God’s Speaking Voice

God does still speak! As we grow to know Him we will hear Him more clearly and gain a “knowing”. We need to His guidance, and need to hear Him so that we can obey Him.

To find His will you must hear Him! See Romans 12:2 to get started. God speaks in many ways, and when we are watching and waiting, He will help us to be sure it is Him when He speaks. When God gives us His Holy Spirit, He gives us a way to discern and know that something was from Him. This “knowing” is a way that we hear His voice.

You can see the possibility of being confused if you are trying to make decisions simply from the Bible alone, you additionally need the Word (Jesus, the Living Word of God) to speak to you. Not only does God speak, but the lies like “God is not going to lead you on this” and various other doubts are the opposite of what is true. The truth is, God speaks much more than we take the time to listen. He that has an ear to hear let Him hear!

God does speak through His word. The scriptures that God leads you to should be timely and apply perfectly to your life. Obey Him in faith and the fruit and results should be good. If He is speaking to you then you should have fruit:

• He has led you out of sin. (1 Jn. 2:4)
• He rebukes and corrects you in love as a parent does for a child. (Heb. 12:5-8)
• He comforts you. (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
• He shows His love for you. (Jn. 14:21)
• He gives guidance on decisions (Rom. 8:4-5)
• He leads you to do difficult things that require great faith and testing. (1 Peter 1:6-7)
• He leads you into wonderful blessings that you never could have planned yourself. (Rom. 8:28)
• He leads you to deny yourself, your own will, your own plans, and anything on earth that you love. (Luke 14:27)
• He causes you to mature and grow where you and others can attest to maturity (think of the rate a tree grows and compare yourself). (2 Peter 3:18)
• He leads you to know Him, and knowing Him means you will not sin against Him. (Jn. 14:15)
• He leads you to glorify Him with your life. To spend your time, body, and life as heavenly currency to buy glory for God on earth and treasure for yourself in heaven. (Jn. 15:8)
• He leads you to grow in the fruit of the Spirit and in godly character. (Gal. 5:22-23)

Matthew 4:4 NKJV
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'”

Proverbs 8:34-35 NIV
Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. [35] For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord.

Job 33:14-16 NKJV
For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. [15] In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, [16] Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction.

Hebrews 1:1-2 NIV
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, [2] but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.

John 12:44-50 NKJV
Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. [45] And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. [46] I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. [47] And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. [48] He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him-the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. [49] For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. [50] And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

Hebrews 12:25 NIV (He STILL speaks!)
See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?

John 16:12-13 NKJV
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. [13] 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.

Matthew 17:5 NIV (an example where the scripture points out an audible voice)
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

John 14:21 NIV
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

John 14:23 NIV
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

John 15:7-8,15 NIV
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. [8] This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. [15] I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

John 10:27-28 NIV
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Philippians 3:15-16 NIV
All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. [16] Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Romans 12:2 NIV
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Ephesians 5:15-20 NIV
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, [16] making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. [17] Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. [18] Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, [19] speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, [20] always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 7:21 NIV. (Trust that He will show you His will, and also help you to do His will. He would not give us a scripture like this and then make it impossible to know His will)
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Romans 8:14 NIV
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

Galatians 5:25 NIV
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

2 Timothy 2:7 NIV
Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

There may be times God will hear you and accept your prayers, and acts for you rather than answer you. You may see this happen as an answer rather than receiving a word from heaven. 

Psalm 34:4,6,17 NIV
[4] I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. [6] This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. [17] The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

Jeremiah 32:8 NKJV
[8] Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said to me, ‘Please buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.

“Hearing” from God is not enough. We show our love for Him by obeying what He says. It would be disobedience if you were to hear Him and did not keep His word. Start off today by praying “I want to do Your will, and I trust that it is the best thing. Now help me to hear You.”

Hebrews 3:7-11,16-19 NIV
So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, [8] do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, [9] where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. [10] That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ [11] So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ” [16] Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? [17] And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? [18] And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? [19] So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

Hebrews 4:2 NIV
For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.

Consider that what He does Not speak to you about is just as important as what He does speak to you about. You may find a strong leading in one area of your life but not another. Discern for yourself what is important from Him.

God had Already spoken to Adam with a command, and He did not speak to Adam and Eve again to stop them from eating the fruit. God often waits and tests us. Similarly when Jesus was tempted He used words that God had already spoken (Matt. 4:1-11) You might be surprised to find that Jesus used scriptures to describe His life to others as it was being fulfilled. It should be the same for us.

Genesis 3:1-6 NIV
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’? ” [2] The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, [3] but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” [4] “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. [5] “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” [6] When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Matthew 4:10-11 NKJV
Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'” [11] Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Much of what God wants to say is in His word. Read it and look for His words to you. Focus on words in Red! Ask Him to confirm it in your daily life.

Revelation 3:19-22 NIV
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. [20] Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. [21] To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. [22] Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Lastly, consider what you read about in the Bible, or in a godly writing or devotional, or what you hear from a godly person. It may be that God had been leading you by His Spirit but you did not perceive it, and now He has confirmed it. Build a watchful and sober attitude, keep praying, and look for His words to you.

Habakkuk 2:1-2a NKJV
I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected. [2] Then the LORD answered me and said: …

Proverbs 8:17 NKJV
I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.

Matthew 7:7-8 NKJV
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. [8] For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Colossians 4:2 TLB
Don’t be weary in prayer; keep at it; watch for God’s answers, and remember to be thankful when they come.

1 Peter 1:22-25 NKJV
Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, [23] having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, [24] because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, [25] But the word of the LORD endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

The voice of God will become the most powerful thing in your life! Even if you never hear an audible word, His voice will become loud and clear in your conscience as you go! (Study the word “voice” in the Bible)

Psalm 29:1-11 NKJV
Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. [2] Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. [3] The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The LORD is over many waters. [4] The voice of the LORD is powerful; The voice of the LORD is full of majesty. [5] The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars, Yes, the LORD splinters the cedars of Lebanon. [6] He makes them also skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox. [7] The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire. [8] The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; The LORD shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. [9] The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth, And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!” [10] The LORD sat enthroned at the Flood, And the LORD sits as King forever. [11] The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.

Job 37:2-5 NKJV
Hear attentively the thunder of His voice, And the rumbling that comes from His mouth. [3] He sends it forth under the whole heaven, His lightning to the ends of the earth. [4] After it a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard. [5] God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend