Often when I am speaking I will say something like, “I felt the Lord say to me…” AND, just as often as I make that comment I will have someone ask me, “How do you hear God’s voice?”
Let me be very clear…I’ve never heard Him speak audibly to be…I am quite sure I would crap my pants if that happened! BUT…I did want to share four ways that I believe the Lord speaks…at least I know He has used these ways in my life…
#1 - God’s Word
God speaks LOUDLY through His Word…it is living and active (Hebrews 4:12)...and NO ONE that I’ve ever met has screwed up their lives by submitting their lives to the Scriptures.
God’s Word IS God’s will…and I believe more people would hear His voice if they would stop asking Him to say what they want Him to say…and spend some time focusing on what He’s already said!
#2 - God’s Spirit
The Bible is clear that the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside a believe at the moment of salvation. (Jesus talked about this a lot in John 14-16.)
One of the promises we have from God all through the Bible is that He will never leave us. Ezekiel 36:26-27 tells us that His Holy Spirit will literally move us to follow His ways.
#3 - God’s People
I can’t tell you how many times the Lord has used godly Christian friends to get me back on track.
Please understand…I’m NOT talking about people who come up to me with “words from the Lord” and such. (Another post, another time.) I’m talking about men and women who I know love Jesus…seek His heart and listen to Him.
Many times God has used great Christian friends to speak to my heart…and they didn’t even know it! They just happened to say something and the Holy Spirit was like, “Hey man, that was for YOU!!!”
#4 - God’s Church
I remember the first few times I went to church I would listen to the pastor speak and ask, “How did he know I was going to be here? He’s talking about me!!!”
Has that ever happened to you? You were sitting there and began to wonder, “did someone email him and tell him I was coming? He knows WAY too much about me!”
I can honestly say that I believe that happens every Sunday to someone in a church that honors the preaching of God’s Word!
When we show up with a sense of expectation…there is often revelation. And pastors…if we stay faithful to His Word…He will use it to accomplish things in the lives of the people who attend our churches in ways that we could never have imagined.