HOW GOD SPEAKS TO US.
God’s words have not changed; it is the same today, tomorrow and forever. God’s truth will always remain. Even when heaven and earth pass away, his truth will remain. The rain of God is coming down. We are in a time of celebration. God has already spoken his words over us. It is time to rise up and declare his words with authority. God still speaks.
God had a close relationship with Adam and Eve. He told David to pursue and overtake his enemies and recover all. Moses heard his voice coming from a burning bush. He told Mary through the angels that she would be the mother of Jesus the Messiah. God is never silent he still speaks. Listen, can you hear the voice of God? He is still speaking.
We are all different people but God hears us and he knows what we need. He speaks to each person in his own way. There are a number of ways that God speaks to us. Here are ten ways that God can speak to his people:
1. God speaks through his Words in the bible
The words of God are written in the bible; words to help in any situation we could ever face in this life. His words are life and peace. The bible also gives an account of the trials and tribulations faced by many people and shows how God help them to overcome. His words give encouragement, peace, and instructions.
Sometimes God speaks in a loud voice, or he can be very gentle and you have to listen attentively to hear his voice. In the bible, we see where many times Jesus spoke to the people in Parables. The bible is the rule book and guideline by which Christians should live their lives. Once we follow the bible then it is hard to get drawn away into the ways of the world.
God uphold his words
God will not go against his words in the bible and neither should his people. If the voice is telling you something contrary to his word then it is definitely not the voice of God. We all need to hear from God.
Every help we will need is written in the bible. If we need help in parenting and marriage then we just need to find the relevant scriptures in the bible. Too many Christians are looking to the world, TV talk shows, and the internet for parenting advice. It’s all in the bible. If we need comfort and reassurance then we can go to the Psalms. His word should be our light, (See Psalms 119:105)
2. God speaks through other believers
God sometimes speaks through the people that we interact with on a daily basis. He can use a pastor or friend to tell you what road to take next when you are at a crossroads. Their words might bring encouragement, or be a red flag to stop you from making a terrible mistake; that you will regret for the rest of your life. How we react to such instruction is another thing. The important lesson is that God has spoken his will. We should make sure that the advice we receive and act upon is relevant and is in line with what God says in the bible.
God’s words coming from others can be comforting or even harsh reprimands. When we listen to anointed men and women of God we hear the voice of God. Sometimes the word might come at the time that we most desperately need it. We might even feel that the word is a direct answer from the father.
There is no set way or time for God to speak. He uses whatever means he wants. He is not limited in any of his ways. God loves us and only wants the best for us. He will find a way to get the word to us that will fix our situation.
3. God speaks through his creation
God made the heaven and the earth. In Genesis 1: 1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” There wasn’t anything made that wasn’t made by him. In Psalm 24:1 It says that “The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Everything around us shows his glory and his awesomeness. He created everything through the power of his Holy Spirit.
Everything is skillfully and wonderfully crafted by the master. He is truly a majestic God. We hear his voice in the wind and the waves. We see his splendor in the sky and the trees. He is uncontainable and we experience his presence in everything he made.
4. God speaks through Jesus Christ
God speaks to us through his son Jesus Christ. Jesus came to earth to pay the price for the sins of mankind. Jesus showed us the father’s heart and his will. The New Testament is filled with signs and miracles that Jesus performed while he was on the earth. It also includes all the teaching of Jesus and what the father expects from his children. Jesus came to show us the way and give us the instructions on how to inherit eternal life.
Jesus showed us the father’s heart so we can know that he is loving and kind in all his ways. He loved the world so much that he gave his only sons for our sins. God says in John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” We are his sheep and we must listen and obey his voice as he speaks.
5. God Speaks through his Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the comforter and the one that Jesus says will guide us into all truth. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come, “(John 16:13). God still speaks through the Power of his Holy Spirit.
When we pray and cry out the Holy Spirit will come and show us the father’s heart and his will. He sometimes makes intercession for us through groaning that cannot be uttered. The Holy Spirit often directs us to the right path and helps us to make wise decisions according to God’s will. He will give direction and clarity when we need it most. We just need to be sensitive to His leading and his voice.
Sometimes he leads us to a direct answer other times it is unexpected and catches us by surprise. The Holy Spirit is the eye-opener. He will allow us to see ad hear what the father wants us to know. He will bring a word to us to solve the problem that we are facing.
