12 Ways God Speaks to Us, by Neil Thielke

(based on Glad Tidings booklet, Knowing God’s Will)

John 10: 27 “My sheep hear my voice”

Everyone can hear God’s voice and get direction. We have a responsibility to seek direction for ourselves. Another person’s voice is not meant to take the place of the Holy Spirit speaking directly to the believer.

I. Close walk with God (the best way to hear from God)

Deuteronomy 10: 12  “. . . and now oh Israel, what does the Lord require of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you this day for your own good?”

A close walk with God is developed through

• frequent prayer
• reading God’s word daily (Bible)
• witnessing
• fellowship with other believers

II. Godly Motives

Psalm 37: 4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

III. Written Word — Serves as the Boundary Line, Not Our Traditions

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Mark 7:3 “You nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

IV. A Word

1 Samuel 3:21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.

      3 ways God can give us a word:

           A.  A “God-thought” (3 places our thoughts orginate: us, the Lord, and Satan)

1 Kings 19:11, 13 — The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”…

And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

           B.  Something someone says:

Luke 24:32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

           C.  Scripture that seems to  jump off the page

2 Chronicles 34:19-21  When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.”

V. A Fleece

1 Samuel 14:8-12  Jonathan said, “Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them.  But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.”

So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.”

So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”

VI. Godly oversight

Hebrews 13:7  Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

VII. Visions, Dreams – (not dream analysis)

Acts 2:17  ” ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people… your old men will dream dreams.’ “

VIII. Prophecy

1 Corinthians 14:1, 3   Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.  But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement an comfort.

IX. Circumstances

1 Corinthians 16:8-9  But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.

X. Inner witness

Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of God rule* in your hearts”

*The word, “rule,” as it is used here works like a referee blowing a whistle, arbitrating or governing, in our hearts.

from the Greek word #1018 in Strong’s Concordance: 

brabeuo,brab-yoo’-o; from the same as Greek 1017 (brabeion); to arbitrate, i.e. (genitive) to govern (figurative prevail) :- rule.

11. Nothing

When we hear nothing, it usually means keep going in the present direction or re-submit the request. The timing may be later.

Psalm 27:14Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

12. Two or more of the above. In major decisions, God will confirm His word to us with several witnesses.

2 Corinthians 13:1 This will be my third visit to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

 

Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible,
New International Version®, NIV®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™
Used by permission of Zondervan.
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