.

[Albion]

Is this belief that God has not directly communicated with us since Christ's day a denominational teaching or just an individual belief?

It looked like it was a Presbyterian thing but I see an Anglican with the same view...

The question was whether God communicates with us "AUDIBLY."

Unfortunately, the poll choice gave a different wording that could be interpreted as meaning that God does or may communicate in an inaudible way...through inspiration, for example.

 

[Albion]

I haven't heard God speak audibly, but I think I've heard others say that they have.

And He indeed may. However, the question asked here puts it as though it's routine or commonplace. We cannot agree to that, nor is there any reason automatically to believe every person who says he carries on audible conversations with God.

While God has spoken, audibly, to people, it's not standard for him and not something that should be considered a supplement to the Bible...or so much to be expected that it causes people to ask what's wrong after they've prayed and not heard God answer them orally.

 

[Albion]

And regardless, He still talks to His peeps.
You may not 'think' so, but that's not going to change it
"My sheep hear my voice..."

If "voice" is to be taken in a strictly literal sense, I see no reason not to think that "sheep" is to be taken in the same way. Ergo, maybe sheep in the pasture hear the actual voice of God (in some human language or lots of "baahhs" perhaps?), OR ELSE, by "sheep" is meant people, and by "voice" is meant insight or wisdom or understanding or inspiration, etc.

 

[Arsenios]

Hebrews 1:1-2a
Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son.

Interesting that none of that makes direct personal communication from God typical for any age of God's people - God has always used agents.

So what then do you do with Acts 9:10-17?

And especially 10
And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias;
and to him said the Lord in a vision, "Ananias."
And he said, "Behold, I am here, Lord."

Sounds like a conversation to me...

A very noetic conversation, unquestionably...

But a conversation nonetheless...

Perhaps 'typical' is your issue...

Conversation with God is rare and precious among people...

But not all that rare with those who have such conversation...

Arsenios

 

[vinsight4u]

/

 

[Arsenios]

A couple of Greek kids, 18 year olds, went to Mt. Athos on a pilgrimage to meet a holy elder, and they were floundering about asking anyone they could where they might find one... So after two days, one of the monks told them to climb half-way up a mountain and find the hut of an elder on the edge of a clearing, and off they went - 18 year old enthousiasm is sometimes hard to bear, and should never go unpunished! So they came bounding up the mountain and burst forth onto the meadow and across it on the other edge was a stone hut, and an old man was sitting outside weaving mats to sell for bread, and they came gangling over to him, and he greeted each of them by name, and one of them fell at his feet and said, "Holy Father, your Blessing!"

He looked at the kid, and said: "Why are you calling me holy?"

And the kid said, "Because you knew both our names, and you have never met us, and we have not said our names since we arrived on the island."

And the elder replied: "Because a demon tells me your names, do you really think that this make me holy???"

And they ate with the elder, and departed edified...

Arsenios

 

[vinsight4u]

/

 

[imstillstanding]

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Matthew 7:24.
It's pretty clear here that God speaks to us audibly.

 

[sunlover1]

And He indeed may. However, the question asked here puts it as though it's routine or commonplace. We cannot agree to that, nor is there any reason automatically to believe every person who says he carries on audible conversations with God.

While God has spoken, audibly, to people, it's not standard for him and not something that should be considered a supplement to the Bible...or so much to be expected that it causes people to ask what's wrong after they've prayed and not heard God answer them orally.

Greetings Albion!
TBH, I truly believe that while God continues to speak to His children, they are afraid to believe that it's His Voice that they hear. I do it myself sometimes and later kick myself for it, when things come to light, or sometimes just smile....
Example. I remember one time God told me that the meat man was stopping over. Well, the "meat man" is someone that I
had worked for years ago and rarely does he stop by. Maybe a few times a year at that point. ANyhow, I heard God say that this guy was coming over. I heard it and it registered and then in a bit the guy was there.
It's like that all the time. He leads us non stop, speaks to us 24/7 and what's REALLY neat is when you pray for someone and God speaks THROUGH you as prophesy! The person especially if it's someone who's name you don't even know, and here you are speaking to them from the Spirit, and they're weeping because it's ONLY stuff God could know!
Yeah, I do believe that many are too afraid to walk in faith and in the Spirit to tap into what He's doing sometimes. It's safer to sit in the balcony and watch and say HMMMM

 

[Kenny'sID]

The word "talk" as well as voice can be misleading.

God "talks" to us, we hear his "voice".

However His voice is very rarely an audible voice.

It is an inward "voice" from the spirit of a born again person (rom 10:9) where the Holy Spirit dwells.