Open your heart and ears to him today he is the breath of the father. He will breathe a word of life and make everything right.
6. God speaks through Struggles
Struggles and hardship often help to build strong character and endurance. Sometimes when we are going through these times, that is when the voice of God is silent. Yet we might feel that he is still speaking to us through the trials. Often, these times are periods of test that will end in a testimony. Circumstances are different but God will confirm his voice one way or the other.
Sometimes it takes these struggles for us to find our purpose and recognize what God’s will is for our lives. It is hard to detect the voice of God during the battle. People are usually focused on the hurt, pain, and wounds; that most times they miss the still small voice of God. Know that he is with you in the battles of life and he will never leave you nor forsake you. Hold on to him.
Have Faith
God can use these hard times as a test of your faith. Your faith will become strong and unwavering when you learn to endure to the end. We should know God for ourselves, and who we are in Christ.
We should always have an open ear and ready like Samuel to say” Speak Lord for your servant heareth.” Even if it is not what we want to hear. God will always tell us the truth and tell us like it is. He will not show us anything that is not good for us to know. Whom he loves he chasteneth. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth,” (Hebrews 12:6). Ask him today what is it, that he is saying, and what he wants you to learn from the battle you are in.
7. God speaks through Music
God’s words come alive when we sing and praise him. David said in 1 Chronicles 15:16 “And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.” It is a good thing to praise the Lord with worship and music. His presence is always evident when we praise him. After all, that is the purpose of man to worship his creator.
David was a man after God’s own heart and he never failed to worship and magnify God. Worship and praise get God’s attention and manifest his glory. When you are at your lowest and in your down season just put on some Worship music and cry out to God his presence will be felt. Open up to the divine will of God. His words will calm all the rough seas and silence the wind.
8. God speaks through Prayer
Prayer is a means of communicating with God. God is never tired of listening to our prayers. He already knows what you will say, while you are yet speaking he will hear you. Yet he wants you to be confident enough to come boldly to his throne of grace. “Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need, “(Hebrews 4:16). When we pray and fast God hears us. We do not have to say any elaborate, wordy prayer.
We just need to come before his presence with sincerity and honesty. He will not drive us away. Even when we sin and fall short of his glory; he still wants us to come and ask for forgiveness. He is the only one who can cleanse us and forgive our sins. He will not hold our sins against us, and he knows that we are of a sinful nature.
Pray without ceasing
When we fast and pray our minds are renewed, and we see more clearly from God’s perspective. We open up to the will and plans that God has in store for us. In other words, we start to see ourselves through the eyes of Jesus. Jesus prayed, he taught his disciples how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13.
We might not hear God’s audible voice, but we sense his presence and get the assurance that he is speaking through his spirit to our spirit. As we let go of the things that have us confuse and burdened, the voice of God will become clearer. When we finally achieve our goals we can say “It was God, “He led me through that fire.
The voice of God through his spirit is our guide. He will guide us to a bible scripture or worship songs that are just what we need to win, against the devil. The answers might not come once you finish praying, but they will surely come. It might take weeks, months, or years but you will hear from God, He will not disappoint you.
God speaks in different ways. He doesn’t always use the same method of communication. He is versatile and will do whatever necessary to get through to his people.
9. God speaks through Dreams
God often speaks to his people through dreams. The wise men were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod. God spoke to many people in the bible through dreams and visions. Remember Joseph, the dreamer, God always reveals himself to Joseph through dreams. He is doing the same these days.
People are having prophetic dreams of things to come and God is showing himself mighty. He said in Acts 2:17 “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” He is still revealing himself through dreams and visions.
10. God speaks through his Prophets
God speaks through his prophets. He said in Amos 3:7 “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” The Lord is using his prophets to speak into the lives of his people. He also reveals his plans and will to his prophets. Nevertheless, we should always seek God for ourselves because there are too many false prophets these days. Some are not hearing from the Lord and some saying what God didn’t say. It is good to hear directly from God for ourselves.
God will always stay true to his words. He said in Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” His words will bring life and peace to all who hears it.
Prayer to hear the voice of God
Dear heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus’ name. I thank you that you always hear me when I pray. Father help me to have an open ear to hear your every word and to be receptive to your faintest whisper. Lord let me always know when it is your voice that is calling me, and help me to be obedient to your voice. Lord, I am your sheep speak to me any way you choose. Father, I open up my spirit to your calling. Speak to me today and always. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen..