does not mean every deadline or time sensitive opportunity is wrong.

Sometimes courses have enrolment periods, coaches have limited spots or early bird pricing rewards those who commit early.

The key is discerning between legitimate constraints and manufactured pressure.

Ask yourself, is this urgency real or artificial?

Am I being given reasonable time to pray and consider?

Would this person or company honor my need to seek God first?

Do they honour God?

The third one is the wise counsel test, and this comes from Proverbs where we are told there's safety in a multitude of counsellors. This is huge for us as authors because sometimes we get stuck in our own little writing bubble, right?

We only ask other authors who may be caught up in the same industry pressures we are.

So I encourage you to share big decisions with two or three mature believers, at least one of them not in the writing world.

If you feel like you have to keep your word from God about that new book project secret because they just won't understand.

That's often pride talking, not prophecy.

The fourth is the fruit test from Matthew 7:16 which says by their fruit you will know them.

Jesus wasn't just talking about false prophets, he was giving us a test for any spiritual direction we receive.

So ask yourself, if I follow through on this writing decision or this business decision,

what kind of fruit will it produce?

Will it bless my family or stress them? Will it draw me closer to Christ or distract me with platform building striving will? Will it strengthen my witness as a Christian author or weaken it?

God's direction always produces kingdom, fruit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

not just bigger numbers on a sales dashboard.

And finally, the waiting test. Habakkuk 2:3 says, the vision awaits its appointed time. It hastens to the end.

It will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it. It will surely come.

Friend,

God's voice doesn't shift with market trends or your emotions.

It's steady. The enemy, on the other hand, loves to create urgency around our writing.

Publish now or miss your chance.

Jump on this trend before it's too late. Do it now or someone else will.

But God's not afraid of you missing an opportunity. He is the opportunity now. As I alluded to earlier,

some opportunities do have genuine time limits. A workshop that started coaching spots that fill up or special pricing for early supporters. Those are all real. These aren't necessarily manipulative.

The difference is whether you're being given space to seek God within those constraints or being pushed to bypass wisdom altogether.

A godly business owner will respect your need to pray even within legitimate deadlines.

Friends, these Five checkpoints. Scripture, peace, wise counsel, fruit and waiting.

They've since saved me from countless mistakes. And they'll do the same for you. But let me be real with you for a second.

As Christian authors, we face some specific traps that make us extra vulnerable to mishearing God.

So let me name them so you can recognize them when they show up in your own journey.

First is the platform prophet syndrome. And yes, I gave them fancy names.

First is the platform prophet syndrome, where we mistake growing numbers for God's approval.

God wants me to have 100,000 followers by year's end.

Really?

Or is that your ego talking?

Sometimes God keeps our platforms small to keep our hearts pure and dependent on him.

Second is the comparison revelation.

God wants me to write exactly like that. Best selling Christian author,

no friend.

That's often envy, wearing a spiritual costume. God made your voice unique for a reason.

Walk out your own mission and calling.

The third one is the numbers prophecy.

God promised me 10,000 sales this month or this book will be a best seller. Because I dreamed about it.

But God cares about hearts transformed, not Amazon rankings or sales numbers, right?

Be very wary when so called God's promises sound suspiciously like your own ambitions.

And finally, the fourth trap we tend to fall into is the premature exit.

Thinking he told you to quit your day job and write full time before your writing income could actually support your family.

God is not the author of financial chaos.

These are subtle deceptions and they sound spiritual. But they can leave us broke,

burned out, or bitter. And God doesn't want that for you.

He wants you to thrive in his timing,

building your author business on the solid rock of his true voice, not on shifting sand.

But let me be clear.

Not every marketing strategy is deception and not every deadline is manipulation.

As authors, we need to find that balance between wise business practices and worldly pressure tactics.

It's okay to let people know when your launch offer closes or when prices will increase.

That's transparency.

What's not okay is creating false scarcity or preying on people's fear of missing out when there's no real limitation.

I once saw an ad for ebooks where the author was saying, buy now or you'll miss out.

And I thought, how can you run out of ebooks? That's impossible. Right?

So that's what I'm talking about here. It's not okay creating false scarcity or preying on people's fomo.

