Introduction
Do you ever feel like God is speaking to you but can't be sure? Does it seem like He's trying to get a message across, but the meaning escapes you? It's tough when we can't identify if a call from God is authentic or just our imagination!
What if I told you there are ways to know if God is speaking to you? In this article, I'll go over clear indications that unmistakably say God is speaking to you, and you can be more confident knowing.
It is promised to us as believers in Christ.
John 10:27 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
Jesus said that his sheep will know his voice. It is a promise from him, and we must believe this by faith. Don't allow doubt to creep in and hinder you from hearing from God.
He desires for you to listen and follow his lead! God wants to speak to you throughout your daily life!
It’s critical to know a man has three parts.
Before getting into this message, it's important to explain there are three parts to a man. We have a spirit, a soul (mind), and live in a body. When a person gives his life to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit comes and lives inside us. Also, our spirits are born again. They are pure and holy. Father God speaks to our spirits through the Holy Spirit. Our spirits communicate with our minds.
It is our minds that need to be renewed after salvation. We will still think the same before giving our lives to Jesus Christ. That is why reading God's Word is important to wash and renew our minds and develop spiritual growth.
God speaks to us during our prayer time.
As you might notice, I said prayer life; I want to express that prayer is a lifestyle. The Bible encourages us to pray without ceasing in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. This implies living a life of constant communication with God.
In another article, I address whether we can pray in our heads without speaking words. 100% We can pray or speak to God in our thought life. God will also speak back to us.
I have had many amazing experiences, just God and me while I am walking alone. As I am walking, he and I are conversing in my mind. Some may say that is crazy! I can assure you it is not, and I have complete faith that I was talking to him!
God speaks to you through His written Word, the Bible.
1 Timothy 3:16 16 Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.
The Bible is God's perfect and inspired Word, given to us as a guide for living a life of holiness and righteousness.
The Lord has spoken to me many times as I was reading the Bible. It doesn't matter what we are going through; he is right there through his Spirit. He is more than ready to speak to you. Give you wisdom and insight.
Reading the Bible regularly will help you understand who God is and what He desires from you. Therefore, it is essential to create a daily habit of spending time before the Lord in prayer and reading his Word.
Having a quiet time and studying the Word of God with an open heart allows God to speak directly to you through His written Word. Prayerfully meditating on scripture helps us align our thoughts, emotions, and actions according to God's will.
God will speak to you by the Holy Spirit inside of you.
John 14:26 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
There are three prominent ways the Lord speaks to you through the Holy Spirit.
1. The Inward Witness
Romans 8:16 16 The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God.
The fundamental way God guides all of His children is by leading them through the "Inward Witness." Under the New Testament, not only do we have the Spirit of God upon us, but also within us!
This inward witness is like a red light and a green light. The red light is like a check in our spirits or, as one of my minister friends describes it, that "ugh" feeling. When you have this, you stop; you don't move forward. You need to seek God more and get discernment. The green light is like a peaceful, velvety feeling in your spirit. This is your green light saying, "Go, proceed forward."
I can tell you from personal experience my wife, and I use this all the time. We have trained ourselves to follow peace in our lives. When we don't have peace, we stop! This is from crucial life decisions to moving to change jobs to buying things. You name it; we follow peace in everything!
2. The Inward Voice
Romans 9:1 1 I AM speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying; my conscience [enlightened and prompted] by the Holy Spirit bearing witness with me
The key in this scripture is "my conscience [enlightened and promoted] by the Holy Spirit.
Just as man has an outward voice, his spirit also has a voice. The world would know this voice as the conscience. As Believers in Christ, we call this voice "The Still Small Voice." Remember, after giving your life to Christ, your spirit is born again, pure and holy. Your spirit will not lead you down the wrong path.
God will use the Holy Spirit to speak to your spirit. Your spirit will communicate this to your soul (mind).
Have you ever been in a situation where you are contemplating doing something? Then, suddenly, a little voice says, that's not right; you shouldn't do it. Or how about after arguing with your spouse, and there is a little voice that says you need to apologize? That is the "Inward Voice."
The key with the "Inward Voice" is renewing your mind in the Word of God. The mind can still think bad thoughts or want to do bad things. Before Christ, the mind ruled your life, and your spirit was dead. After giving your life to Christ, your spirit needs to be in charge, and the mind needs to obey your spirit. After renewing it, there is less of a battle, and your mind will conform more to the things of God.
3. The Voice of the Holy Spirit
Acts 10:19 19 Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men have come looking for you.”
When the Holy Spirit speaks within you, it is more authoritative. It can be so vivid that it sounds like an audible voice. Sometimes, you may think that you heard something behind you. You might even look around to see where it came from. But then, you realize the Holy Spirit is speaking inside of you.
God will speak through people that are in your life.
God will use the people in your life as well to provide you with guidance and impart wisdom through wise counsel. By having a pastor or mentor to oversee your life, you may be more able to discern God's voice and recognize when he is directing your decisions.
As these people help guide you, it can help open spiritual channels, allowing God to speak through them, too. That doesn't mean they should take the place of prayer; they should become part of an extended system of communication with him. This is how we understand His voice better: as he speaks through those around us who have a mature understanding of him!
God can use visions to speak to you.
The Bible mentions three different types of visions that individuals can experience. These visions are spiritual visions, trances, and open visions.
As seen in Acts 9:8, a spiritual vision is when a person sees with their spiritual eyes rather than their physical ones. This type of vision is exemplified in the story of Paul seeing the Lord in Acts 9, where he did not physically see the Lord with his eyes.
The second type of vision is a trance, as seen in Acts 10:9-11. While in a trance, an individual suspends their physical senses and may become unaware of their surroundings. The story of Peter falling into a trance exemplifies this type of vision, while Cornelius did not. While in a trance, a person is more conscious of spiritual things than physical ones.
There is an Open Vision, a kind of vision where you see something openly. A person will experience the vision as a physical reality. For example, in Acts 12, Peter experienced an open vision in which an angel of the Lord set him free from where he had been bound in prison. For a moment, Peter thought he was dreaming. Sometimes, you will do something that feels familiar. You realize that you had done the thing before somewhere. This is because you had had an open vision of the activity before. For example, in Acts 10: 3- 7, Cornelius experienced an open vision in which an angel of the Lord spoke to him about Peter.
God uses your “Inner Knowing” to speak to you.
Some will call this "Inner Knowing" your gut feeling. I don't like that term because God does not use our feelings or emotions to speak to us. Instead, he leads us through our spirits, and we perceive, not feel.
Many times in my life, I knew the Lord was speaking to me and leading me in a particular direction. What was comforting in these times was there was a knowing down deep inside. I always explained it as "I know that I know." The conviction is so strong that no one else can convince you of anything else.
Now, I want to say this! You can't just go on this alone. It must line up with the Word of God. If you say, I know that I know, but all the while, it violates God's Word, then you need to back up. Your knower isn't working!
Also, if you have a spiritual leader in your life loving you and showing you in God's Word that you are going in the wrong direction, you must regroup and continue to seek the Lord for guidance.
Hindrances to hearing from God
1. Are you listening?
How many of us have been in front of someone talking to us, and we didn't hear one word they had to say? Our minds were thinking of something else, or we didn't even care what they had to say. It's no different with God. He knows the condition of your heart and your willingness to listen.
We need to ask the Lord to help us have the right heart. Also, consider removing all distractions in front of you. For example, put your cell phone in another room, shut off the T.V., or go to another room if there are others present. God deserves to have your full attention.
2. Are you willing to obey?
Obedience is another issue. When we choose not to obey what he has asked us to do, it hinders God from speaking to us. Why would God speak to you about the greater if you can't obey the little things? Therefore, our lives should be based upon obedience to God's written Word and the Holy Spirit's leading.
3. Beware of worldly distractions.
In a world filled with noise, it's challenging to listen to the gentle whisper of the Lord. To hear from him, we must pause our busy lives and find moments of silence so we can be attentive to him with no external noise or distraction and create space for His voice to be heard.
4. Lack of Faith can hinder us from hearing from God.
Last, a lack of faith can be a block between ourselves and God speaking to you. We must have trust and faith in who he is and what he says if we want to understand him. Only then will we be able to discern His messages and apply them in our lives.
Conclusion
As followers of Jesus, we have a special blessing: the promise that God will talk to us and we'll be able to listen. That's right, the Lord wants to communicate with us, and we can trust that He's always speaking to us.
God likes to talk to us through many channels - like the Bible, prayer, and even through other Christians. So when we make time to be quiet and listen to him, we can be confident that He's talking to us. This confidence comes from having faith in Jesus and knowing that the Holy Spirit is always leading us. It may not always be obvious or happen how we expect, but when we keep an open heart and trust in God, we'll be able to hear His voice.
Feeling confident that God is talking to us brings us peace and comfort. We know he has a plan for our lives and will guide us in the right direction. Plus, when we listen to God, we experience His love and grace, which gives us the strength to live a life that brings honor to him and helps us fulfill our purpose on earth. So, let's stay focused on seeking God and listening for His voice. Then, we can trust he will speak to us, and we'll be able to hear him loud and clear.
Scriptures on Guidance
Psalm 32:8
Psalm 73:24
Proverbs 4:11
Isaiah 58:11
Psalm 143:10
Proverbs 3:6
Colossians 3:15
John 16:13
Galatians 5:18
Frequently Asked Questions
What does God's voice sound like?
It is not possible to describe the sound of God's voice. Beliefs about what it sounds like are subjective, but some speculate that his voice is powerful and unified with a chorus of other voices. Others believe it may be comforting, encouraging, and ultimately fill people with hope.
What does it feel like when God speaks to you?
Hearing messages from God can be a powerful experience, often accompanied by strong emotion, deep insight, and confident conviction. People who feel God speaking to them sense it as a voice of authority or as a calming presence in challenging situations. Additionally, these moments can bring hope and strength during difficult or uncertain times.
How do you know if God is working in your life?
Recognizing God's influence can involve heightened awareness of life's blessings and obstacles. Paying attention to moments of divine guidance and peace may signify His presence in your life. Consistent prayer, study, and reflection on scripture provide further evidence that the Holy Spirit is leading you.
Shawn Paul is an author and missionary who has been living and working in Central America for the past 10 years. He is passionate about living for Jesus Christ and inspiring others to do the same, which is the focus of his blog, where he shares his expertise in Christianity.
In addition to his missionary work, Shawn enjoys reading books, studying God's Word, growing plants and flowers, feeding birds, and keeping up with the latest technology.
As a writer, Shawn's unique perspective and passion for his faith shine through in his work. Shawn's goal for the future is to impact people around the world for Jesus through his writing and missionary work.