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Has God ever spoken to you?

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Berean, Apr 29, 2012.

  1. Berean

    Berean Member
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    I don't recall the subject of how God speaks to believers ever been discussed on this forum especially in an audible voice. I personally believe God only speaks to us through the Word. However I have heard people testify to God telling them to do sometking or not to do something. My Pastor says he never heard any one say God told me "start giving 25% tithe" Or "sell all your possessions and donate it to the poor". Usually its advantageous to the one being spoken to. Billy Graham said the Lord has never spoken to him in an audible voice. Speaking to Carlton Heston in the Ten Commandments don't count.
     
  2. righteousdude2

    righteousdude2 Well-Known Member
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    Yes, He's spoken to Me...

    ....but if you want to know what he said, I'd have to dispose of you (for the sake of secrecy). :smilewinkgrin:

    Seriously though....He's never spoken in an audible form, but, I've heard His voice (inwardly), seen his directives and heard His word through others speaking either directly and indirectly to me. It is not an every day ocurrence, but, it has happened, and those few moments will never be forgotten. :godisgood:
     
  3. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    There is no question that God has spoken to me. I actually had an whine-fest prayer with Him a few weeks ago and He won. LOL Seriously, I was praying and crying about things that are going on in ministry and as I whined, I'd really hear a voice kind of taking the wind out of my sails. As I prayed "It's not fair", I'd hear "It wasn't for me either". "But these are Christians who are hurting us!" I'd hear "It was my close friends". It went on for a couple of complaints and I finally surrendered and knew that what was happening to us was nothing compared to what Christ went through and I just knew that He had things under control. Yeah, my situation might stink but God is here with us. :)

    I also remember after my second miscarriage, really crying out to God because I wanted another child but I couldn't go through the hurt again and I'd rather give up. I prayed "Will we have more children??" and I really heard "Yes, but they will be to MY glory." So I stopped the fertility treatment, went for prayer at church, just took care of myself and 5 months later I was pregnant with my son. Not only did God give me another child but He gave me TWO more! He let me know, I was able to rest in His promise.
     
  4. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    God has never spoken to me audibly, but I believe he spoke to me nonetheless.

    Here's the story: My pastor came to me and said he was going to go on a mission trip to Romania, and would I like to go, too?

    Truthfully, I really wasn't interested, but didn't want to tell him no right off, so I told him I'd pray about it (with no intention of really doing so).

    I had gathered all my reasons I didn't want to go. Long way from home, long time away from home, flying over the ocean, the money cost. But as I sorted through them in my mind, other thoughts also came flooding in, refuting all my objections. I believe they were from God.

    One of them was this thought: "You're worried about flying over the ocean. I went to the cross."

    Was this the voice of God? Not audibly, but I couldn't shake it.

    To make a long story short, I caved. Went to Romania. Life-changing, doctrine-changing, attitude toward missions-changing.

    God never spoke aloud to me, but he sure cut me off at the pass when I wanted to do something else.
     
  5. Arbo

    Arbo Active Member
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    Four times I've had a clear message given to me. Nothing audible, though. Two were specific signs that were prayed for. The others I am unable to describe other than a clear, profound sense of knowledge- one warning of danger and another reminding of His protection.
     
  6. Alive in Christ

    Alive in Christ New Member

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    God has not spoken to me audibly, but He has spoken to me many many many times, none the less.

    Thank God for His wonderfull provision.
     
  7. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    I've told this story before here, but it fits the thread.

    Several years ago, I was on the way to deliver the baccalaureate address at a rural high school. I had stopped behind a car waiting to make a left turn, and noticed in my rear-view mirror that a car was closing fast. He saw me too late and slammed into the rear of my car. I was shaken, but not hurt. I looked up and the car in front of me was gone.

    Each of us got out of our cars to inspect the damage. I expected to see a bashed in trunk and a bashed in grill.

    There was neither. Our bumpers had matched perfectly. They had neither dents nor scratches. There was no damage to either car. And none of us was injured.

    After I spoke, I headed home and called my fiance to tell her what happened. She broke into tears. "Don't cry, everything is okay," I said.

    "That's not what I'm crying about," she said. "What time did this happen?"

    "About 6:45," I answered.

    "Let me tell you what happened. I was vacuuming the carpet when I heard an audible voice say 'stop and pray for Tom.' I blew it off as something I imagined, when I heard it again, this time more insistent. So I stopped, fell to my knees by the couch and began to pray. 'Lord, I don't know what to pray for, but please take care of Tom.'

    At the very moment of the rear-ender, she was praying for my safety.

    She never heard that audible voice again, although on more than one occasion she has been strongly moved to pray for someone or some thing.

    I have to confess that I'm a bit leery when someone claims "God told me this or that," or "God spoke to me." Or, "God told me to tell you so-and-so."

    Maybe those folks are more spiritually sensitive than I am, but somehow I don't think God is going to tell someone else what I ought to do when He could just as easily tell me.
     
