How do you know if God is talking to you?
John 10:27 - My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me If you're someone who is serious about your relationship with Jesus, the answer to this question is pivotal for wisdom and direction in your life. But let me start by saying that I have never heard an auditory sound from God. And what I mean by auditory is a voice that you would hear from a parent, family member, or friend. In fact, as far as I can remember, every Bible teacher that I have had, would say the same thing. Because of this, John 10:27 come with some real challenges. Let's face it - if God would simply speak to me (in English preferably), that would make is so much easier to follow Him. And yet, Jesus is pointing out that his followers (sheep) that, indeed, we should be able to listen to his voice. But how?
Quickly, let me point out a number of ways (but I'm sure that there are several more).
1. His Word (the Bible). The Bible explains to us that each word we read from it is "God breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16). In other words, each time you open the pages of the Bible, God chooses to communicate to us through His written Word. There have been times in which the Bible clearly spoke to me during a crisis or trial in my life. The words seemed to jump off the page and into my heart. The Bible continues to be the number one way God communicates with His family.
2. Church message. One of the primary reasons that church is so important is that God's Word is proclaimed to us through teaching. As the pastor shares from God's Word, it is profitable for direction and correction. There have been times in which the pastor's message was speaking to my heart just as if Jesus was sitting next to me whispering in my ear like a friend. I leave the message feeling empowered to serve Jesus in a much grandeur way.
3. Holy Spirit. No doubt, the greatest source of communication from God to us is actually - "in us." Jesus said that when he left the earth he would give to us the Holy Spirit. Jesus explained that the Holy Spirit would actually comfort us, teach us, and guide us in all truth and knowledge. Have you ever wondered, like I have, why so many Christians connect so well on so many different levels? It doesn't matter where you live in the world, the color of your skin, your past, what job you do, somehow we all share the same conviction of the Holy Spirit. Because of this, we are bonded together by hearing the same voice of Jesus. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would unify his people. It's amazing to think that we have the actual presence of Jesus in us. And because of this, we can hear his voice while the world misses out.
4. Christian brothers and sisters. If you have invited Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, you now belong to a family. And because of this, we all share one Father. Like any father, God communicates to all of His children via. the Holy Spirit. Did you know that over 60 percent of Apostle Paul's teaching has to do with the church (God's family) communicating with each other? Most of what Paul writes is about "how" we are to speak and communicate to each other. When we do it the proper way, God's voice is heard and He is glorified in the process. When we fail to do it properly, people stray away from God. That's how important it is to have Christian brothers and sisters in our life. That's why we are warned not to forsake gathering together often. The Bible says that as iron sharpens iron - so does one person sharpen another (Proverbs 27:17).
5. Worship. The ultimate moment of hearing God's voice can often be found through music/worship to Him. For thousands of years, the Hebrew children were taught songs of their Savior, reflecting the very nature of God. In fact, over 90 percent of the writings of David were put into music called, the PSALMS. When we sing to God, we do not sing alone. His Holy Spirit cries out with us in harmony. This is why music is such a great gift from God to His children. When I'm feeling distant from God, I often try to sing. There's something about a song that awakes my heart to His voice.
How do you hear the voice of God? Are there other ways that we can hear from Him that you could add?
