How Does God Speak?
1 Kings 19:11-13 - "The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, 'What are you doing here, Elijah'" (NIV)?
Jeremiah 1:5-7 - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. 'Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.' But the Lord said to me, 'Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you'" (NIV).
Matthew 2:12 - "And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route" (NIV).
John 16:13 - "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come" (NIV).
Hebrews 1:2 - "...but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe" (NIV).
Hebrews 4:12 - "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (NIV).
God loves speaking to us, and He knows how to get through to us. As the Creator of languages, God alone knows how to communicate perfectly to every person. He is not confined to any one specific way of communicating. Throughout history, God has spoken to people through angelic visitations (Gen. 18), prophets (Exo. 19), judges (Judges 6), dreams (Gen. 41), and even a donkey (Num. 22). God speaks to us through His creation (Psa. 19; Rom. 1). He speaks in times of worship (Psa. 95) and prayer (Eccl. 5:1). God wanted to communicate so clearly to us that He sent His Son, Jesus, to this earth. "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe" (Heb. 1:1-2, NIV). Jesus is God's clear communication to humanity. His words have been recorded in the Bible. As you read God's words in the Bible, the Holy Spirit can make personal application to your life. His Word is alive!
When you listen to the voice of God, who specifically is talking to you? His name is the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that He would "ask the Father, and he [would] give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever -- the Spirit of truth" (John 14:16, NIV). The Holy Spirit is a person of the Godhead. He is not an atmosphere, a feeling or a voice. He is the One who is talking to you. In fact, the Holy Spirit "will teach you all things and will remind you of everything" that Jesus has said (John 14:26, NIV). Learn to relate to the Holy Spirit as a real person. This will help in hearing the voice of God. His voice often comes as a thought or a "prompting" as you wait on Him. The more that you intentionally listen to Him, the more you will pick up on His gentle whisper.
For More Study
Thoughts and Questions for Application
Memorization
Hebrews 4:12 - "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (NIV).
Jeremiah 1:5-7 - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. 'Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.' But the Lord said to me, 'Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you'" (NIV).
Matthew 2:12 - "And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route" (NIV).
John 16:13 - "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come" (NIV).
Hebrews 1:2 - "...but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe" (NIV).
Hebrews 4:12 - "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (NIV).
God loves speaking to us, and He knows how to get through to us. As the Creator of languages, God alone knows how to communicate perfectly to every person. He is not confined to any one specific way of communicating. Throughout history, God has spoken to people through angelic visitations (Gen. 18), prophets (Exo. 19), judges (Judges 6), dreams (Gen. 41), and even a donkey (Num. 22). God speaks to us through His creation (Psa. 19; Rom. 1). He speaks in times of worship (Psa. 95) and prayer (Eccl. 5:1). God wanted to communicate so clearly to us that He sent His Son, Jesus, to this earth. "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe" (Heb. 1:1-2, NIV). Jesus is God's clear communication to humanity. His words have been recorded in the Bible. As you read God's words in the Bible, the Holy Spirit can make personal application to your life. His Word is alive!
When you listen to the voice of God, who specifically is talking to you? His name is the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that He would "ask the Father, and he [would] give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever -- the Spirit of truth" (John 14:16, NIV). The Holy Spirit is a person of the Godhead. He is not an atmosphere, a feeling or a voice. He is the One who is talking to you. In fact, the Holy Spirit "will teach you all things and will remind you of everything" that Jesus has said (John 14:26, NIV). Learn to relate to the Holy Spirit as a real person. This will help in hearing the voice of God. His voice often comes as a thought or a "prompting" as you wait on Him. The more that you intentionally listen to Him, the more you will pick up on His gentle whisper.
For More Study
- Genesis 22
- 1 Kings 19
- Psalm 119
- John 14-16
- Revelation 2-3
Thoughts and Questions for Application
- How has God spoken to you? What is the main way He uses to communicate with you?
- God's Word is our boundary for hearing His voice. In other words, He won't communicate something to us that is outside the boundaries of the Bible. Practice listening to His voice by reading His Word and asking God how this applies to your life.
- Try memorising Scripture (see below). The more Scripture you have inside you, the more the Holy Spirit can use in a moment's notice to speak to you.
- Ask God in different moments to speak to you. Don't just wait for your quiet times. Ask Him to speak to you as you are watching TV, taking a walk, playing sport or in the bathroom. The Holy Spirit has so much to communicate to you. Don't limit Him to only one space in your life.
Memorization
Hebrews 4:12 - "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (NIV).
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