How Does God Speak To Us?

Does God still speak today – and how does God speak?

If you expect God to speak to you, how do you expect Him to speak? Should He speak to you through visions, dreams or in an audible voice? Perhaps you are going through a challenge or a problem in your life and you’re looking for answers. Perhaps you have difficulties in making the right choices in life and you seem to be failing to hear God’s voice.

Below is an outline of various different ways in which God speaks to us today

1. God Speaks Through The Bible (His Word)
The Bible is one of God’s effective methods of communication. God speaks to His people through His word which was written by the inspiration of His Spirit. The Bible contains answers and solutions for every social, spiritual, political, economic and life situation. In the scriptures we find the mind and thoughts of God. We also discover the nature and character of God and the love that He has for you and for mankind.
Therefore if you seek answers and if you seek to hear from God, then you need to take the time to read His infallible word and without a doubt, you will find godly solutions.
2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV – All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2. God Speaks Through Christ
There was a time, especially in the Old Testament period, before Jesus came to the world, when God spoke to people through prophets or priests. The prophet or priest would stand as a mediator between God and the people.
However, because of the finished work of Christ Jesus, God does not need to speak to us through a prophet or priest. God speaks directly to us through His begotten Son Jesus, who is the only Mediator between God and man.
Hebrews 1:1-2 – Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world.

John 14:23-24 NKJV – Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.  24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.”

1 Timothy 2:5 NKJV – For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus

3. God Speaks Through The Holy Spirit
One of the main purposes of the Holy Spirit is to GUIDE you into all truth. Therefore through the Holy Spirit, God will guide you so that you are not led astray and so that you walk in God’s will and plan for your life.

John 16:13-14 NKJV – However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

Romans 8:15-17 NKJV – For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out,”Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

4. God Speaks Through His Creation
There are skeptics and atheists who do not believe in God. They claim that there is no physical evidence of God. Yet everything in life has a creator / inventor / builder.
God’s word says that even atheists are without excuse in relation to God’s existence because the very nature and attributes of God are communicated through the things God has made.
Even atheists agree with Christians that the universe had a beginning. However, skeptics & atheists will not acknowledge that God is the cause of the universe.
However, if we study creation itself, we will discover that the universe exists as a result of the hand and work of Someone far greater and more intelligent than we can ever imagine.

Romans 1:20 NKJV – For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse

5. God Speaks Through Other Believers
At times, God can use a friend, a pastor, a believer or even a total stranger to speak to you. The person God uses will speak directly into your situation. Perhaps you happened to attend church one Sunday and on that day the pastor preaches on the very issue that you are facing in your life.  Or perhaps even this particular blog article itself could be an instrument that God is using to speak to you about specific issues in relation to how God communicates.
Therefore God is able to use other people to communicate with you His message for a specific situation or issue in your life.
The key thing about this type of communication is that it must always be tested and verified against the Bible. Because of the rise of false teachers and false prophets, whatever is communicated to you as advice or counsel by a pastor, friend, believer etc must be verified and aligned with scripture and properly interpreted. We should therefore take the example of the Bereans who after hearing the word from Paul and Silas, examined & verified the scriptures themselves to understand if what they were hearing was really true or not.

Acts 17:10-12 NKJV – Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

6. God Speaks In Prayer
As you are praying God can speak to your mind and your spirit. The Holy Spirit may give you specific guidance on your issue and lead you. Your ability to know if it is God truly speaking to your mind and spirit depends on how deep your relationship with God is. However, whatever communication you believe to have received in prayer must again be verified and tested with scripture in order to avoid walking in deception. God will never tell you to do anything that is contrary to His word.
Even our personal feelings, opinions & perceptions must not be mistaken as being from God because feelings and opinions cannot always be trusted. We must take captive every thought & feeling and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians  10:5).

Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV – ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Rejoice always, 17  pray without ceasing, 18  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus

So does God still speak to us today? Yes He does.