3 Simple and Straightforward Ways God Speaks to You
Wouldn’t it be so much easier to have faith in God if He spoke to us with a loud voice that boomed from a cloud each time we prayed to Him? Even though God probably doesn’t speak to you with an audible voice, you can learn to recognize Him. Here are 3 simple and straightforward ways God speaks to you.
1. God Speaks to You Through His Word
The Bible is literally God’s Holy Word. When you read the Bible, you are not just reading words written by man, you are reading words that were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Revealing God’s character and His amazing love for us, the scriptures teach us about our inheritance as children of God.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are… -1 John 3:1
Full of previous peoples’ struggles, hardships, and victories, we can learn how to avoid unnecessary negative consequences and how to step into victory. Surprisingly, the conflicts listed throughout the Bible are the very same conflicts in our current world. Moses struggled with a speech impediment and greatly lacked confidence. Heartbreakingly, Joseph was raised in a dysfunctional family, and it resulted in his brothers selling him into slavery. Suffering from infertility, Sarah lacked patience, and her hasty decisions caused great strain on her marriage and devastating consequences for her family. On and on, God speaks to you and me through the stories weaved throughout the Bible providing us with guidance and wisdom.
2. God Speaks to You Through Your Inner Voice
Have you ever said something to someone; and immediately, you have a sinking feeling in your gut, and you think that those words should have never left your mouth? I certainly have experienced that, and I know it was God gently correcting me.
Not only does God correct me through my inner voice, but He also guides me by planting a thought into my mind. While rinsing dishes one day, I suddenly thought of a friend that I hadn’t spoken to in a quite while. I completed my task, called the friend, and learned that she was having a particularly hard day. After encouraging each other, we concluded our chat with a prayer, leaving us both in a much happier mood.
3. God Speaks to You Through Other People
Listening to one of my favorite Christian teachers on a podcast one day, the speaker kept referring to Psalm 37:3.
Trust the Lord and do good.
For some reason, that scripture started to resonate with me, and I began to think of a specific way that I could provide help to someone. A few days later, as I was listening to my pastor, that very same scripture popped up on the overhead screen. I silently prayed, “Okay, God, I get it! When I feel frustrated or overwhelmed, I need to trust you and do whatever good I can do.
…It’s God’s own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! – Acts 10:34 The Message
If God speaks to me through other people; most certainly, God speaks to you through other people. Also, God speaks to you through His Word and your inner voice.
You might be asking yourself, but how do I know if it is really God that is speaking to me? Well, one of the best ways to double-check is to ask yourself: Is the action contrary to what the Bible teaches about God? Jesus said that the number one rule is to love God with all of your heart, and the number two rule is that you should love other people like you love yourself. God will never ask you to place yourself or others in danger. So, if whatever it is that you feel prompted to do honors God and shows love to others and yourself, it probably really is God speaking to you.