    #7 Tom Butler, Apr 29, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 29, 2012
  8. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    The Lord speaks to me thru the Bible as I read and study it...

    Also through circumstances, and other believers thru 'godly advice"

    At times, have felt a definite leading/prompting from the Holy Spirit to either do/not do things!
     
  9. NaasPreacher (C4K)

    NaasPreacher (C4K) Well-Known Member

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    Had the same attitude myself last week about the slowness and frustration of the work. It happened several times as I was praying, but the one that really sticks out happened while I was out walking the dog. I was whinging about the size of our church and how small our ministry seems at times when the Lord said, as if He was right there - 'Seeing then we have this ministry we faint not!' (2 Corinthians 4.1). I literally threw my hands up in resignation!
     
  10. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Why is it that He always wins?? LOL You can't win an argument with Almighty God, can you? But it's good to know that we're not alone when we feel discouraged.
     
  11. DiamondLady

    DiamondLady New Member

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    Absolutely, positively, emphatically YES. Out loud as so others could also hear, no, but as plainly to me as if He had spoken out loud.

    We wee having a visiting missionary and the pastor mentioned wanting to have a meal. The head of the fellowship committee and I planned it and then the Tuesday Morning Bible Study group decided to change it. I was livid...I hadn't been consulted (nor even told, I found out about it 2nd hand well after the fact), all our planning...blah, blah, blah. I was walking down the hallway to our bedroom and God said to me, "EVERYTHING DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE YOUR WAY!" I stopped dead in my tracks, midstep. He was right, I was being a brat.

    This is a lesson I'm still working on. Just last week He had to remind me that I also do not have to be in charge of everything at church. That it really was okay to simply go, sit, enjoy, get up and leave. I don't have to be the head honcho. I'm learning to be liberated in Christ.
     
  12. DiamondLady

    DiamondLady New Member

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    I'm rolling here! Our church, also, is small. We have been praying and praying, asking God to grow our church. It's not been happening, we're not getting families (although we do get an older couple occasionally), but yesterday, in our Nursery - Children's department we had TEN children!. God IS Growing our church....just not in the way WE thought He should. He is growing our church from the ground up. We had five of those ten in the nursery and two more are due to arrive within the next couple of months, that will be 7 under school aged children! I have to often stop and remember that God does not look at things from my perspective and that when we ask for things He answers in His way, and that if we want something specifically we need to ASK specifically! LOL

    So, this year for VBS, I'm praying for our VBS to reach FIFTY new families for our church.
     
  13. abcgrad94

    abcgrad94 Active Member

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    Yes, God has spoken to me. When my husband mentioned he wanted to be a pastor, I fought it tooth and nail. I whined, moaned and groaned and made excuses. I finally told him to stop talking to me about it and just pray that God would show me, because my dh did not have the power to change my mind about the issue.

    A few months later I went to a ladies' retreat and was sitting in the crowd, listening to the speaker. God started dealing with me and I was making excuses mentally. Suddenly he said very clearly "Are you going to obey?" The voice was so audible I almost jerked in my seat, although no one else heard it. I finally was compelled to say "yes." Then the voice said, "Good, NOW I'm going to help you do it."

    I hate trying to argue with God. He always wins.
     
  14. menageriekeeper

    menageriekeeper Active Member

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    Audibly? Just once when I was 13 and had been physically abused by my parents after being verbally abused, controlled and manipulated for years. And I was done. I had planned carefully and left the house intending never to return. I stopped riding (my bicycle lol) when I got tired and settled down to rest for a bit and you can believe I was running on about what I'd been through. And God told me to go home. I was like, uh no! And He said "get up and go home! It'll get better."

    So I did and the situation got better. My parents, fearing that if I tried it again, the town would find out and their reputations would suffer, never physically touched me again. The emotional and verbal abuse continued, but I grew much stronger after this incident and God taught me much during this time about perserverance and much about how a "real" Christain should behave. (not the example my parents gave)

    As an impression? Again, just once. Life is life and it's not easy. But sometime after my third child was born I was vacuuming the livingroom floor. My husband and I had gone though a rough patch and come out the other side (financially and otherwise). My children were healthy and happily playing in another room, when the impression swept over me "this is the better I told you about when you were a child. remember what I've brought you through." I was a little shocked, but said thank you, lol.

    Through the years since then whenever I've been tempted to doubt, which hasn't been very often, I remember what God has already brought me through and doubt can't stand in the face of that. I would not have survived my childhood without the hand of God on my shoulder. I have no doubt whatsoever that He'll guide me through the rest of my days.
     
  15. Robert Snow

    Robert Snow New Member

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    We had one guy at a church I attended several years ago who was constiantly claiming God told him this or God told him that. Then, shortly before we quit going to that church he came forward to be saved. I never saw him again so I don't know what's going on in his life now.

    I am somewhat skeptical when people claim God told them to do a certain thing, but I won't say it cannot or does not happen.
     
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