How does God speak to us? It's a pretty critical part of being a Christian - after all, Christianity IS relationship with God.
People talk about God speaking to them through the Bible, or through wise council from friends. Maybe on occasion God speaks out loud or even through nature. I've heard sermons on "the seven ways to hear God's voice": through scripture, wise council, an audible voice, an angel, dreams and visions, circumstance and thoughts in your head
But if we're supposed to have relationship with God, why is He so mysterious - why do we have to search out His voice. If my wife only ever wrote notes to me, or spoke to me through a mutual friend or something else, we couldn't really have much relationship. Why have we, as Christians, got so misguided about God speaking to us? I think the Bible is clear when it describes God speaking to us.
The "Seven Ways" that God speaks to us aren't wrong - God does speak to us through those. But I think there is a clear mandate from scripture as to how God primarily communicates to those He wants to have meaningful relationships with.
Let's look at a favourite Biblical character of mine - Elijah
In 1 Kings 17 v 1, Elijah proclaims a drought on the land - the Bible doesn't describe how God instructed Elijah to make this command. But in v8, God speaks plainly to Elijah, telling him to go to the Widow in Sidon. In fact, in verse 9, God says "See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you". God must have communicated somehow to this widow to expect a visit from Elijah. It's funny that God commanded her to look after Elijah because she was literally on her last portion of food! Notice too, that Elijah quotes what God has spoken to him (v13) "‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’" God was speaking plainly to Elijah.
Think about the battle between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. How did Elijah know what to do? Did God give him a detailed plan? Elijah didn't read it in scripture - it wasn't written yet. There was no time to talk to friends about this, maybe an angel showed up to explain it, but there's no mention of the angel. It's a great story, but it clearly shows that God was in the business of speaking to his prophets - clearly, plainly. Elijah had this great plan, but did he come up with it himself and God just honoured it - or did God speak His plan to Elijah?
Ok, I know what you're thinking, that's Old Testament and Elijah was a prophet of God - someone God has specifically chosen to speak God's word to the people. It hardly applies to us.
Well, I'm glad you bring that up. Ok then, let's look at some New Testament verses
Mark 13:11 - But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
Luke 2:26 - And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
John 1:33 - I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
John 14:26 - But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
Acts 1:2 - until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,
Acts 13:2 - As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Acts 15:28 - For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things
Acts 16:6 - Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.
Acts 20:23 - except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.
Acts 21:11 - When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”
1 Corinthians 2:13 - These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Hebrews 3:7 - Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice,
Hebrews 10:15a - But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us
2 Peter 1:21 - for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
How is that for a list of verses? How can you read all of these verses and not see that the Holy Spirit speaks to us. Look at John 1:33, Acts 13:2 and Acts 21:11, they contain quotes of what the Holy Spirit was saying. To quote someone, that someone must have said what you are quoting.
Are you still not convinced? Well, I've left the best verses until now. In John 16:5-15 Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit and His work. Verse 13 is the crux of the whole matter "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." You can't read that and not see that the Holy Spirit speaks.
In 1 Corinthians 6:3, How could Paul know "that we shall judge angels"? Where is that in scripture? I could go on listing verses that show information revealed to Paul or Peter or John that could only have been delivered through conversation with God.
So let me talk you through how it works - from my understanding.
God is Spirit - and we have a spirit, soul and body. God can speak to your body - that's Him speaking audibly. But usually, He speaks to us in our soul - more specifically, our thoughts. God drops into my spirit an impression; but my conscious mind cannot work with a spiritual impression, so it forms it into a thought. You get an impression about something and you think it through. But you have to recognise it, and it's source, and then choose to obey it. Like any thought in your head, you can just ignore it. After all, it's always a still small voice, quite; easy to ignore. And in fact, most times I miss it. But I'm learning to listen for and to that voice. And it comes all the time, throughout the day, guiding me, instructing me. It's patient, consistent, but too gentle to be insistent. "follow me because you want to" not "follow me because I use a loud voice".
Remember Elijah, in 1 Kings 19:11-18 God reveals Himself to Elijah. "And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice" or "a delicate whispering voice"
Of course there may be other thoughts in your head - you have to learn to recognise it. It might just be the voice of your mother or father, things you remember them saying when they raised you. It might be thoughts from our enemy trying to distract you. It might even be your own thoughts. But I hear Him clearer after I ask Him to speak to me.
Occasionally He reveals stuff to me that isn't instructions or guidance; sometimes He's just talking to me - we're supposed to have a relationship, why wouldn't He want to chat?
Let me walk you through an example: I'm sitting down, trying to fix something on a computer - that's my job. A message pops up saying "If you do this, some files will get deleted". Fairly typical warning in my line of work. Then, for no reason I get the impression to backup those files, and I think to myself "Shall I back up those file? Nah, it doesn’t matter everything is stored in the cloud anyway" and so I click proceed on that popup and inadvertently delete some important emails for my boss. Whoops!
Then I think to myself, "why didn't I listen to that thought to back up"? And I realise God was speaking to me, trying to save me from an embarrassing situation, but instead I blundered right into it. And then I try to blame God, "Why didn't you scream at me? Why didn't you sound the foghorn, or write it in the sky?" But He did warn me, and I heard it. I just was too busy thinking that I know what I'm doing and not listening for the voice. It's always that still small voice.
Now, I don't think God is necessarily going to tell me which breakfast to have in the morning, or which tie to wear. But He might! Sometimes He tells me to drive a different way to the motorway, and maybe I avoid traffic or maybe not, you never can tell. But maybe He's just checking to see if I'm listening.