You said, ‘Behold, the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives~ Deuteronomy 5:24 NASB
Most conversations about hearing the voice of God go in one of two directions. Some confidently claim that they hear from God all the time about every minute detail of their life. God speaks to them audibly on every topic imaginable, from the serious to the mundane.
These lucky people do not weigh the pros or cons of any decision. They don’t agonize over which job they ought to take or whom they should marry. They don’t even worry about where they should go for dinner. They have all the answers because God tells them exactly what to do all the time.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are the people who awkwardly confess that they have never heard God speak. They read their Bibles and pray on a regular basis but they admit that they have never actually heard from God. These folks typically feel like second-class citizens when in a conversation with anyone from the first group. In their most honest and raw moments they wonder if God really loves them or if they are even Christians.
I believe God speaks to all of His people at least some of the time.
I also believe that there are situations when we don’t hear God’s voice because we have preconceived notions about how we think God should speak. Those biases can interfere with our ability to hear what God is saying. We want (and sometimes even demand) an audible voice when He is intent on using another, more subtle approach to speak into our lives. Following are the most common methods God uses when He has something to say.
The Bible- Psalm 119:105, 2nd Timothy 3:16
Contrary to popular belief, the Bible is still God’s preferred means of communication with people. God will never tell anyone to do anything that directly contradicts biblical teaching. If you want to hear God speak, begin with the Bible. Pick a book, before you begin reading ask God to open the eyes of your heart so you will hear what He wants to communicate to you through His word (Ephesians 1:18). Continue to pray as you read, if a verse sticks ask yourself how that verse applies to your situation.
People- 1st Samuel 25, Acts 17:16-33, 2nd Samuel 12, Judges 1:8-9
When God wanted David to understand that his craving for vengeance would lead to his destruction, God chose to speak His words through the quiet wisdom of a young woman named Abigail. When God wanted to proclaim the reality of His existence to the people of Athens, He used the words of Paul to communicate that truth. God still uses men and women to communicate truth to one another. For that reason, it is critical that we prayerfully evaluate the encouraging as well as the not-so-encouraging words of our friends, family members, pastors and even the people we don’t really care for. Sometimes when people speak it’s not them speaking, but God speaking through them. We will do well to listen.
Strong impressions and still small voices- 1st Kings 19: 11-18, Acts 15:28-29, Acts 16:6
In my experience, God seldom says, “Do this” or “don’t do that.” But he does speak to His people through impressions or a strong sense that we should or should not do something. The only time we should ignore those impressions is when the activity or course of action we are considering violates principals of wisdom or clear biblical instruction.
Circumstances- Exodus 2:5-8, Acts 8:1-8
Little in life is more frustrating than feeling we are being forced into a course of action by circumstances outside of our control. Thankfully these situations are not always the tragedies they seem to be at the time. Sometimes seemingly adverse circumstances are really the just the hand of God guiding us towards His will for our lives.
I honestly do not know if God talks to some folks more than others.
It’s certainly possible; God deals with people as individuals and He is free to do whatever He pleases. I do know that God is good and that He never leaves us alone. I also know that if we need direction He will give it to us, but that direction may not come in the form we are expecting. It is our spiritual responsibility to keep our hearts and spirits open to God’s will in whatever way He chooses to reveal it.