Do you hear God's voice?

Should be very interesting to see the results of this poll.

Anyone interested in some good reading on this subject should check out:

Hearing God's Voice by Henry and Richard Blackaby

 

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Every real Christian hears God everytime they read his word. I especially hear him when he leads me to a proper understanding of scripture. It happens when I truly immerse myself in the study. It is never a "feeling". It is an awareness of his presence. There are times when an "audible" "voice" comes from within. That's the spiritual aspect of every real Christian.

 

It is usually NOT an audiable voice, but it can be. When you read the bible do you ever have those ' awww' moments where you just put something together, you just understood something? That is not you understanding, it is God teaching you through the indwelling Holy Spirit, it is you hearing God.

 

God talks to His children. At first we may not know it is Him, we do not recognize His voice from our own thoughts. But as time goes on, spending time with God, learning to recognize Him we will know Him when He speaks. But we must learn to hear Him, learn to recognize Him when he speaks.
God speaking through feelings is not biblical, our feelings (emotions) will cause us to go astray if we obey our feelings.

 

As brother Ed would say:

Amen sister Donna, you are so right on!:thumbs:

 

Sir, God's word is written. "Hearing" come by his word. You "hear" him as you read his word. It is as if he is talking to you. I didn't say a voice comes from heaven or whatever. Please read what I said. Even the "audible" "voice" was inside quotation marks. I even used the word "awareness". Believe me, if I heard him talking now, out loud, in my office, I would be on my knees.

 

Other ways that God speaks:
I remember the exact scripture when I need it even though I never do scripture memorization.

When I don't understand a passage of scipture and I ask God to explain it...He does. Very Cool!

That heavy feeling in my heart when I've said something or done something I shouldn't have.

That heavy feeling in my heart that keeps me from doing or saying something I shouldn't.

That indescribable joy that I feel when I read God's word or just think about Him, especially when giving thanks.

These are a few ways God speaks to me. :saint:

 

Yes, I have listened . . . have you?

:wavey:

 

Someone called me, I think it was the Lord or I wouldn't be preaching.

 

Yes. Because He speaks to me through His word.
Like DQuixote said:

 

Sir, do you read the bible? If you read the bible God is speaking to you. Read Psalm 23. God is speaking. Read the Sermon on the Mount. God is speaking. Read Romans 9 thru Romans 11. God speaking through Paul. Paul is writing God's words to Christians in Rome. He is writing of his great distress over his brethren, the Jews. In so doing God shares his compassion for his chosen people, using Paul as his spokesperson. Paul grieves that they do not recognize their Messiah. In Romans 10:9-13 he tells his Christian "listeners" how straight-forward it would have been for the Jews to receive Messiah Jesus. God speaks to the 7 churches in Revelation. His words are quoted there. This is how God speaks 99% of the time: the written word in the Book of Books, the Greatest Story Ever Told. Listen to him on the pages of his book. It is his word to you, his words. Let his words fill your spirit with truth and with hope and with love and with trust. Rest in him. His love for you is greater than anything anyone can imagine. But do not imagine him. Trust him. Just say something like this: Father I give my life to you, in the Name of Jesus. Amen. Then rest in that. Don't look to doubt or to questions piled upon questions. Just rest. Rest.

 

Hearing God? You hear God every time the birds sing . . .

But, you do not listen because you are so busy trying to make Him speak to you like a 'good buddy' would.

Listen for a while . . . He is always trying to speak to His people . . .

But, He only speaks to those that are willing to truly listen.

 

Great thread! Yes I hear God's "voice." I hear His "voice" in the Bible as the passage I read seems like it's being shouted at me directly (my attention is held to it). I hear His "voice" in the pastor's sermons, in some radio messages, in "secular" situations really, for us, I believe nothing is secular anymore) where something applies to a situation I am in, or encouragement from people, most who know nothing about what I'm going through at the moment.

Okay, please bear with me on this. This may be a bit long.

There are also those situations where, unbidden, a scripture verse, or Bible principle, or Christian song, or hymn comes to me and is a thread running through my mind until I finally "get it," and respond (hopefully wisely). Then there are the times when it seems God is driving me to speak out or to someone directly. It is like an urging "pressure," maybe pressure is not the right word. . . more like an imperative, a need to speak. When I finally do, there is an easing, or if I let the moment pass, there is a deflated sense of hollowness that comes.

Those moments give me pause because I tend to be a bit introverted, also, if I am to be representing God, these are the most important words I speak, and what if it is just me speaking instead of God?

So it seems to me that God is always speaking, but I am not always listening well; and what is being said is a sure biblical principle, or it supports a scripture verse, or it is a biblical principle I have learned. There are those times of illumination the Holy Spirit brings to scripture verses.


But there are other voices too that can sound like God, and I am not so sure whose voice it really is; the frequent times I get the though that I shouldn't drive a particular route, I do, and there is an accident. Now, there have been times where I do go that way and everything is fine, but for that moment, I am asking myself: "is that You, Lord? Is it an angel? Is it just me? . . .eh. . .it's just me."

There are those "voices" that come in the night; those condemning thoughts that used to drive me to terrible desperation, but from learning more from the Bible, found them not to be from God.

The spiritual battle really is for our mind, isn't it. I understand, though that everybody is not wired the same way. My brother-in-law doesn't get the level of "hearing" I do, but he is a wise and godly man! Before I became a Christian, I used to be very sensitive to "spirits," and things supernatural. I put to a wrong use that which God gave me to better hear His voice (because I need to hear Him clearly to avoid my typical bonehead moves, and not because I am "special" in any way. . . God knows I'm a thick one).

That is why I find the blanket response: "my Bible has a back cover on it" troubling. Mine also has a back cover on it, but that doesn't mean I can dismiss from my consideration everything other than what I "directly and exclusively read in the Bible." New revelation? That is an unfortunate term. It get's used for everything from encouragement, conviction, enforcement of known Scritpure, wild immaginings, and yes, maybe an urging from God.

I think that is whay it is so important to really know the Word well as it is our weapon and God's scalpel. It is important to be in constant prayer with God - the all day running "conversation." I have truly experienced that only in very hard times in my life when God has upheld me. I want to make that a regular habit so that from regular practice, I can more instantly recognize His voice.

The more Penticostal "constant revelation" does bother me a bit as my mindset has been informed by a Baptist viewpoint; but my experience finds something "kindred" with a God Who constantly speaks.

Yes, there is the "extatic" and "inaccurate," but I believe there is also the "sober," and "studied," and reliable hearing.

Does this make sense?

Brett

 

You will hear God personally as you look for answers to your questions in his word. For example, "Father, do you love me?" Then turn to the many scriptures that confirm that he does. "Father, should I change jobs?" Then turn to the many scriptures wherein he assures you of his never-ending presence, and those where he calls upon you to pray for his wisdom. You are able to ask God questions at the rate of one-a-minute or one-a-day, or one-a-week, or whatever. He always hears you. Then you don't throw up your hands and quit when he doesn't physically appear or you don't hear a voice coming from your ceiling or the sky. You've asked, he will answer. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, shall have their questions answered, moment by moment, day by day. If you're always looking for the physical and / or audible you'll be too busy struggling with your frustration to hear him when he answers.