Now, I know what some of you might be thinking. Okay, Urcelia. But what happens when I run something through these five tests and I Get conflicting answers.

What if it's not crystal clear?

That's such an important question, friend. What happens when the five tests give you mixed results?

Well,

maybe it passes the scripture test, but you don't have peace.

Or you have peace, but your wise counsellors are concerned.

That's not confusion,

that's God saying not yet or not this way.

Keep praying, keep refining, keep listening. His voice will become clearer. That's where the waiting test comes in. You've also got to be still and listen.

Now, once you've tested what you're hearing and confirmed it's from God, you you still need wisdom for the actual implementation, right?

So if you want to go deeper into specific applications of these principles,

this connects directly to what I covered in episode 38 about discerning specific opportunities.

Like when the publisher offer looks amazing but something in your spirit says don't go there.

And episode 22 breaks down how to test marketing strategies against God's character.

I'll link both in the show notes because I think together with today's episode, they give you a complete framework for building a truly God led author business.

And before I give you this week's challenge, let me say this these principles apply to how we market our books too.

When you are promoting your books, give your readers space to decide without pressure.

Yes, you can have sales and special pricing periods, but be genuine about it. If it's a limited price or a limited time price,

make it truly limited for a real reason, like a book birthday or a celebration or a holiday special,

not a manufactured scarcity.

Honour readers who need time to check their budget or finish their current read.

Your integrity as a Christian author matters more than rushing someone into a purchase they might regret.

So here's my challenge for you this week.

Take that thing you've been holding onto, that book idea, that publishing decision,

that marketing opportunity you think God might be nudging you toward,

run it through all five tests. Don't just stop at the one that gives you the answer you are hoping for. Be ruthlessly honest. And if it doesn't pass all five,

be humble enough to say,

okay, Lord,

maybe that was me, not you.

And hear me on this.

God isn't disappointed when you pause to test what you think you've heard. In fact, he delights in it. Because testing isn't doubt, it's wisdom.

It's maturity. It's how we build our author businesses on solid ground instead of on shifting sand.

Let me leave you with this thought.

Your Good shepherd is not trying to trick you about your writing Calling his voice won't cause panic about deadlines or isolation from wise counsel or fruitless striving for platform numbers.

His voice will bring life,

peace and clarity even when he asks you to write hard things or wait longer than you'd like.

So take heart today, friend. You can hear him clearly for your author journey, and he will guide you step by step as you write for his glory.

Because, friend, if you spend time with Jesus and get to know his voice and soak up the Word of God, you will get to know Him.

And as it is written in John 10:27,

My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.

That's a promise Jesus isn't trying to hide from you. He's not making his will a mystery. He wants you to know his voice even more than you want to hear it.

And these five tests? They're not meant to make hearing God complicated.

They're simply tools to help you tune into that voice you are learning to recognize.

The more time you spend in his presence and in His Word in prayer, the more familiar his voice becomes.

You'll start to recognize the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit versus the urgent push of your flesh.

You'll sense the peace that comes with his direction versus the anxiety that comes with forcing your own way.

You'll know when it's him calling you forward and when it's just your own ambition dressed up in spiritual language.

So keep pressing in.

Keep testing what you hear against these five biblical filters and trust that the Good shepherd who laid down his life for you will faithfully guide you in building your author business for his glory.

Because at the end of the day, it's not about getting every decision perfect.

It's about staying so close to him that when you do miss here,

he can gently redirect you back to his path.

Friend, before I let you go, I.

Want you to use the send me a message link in the show notes and let me know where you need.

God to show up for you today.

So I can pray for you.

It's 100% anonymous. I can't see your name or your email or your phone number. I can't even reply to you. But I can read your request and I can pray for you.

So I encourage you to use this feature to send me a private message.

To let me know what you are.

Struggling with right now so we can come together and take this to the Lord in prayer. And if you found today's episode helpful, please consider subscribing and leaving a review.

You know firsthand the impact that this has on Discovery. So please help me get this show into more listeners ears. I have a mission and I cannot do it without you.

Oh, and if you want more tips.

Outside of the show, sign up to my monthly 5 minute Mana emails. The link is in the show notes. Okay, so that's it for today's show.

Thank you for listening.

And remember, for such a time as this, you have been called to thrive as God's anointed scribe.