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God is not silent. God is not withdrawn. He is willing and able, even eager to speak to his children. In fact, it’s hard to imagine an intimate relationship with Christ that does not include regular experiences of hearing his voice.
But where does the still, small voice of God fit into our hectic lives? When do we allow him to lead and guide and correct and affirm? And if this seldom or never happens, how can we lead truly authentic Christian lives? Any way you cut it, a key ingredient in authentic Christianity is time. Not leftover time, not throwaway time, but quality time. Time for contemplation, meditation, and reflection. Unhurried, uninterrupted time. The enemy of spiritual authenticity is busyness. At the crossroads of life, we must make time to slow down and reflect and listen because God will speak.
How does God speak today?
1. Through the Bible
Church leaders, do you come to his word asking Him to speak? Not because you need a compelling nugget for an upcoming devotional at staff meeting. Not because you need inspiration for an upcoming message. But do you come to his Word expecting him to speak… to you?
In 2 Tim. 3:16-17, Paul says these familiar words,
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
That means God is whispering, and sometimes shouting, all through His Word, giving us instructions and principles for life. Are you asking God what’s next for you? What’s next for your family. What’s next for your church? For your marriage? For your own discipleship journey? For you development as a leader? Do you trust that God will speak to you through His word?
2. Through His still small voice
God also speaks through thoughts or impressions he gives us. God spoke the creation into existence through His words (Genesis 1) and sustains all life by His words (Hebrews 1:3). His words create and sustain life. Today, he is still speaking to our hearts in gentle whispers (1 Kings 19:12) that create and sustain life in us and around us. He speaks to comfort us, correct us, and guide us. He speaks because he loves us and wants to be in a conversational relationship with us.
But tuning in to God’s voice is not automatic — we must learn to hear it through effort and experimentation during the course of our normal daily life. I remember talking to brand new Christian who was unaware of the prompting of the Spirit. He said I keep getting this feeling that I’m supposed to give some money to a co-worker who is struggling financially right now, but it just goes against my nature to do something like that. What a privilege I had to introduce him to the still small voice of God through His Holy Spirit.
3. Through our circumstances
This one is the most difficult to interpret because it’s very easy to interpret our circumstances and attribute that interpretation to God. Someone once said, “I know I’m married – but I met this really great woman at work, and she keeps coming across my path – like I’m in the elevator and she’s there and I’m walking out to my car and she’s right there. God knows I’m unhappy in my marriage, and I know God wants me to be happy, so he must be giving me a sign to pursue that woman.” Nope.
Obviously, we must cross-reference what we believe to be “signs from God through our circumstances” against more reliable things like the Bible and the wise counsel of trusted Christian advisors because circumstances are difficult to interpret sometimes.
God often uses circumstances to get our attention. But He will usually confirm it in other ways. Someone once told me he just knew God was telling him it was okay to buy a brand-new car. He’d prayed about it, and circumstances confirmed it: the local car dealership had just the color and model he wanted. But there was one small problem he was neglecting. He couldn’t afford it in his budget. And he ignored other red flags as well. I like to think of circumstantial “signs” from God as lights on a runway when trying to land a plane in the dark. As long as the lights keep lighting up, you can keep landing that decision. But when a few of them go out consecutively, it’s probably time to pull up and try a different runway.
4. Through other people
God may use a friend, a parent, an author, a colleague, a congregation member, or a pastor to convey His message of truth to us. Their words may come as a warning, a blessing, or as a prophetic truth about our lives. Whether we choose to hear it or ignore it, depends on us.
Do their words line up with Scripture? Will God confirm or affirm that truth in us? I’ve heard the voice of God through other people speak numerous times throughout my life. I remember well the time a good friend cautioned that I was flirting with danger having coffee with a toxic person. We’ve all had moments where God spoke through the written words of a wise author. And I’ve heard the voice of God through my own children as their pure and honest words cut clear to my heart and spirit, reminding me of God’s true priorities. God speaks in all these ways, and many more.
What happens when we listen to God?
There are three key things that happen when we pray listening prayers and then obey the voice of God. First, it brings confidence. When we know that God is behind what we’re doing, it brings incredible courage to keep going. Second, it helps us persevere. If you know that God clearly directed you to move in that new direction or start that new initiative, then when opposition comes, when the tough week hits, when you want to quit or give up, you can persevere knowing that God was behind it. Third, it makes us bold. There is nothing wishy washy when God is behind it.
