FIVE WAYS GOD SPEAKS TO US
Once we are ready to hear God, we then need to know how God speaks and how to recognize His voice. In his book Ten Steps Towards Christ, Pastor Jimmy Evans explains the five main ways God speaks to us and how we can recognize His voice in our lives.
- THROUGH HIS STILL, SMALL VOICE INSIDE OUR HEARTS
In 1 Kings 19, the prophet Elijah encounters God through a “still, small” voice. This is the best way to describe God’s voice in our lives. God’s voice is profoundly audible, though it isn’t always distinguishable by our physical ears.
God doesn’t have to speak loudly, because He lives in our hearts. He doesn’t want to intimidate us. God is a master of communication, and He speaks our language. When you pray, listen for a still, small voice inside your heart that is the most loving voice you’ve ever heard. That is God. Follow that voice!
- THROUGH THE RHEMAWORD OF GOD
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).
In the Scripture above, “word” is the Greek word rhema. It means “the living voice of God” or “the now word of God.” As you read your Bible daily, you give God an opportunity to speak a rhema word to you. He does this as you read the Logos, which is the written Word of God.
One of the many reasons we should read the Bible is that God often uses it as a means for His “living voice” to speak into an area in our lives where we need it at that time. As you sit down to read the Word daily, ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand it. Also, ask God to give you a rhema word as you read. You will find that He will do it often, and those nuggets of truth will transform your life as you receive and obey them.
- THROUGH A SENSE OF PEACE
The peace of God in our hearts is one of the most important ways that God speaks to us daily. Through His peace, He guides us situationally, just as an umpire directs a game situation by situation. As we pray for direction from the Lord, in many cases He doesn’t answer by saying something to us. Instead, He answers through His peace.
As you seek the Lord’s guidance, you should always pay attention to the level of peace in your life regarding the issue you are seeking Him about. God has an eternal perspective and isn’t limited by circumstances. As you pray for daily direction, don’t forget God’s peace. It will follow you throughout the day and “umpire” those decisions that can come at you so fast.
- THROUGH OPEN AND CLOSED DOORS
God knows His purpose and destiny for us, and He doesn’t want us to get off track. He is protective and doesn’t want us to be harmed. Therefore, He uses circumstances to open doors for us and close doors to us.
“Lord, open doors for me that no man can close and close doors for me that no man can open until I am standing in Your perfect will for my life.”
We can align our hearts with God’s sovereign will and become much more sensitive to His guidance. Don’t be discouraged when a door is closed. There will be another one open to guide you into God’s will for your life. He is faithful and is working all around you to guide and keep you.
- THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE
God often uses people to speak to us. One of the primary people He uses is a wife or husband. God wants to remind us that we need each other. He also wants us to be humble and teachable in our relations with others.
God uses parents to speak to children. God used Mary to speak to Jesus when He was a child and an adult. God also uses authority figures to speak to us. As you pray for guidance, be sure to listen to the voices of others around you. You obviously can’t listen to everyone, because they aren’t saying the same thing. But you can listen for those times when someone is saying something to you that God confirms in your heart is from Him.
God speaks to us today. Seek Him daily in His Word and through prayer. As you do, ask Him to speak to you as you examine your heart and keep it pure before Him. Be sensitive to His voice in the five areas we have discussed. It won’t take you long to begin to hear Him and personally witness the difference His voice makes in your life.
