Strong Tower Mental Health Podcast · Heidi Mortenson, MA, LMFT

205. God's Voice Provides our Identity with Donna Winship

·1 hr 2 min·5 clips

Donna tells listeners they are uniquely wired to hear God's voice, not celebrities.

Host Heidi Mortensen, a licensed marriage and family therapist, interviews Donna Winship, who with her husband Jamie has worked globally in peacemaking and authored "Living Fearless." This episode explores how hearing God's voice defines personal identity and transforms mental health. Donna shares their journey from being a police officer and teacher to moving their family to Southeast Asia for a decade to work in conflict zones. Their conventional religious training failed them during crises, including an arrest and a stabbing, leading to a profound reevaluation of faith. They discovered a focus on the "kingdom of God" through studying the Gospel of Mark, particularly Jesus's actions over religious conversion. Donna explains that identity is the true essence of who one was created to be, using the biblical story of Moses as an example of someone operating from a false, guilt-based identity before an encounter with God. She contrasts informational faith with transformational, experiential encounters with God, like Paul's on the Damascus road. A key practice is asking "God, what do you want me to know?" and learning to recognize His voice, which resonates without inducing fear, guilt, or shame. Donna asserts every believer is an expert at hearing God's voice, uniquely wired for this communication, which may come as words, images, or feelings. She compares learning to hear God to learning to ride a bike—it requires practice, involves falls, but becomes ingrained. For those numbed by trauma or routine, she emphasizes the human "superpower of choice" to stop and listen, breaking generational patterns. Scientific breathwork can calm the nervous system to create space for this listening. Writing down what one senses from God is crucial, as it creates a flow and aids memory. Donna explains that lies, often learned through fear, give the enemy a foothold; hearing God's truth in a specific moment can break that lie and facilitate deliverance. She distinguishes corporate identities like "child of God" from a unique, individual identity known only to God and the person, referencing Isaiah 43:1. The tone is conversational, educational, and deeply personal, blending biblical teaching with practical application and personal testimony. Listeners interested in Christian spirituality, inner healing, and moving beyond religious ritual to a relational faith will find this episode compelling. Those uncomfortable with charismatic Christian practices or discussions of hearing God's voice directly may prefer to skip it.

As heard by us

A steady reflection on hearing God, with identity and healing kept ahead of performance.

The discussion keeps returning to identity and discernment. It links hearing God's voice with mental health freedom, inner healing, deliverance, counseling, trauma, and the renewing of the mind, and it keeps pressing the same question: "God, what do you want me to know?"

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Why you'd press play

If you need a gentler way to hear God's voice, start here.

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