Ways God Speaks to Us

This post was inspired by several You Version devotionals I read this past week.

Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”

Isaiah 55:3 “Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live.”

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”

John 8:47 “Whoever is of God hears the words of God.”

God speaks to us through His Word. Deuteronomy 8:3 “Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Proverbs 3:12 “For whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.”

Hebrews 4:12 “For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life and spirit, and of joints and marrow, exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.”

God’s Word is only as impactful as you are willing to submit yourself and be obedient to it, and to be ‘doers of the word’. James 1:22-25, 2:14-17, Proverbs 3:5-6.

He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

Philippians 2:13 “God works in you to will and to act – according to His good purposes.” This is compelling of the Holy Spirit. It can be experienced in several ways, e.g. dreams, visions, prophecies, impressions, pictures, etc. (Job 13:14-24).

The Holy Spirit helps us read scripture to fully understand and receive the message from God therein contained.

Scripture reveals how God speaks to us through His creation. Revelation 1:20 says that God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” Per Matthew 6:26-30, nature reminds us that God loves us and will provide for us.

God speaks to us through meditation. “Meditation is listening, sensing, heeding the life and light of Christ” (Richard Foster). Meditation is reflecting deeply upon the Word and character of God. Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God.” Spend time in solitude to be with God (like Jesus did per Mark 1:35, and in the Garden of Gethsemane) and let Him speak to you. Have the correct mindset of expectancy and receptiveness per Psalm 27:14, “Wait and hope for and expect the Lord…”

God speak to us in prayer. The more we pray, the more our hearts become aligned with God’s and the more He speaks to us through His Holy Spirit and we understand His plans and will better, and act in alignment with Him.

God speaks to us through other people (the counsel of the saints). When you feel that God is speaking to you through others, ask if it is in line with what the Bible says, is it strengthening, encouraging, or comforting, and does it promote the love of God. Also, do you sense God’s peace about it, and/or does it point to Christ? If not, it is not from God.

God speaks to us through our circumstances. He uses challenging times to draw us closer to him as we realise we can only really manage when we are in dependence upon Him. And we grow our character in the right way through suffering (Romans 5:3-4). John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” See also Psalm 34:19, Luke 14:27, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, 12:8-10, 1 Peter 4 :12-13, 5:10, 2 Timothy 3:12.

1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

God speaks to us through opening our eyes: Numbers 22: 31 “Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His sword drawn in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell on his face. “

God speaks to people through personal encounters, like Abraham in Genesis 18.

Faith facilitates hearing from God. Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must believe that God exists and that he is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him.”

Faith and Trust go hand in hand. Trust in God requires faith – in order to Trust in Him, you first need to believe that He exists.

Proverbs 3:5-6“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Isaiah 40:31“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength,”

We must seek Him earnestly. Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things (food, clothing, health) will be given to you as well.” See also Mathew 5:6 and Proverbs 21:21.

Always apply common sense when you think you are hearing from God.

God’s voice is perfect, full of love and always truthful (as is His nature). He will never guide you into something that isn’t best for you, and he will never tempt you (James 1:13).

Confess your sins to Him and repent, so that there is no unresolved sin separating God’s guidance from you hearing it.

Remember Mark 10:27 and Jeremiah 32:27: Nothing is impossible or too hard for God.