One of the things that believers of God desire and cherish greatly in their relationship with Him right here on this earth is: to hear from God. How beautiful it is when you know God spoke to you about something, especially something you’ve prayed about. For me, it feels so good like I’m on cloud nine. It doesn’t even matter if I got a rebuke from Him–just the fact that I got a message from him gives me great satisfaction, like a spiritual hug. But here’s the question that a lot of us have about this topic and that is, how does God speak to us? Great question!
As many of us know, following God isn’t about practicing a religion, it’s about being in a relationship. And if you have a relationship with someone, there has to be two-way communication. This also applies to a relationship with God. We speak to God (in prayer), and He also speaks to us. But He’s invisible, so that makes this topic quite dynamic. Let’s dive into this, with Scripture, about how God speaks to us.
Before we begin, let’s be sure we’re on the same page with some basic biblical doctrine.
- The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is from God and therefore is the authority of the Christian faith.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
- The contents of the Bible came from God, not human beings’ interpretations or concepts. God used human beings to physically write the Bible with the guidance of God’s Spirit.
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20-21
- The Bible is the truth, which means there is no other truth.
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17
Prayerfully these Bible verses are your conviction. Feel free to take time on them if there are any doubts. In the meantime, let’s continue.
GOD ONCE SPOKE TO HUMANS DIRECTLY
There was a time when God used human beings to relay his message to others. For instance…
Moses
Then the LORD said to Moses, “This is what you are to tell the Israelites: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven. Exodus 20:22
Ezekiel
And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre that this is what the Lord GOD says: Your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the sea.’ Yet you are a man and not a god, though you have regarded your heart as that of a god. Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you! Ezekiel 28:1-3
Jeremiah
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you. The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity[a] and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.” Jeremiah 30:1-3
Jonah
The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” Jonah 1:1-2
Deborah
Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. Judges 4:4-6
There are so many more events where God used humans to communicate his message. But even from these scriptures alone, we see that God spoke to people through people, both men and women. But let’s see what God has to say about that today.
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. Hebrews 1:1-2
WHAT IS JESUS?
From Hebrews 1:1-2, we know God’s Son with a capital “S” is Jesus, but how do we hear from Jesus when he ascended to heaven in 33 A.D.? He’s no longer here in the flesh. Well let’s learn (or get a refresher) on fundamentals of Jesus’ characteristics.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. John 1:1
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
This tells us plainly that the Word is not just letters formed into sentences and paragraphs, but it’s Jesus. Have you ever heard of this phrase? “I can read what’s on your mind.” That’s a figurative statement because no one can read someone’s mind. They can guess what the person is thinking based on facial expressions or even because they may know the person well, so they can figure it out. But with God, we can literally read His mind. He was so thoughtful enough to give us an open book to his mind, heart and spirit–The Bible.
So going back to the scripture Hebrews 1:1-2, God the Father speaks to us through Jesus His Son (our Savior, Lord and Friend)–therefore, He speaks to us through the Bible.
That was quite a treasure hunt for the truth, and it’s all found in the Bible. So yes, we can hear from God, and the primary way he speaks to us is through the Bible.
HOW DO YOU REALLY KNOW?
I know some of you may be thinking, “but wait Yardley, God spoke to me through a song, or a conversation with a stranger, or a sign of some sort”, or any other way other than the Bible. I believe God can inspire us in various ways. I also believe that we don’t know 100% for sure whether that song, that conversation with a stranger, or sign, etc. was from God. The way to determine if it was is if it aligns with Scripture, because God will not contradict Himself.
For example, if you think God told you to move to another country to be on an evangelistic mission assignment, but it requires you to leave your husband behind, be sure to find out if it contradicts the Bible. Although that mission is godly, is that what God is telling you to do, even when the scriptures say something different? When you do a Bible study on the responsibilities of a wife, and the role a marriage plays for the advancement of the kingdom of God, you may discover that God would not prioritize a solo mission move over the role of ‘wife’.
God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. Matthew 12:25
IS IT JUST ME?
Sometimes our own hearts can lead us to think we’re hearing God say something, especially when it seems like a good and harmless thing. Our desires, our fears, our doubts, all of these things come from the heart, and they can sway us to think things that may not be coming from God. So we have to be careful to not allow what we feel or think to guide us into concluding that it was God’s voice that spoke–but rather always check with the Scriptures.
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. James 1:14 ESV
Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. Proverbs 28:26 ESV
For the word of God is *living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 ESV
*Living and active means that it’s relevant and powerful to our lives today and everyday. It was not just meant for biblical times but all times, all generations, including this generation. It is still breathing–it is still alive, it is still active.
PEOPLE NEED PEOPLE
Before we close out, we have to talk about advice. There is not a human being on this planet that knows all of the Bible on their own, all of its meaning in every passage, and needs no help from another person. That’s called lonely Christianity, and that’s not the design of God. This being said, when you’re not sure how to discern if it is God that was actually speaking to you, it’s wise to get advice from someone (people, plural – Proverbs 15:22) who has the conviction about using the Bible to guide their own life. [Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105] God made it so we don’t do Christianity alone–that we help each other with the Word. It’s a part of discipleship.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning. Psalm 9:9
Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Proverbs 19:20
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. Proverbs 12:15
Do a study on “Advice” and you will see that it’s not just a nice suggestion, but it’s essential, especially when we think we heard from God about a decision we’re going to make. However, what’s also important is that we use wisdom and discernment to determine who we will seek advice from.
If the person is not using Scriptures to give you advice, that’s not the right person to consult.
If the person says that they have a prophetic word from God for you, that’s not the right person to consult–as we’ve already established that God doesn’t use prophets anymore, he uses the Word of God which is already perfect and needs no extra meanings, messages or enhancements.
If the person says they have predictions of the future, don’t walk away from them, run away from them. That is not the person to get wisdom from. Predictions other than what the Bible prophesied is in the realm of sorcery, witchcraft and the like. People can and have led many people astray with ministries and practices like this. Be careful.
“‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:31
“‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people. Leviticus 20:6
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Revelation 21:8
He sacrificed his children in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger. 2 Chronicles 33:6
When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. Isaiah 8:19-20
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions. 2 Corinthians 11:14
A wise man gets advice from a wise person (people, plural), and that person should share wisdom that is from the Word of God–what God already said. If this is an area of struggle for you, I encourage you to do an in depth study for more understanding and conviction about getting godly advice / instruction for your life.
Let’s land this here with a recap on key points.
- God speaks to us today through Jesus–the Word of God.
- The best way to determine if what you heard was from God is to verify it with the Bible about that topic to detect any contradictions.
- When unsure if you heard from God, inquire from a trusted believer who uses the Bible to instruct their own lives.
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, [Quick Note: reference John 1 about Jesus becoming flesh, Jesus being from God, and Jesus being the Word] but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 1 John 4:1-3
Jesus said he is, not only the Way and the Life, but he’s also the Truth. The Word, which is the truth, is Jesus–able to be read like a book…an actual book. I find that super sweet on God’s part. He could have left us on this earth with no direction, no instructions, but he didn’t do that. He protected us from confusion. He gave us a complete guide to life written by Him–the Bible.
Let me know if you have any questions, and if you’d like to connect for a Bible study, email me at yardley@riseandshinebright.com. I know this was a lot and maybe even heavy at certain moments, but I found this super important to cover because not knowing how to hear from God can really keep us from following God’s will for our lives. I pray that you found something you read helpful.
Rise and Shine Bright.