Many times more like a thought or impulse. One can recognize with practice if the thought/impulse/"voice" was from the head or from the spirit.

After reading most of the thread, I'd say that pretty well covers it, and I know the OP is about prayer, but we have to determine if God even communicates and how in order to answer the question... I should add right off, God has never once spoken to me audibly, in prayer or otherwise.

If we ever wonder why God won't talk to us, doesn't he like me? or something along those lines...it could very well be he is a lot closer to us than if we were talking to an individual as we do all the time, I mean a human friend, but we can't see him because he's right there under our nose. It makes perfect sense the voice of God is right there with us as the Holy Spirit and much closer to us than normal conversation with humans. If we don't recognize it and it would be easy not to, it may well be we are not seeing the forest for the trees.

Audible voice of God? Just personal opinion on possibilities, I think that is possible for whatever reason, like if God wants to make a point and make it absolutely clear it wasn't something we dreamed up (was it God or my imagination?) but I don't think it happens often at all...I don't think. If I heard some TV preacher say they heard the actual voice of God, or that God told them anything in any way, I'd take it with a grain of salt, all depending on who it was. On the other hand, it would make perfect sense that the type of people God is most likely to talk to are the ones that won't make it public so, it may happen often, but we don't know about it.

When ever I try to have a two way conversation with God in my mind, converse with the Holy Spirit or however it works, I start thinking it's me that's answering me and kind of back off because I just don't know if that is a fact or not. So I either don't have enough faith, or am just not understanding something about how it all works. If anyone were to tell me oh, you just don't get it, I'm very liable to think, these people are just talking to themselves too but don't bother to question if they are or not.

Maybe some day I'll get it or understyand it better, but apparently I'm not the only one who doesn't as I haven't heard a lot about solid unquestionable two way conversations between God and self being the norm.

 

[vinsight4u]

/

 

[jimmyjimmy]

You seemed to have changed what I said in my post - teach
to preach.

If I have, it was unintentional.

 

[swordsman1]

God does not speak to us through voices in our minds, or subjective feelings. In fact God tells us it is foolish to trust our feelings:

Prov. 28.26 "those who trusts his own heart is a fool."​

Today He speaks to us primarily through his word which is living and active.

Heb 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword"​

God speaking to us through the bible is a personal and powerful experience. When the writer to the Hebrews quoted the Old Testament he did so in the present tense. eg "This is what the Holy Spirit says:" (Heb 3:7). See also Heb 1:6,7,8, 2:12, 4:7. It's not just that God has spoken, but that he is speaking. He continues to speak. The words that were written thousands of years ago continue to speak to us today.

In the past God spoke to his people through prophets. But today he speaks to us through the teachings of his Son:

Heb 1:1 "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son". ​

Christ speaks to us not only through his own recorded words but also via his appointed spokesmen, the apostles:

2 Peter 3:2 "I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles."​

1 Cor 14:37 "what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command"​

Paul said that the scriptures are sufficient for all our needs:

2 Tim 3:16-17 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
​

It is therefore folly to seek God's voice outside of the bible.

 

[Don Maurer]

Because I do not believe it is "scriptural". God's revelation ended with the completion of the cannon of scripture.

Concerning the cannon of scripture...... I agree that the protestant doctrine of sola scriptura, and a closed Cannon would not allow for any other inerrant/infallible authority other than the scripture.

Concerning your statement that your view is scriptural....... I would agree that 2Tim 3:17 states that the scripture alone will make "the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work." If the scriptures "furnishes" me "completely" and makes me "complete" and ready for "every good work." Such a text could be used to defend the absolute sufficiency of scripture since Paul uses terms like "complete."

I regard the Bible as a special book, alone in its absolute authority for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness.

 

[sunlover1]

Concerning the cannon of scripture...... I agree that the protestant doctrine of sola scriptura, and a closed Cannon would not allow for any other inerrant/infallible authority other than the scripture.


Concerning your statement that you view is scriptural....... I would agree that 2Tim 3:17 states that the scripture alone will make "the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work." If the scriptures "furnishes" me "completely" and makes me "complete" and ready for "every good work." Such a text could be used to defend the absolute sufficiency of scripture since Paul uses terms like "complete."

I regard the Bible as a special book, alone in its absolute authority for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness.

Unfortunately, I can't ask Scripture (God's written Word) which church to attend in the new town Im moving to.
And Scritpure can't give me an "UNCTION" about how to pray for the teen who won't open up about what
she's been weeping about all weekend.
I'm kind of surprised that people want to use God's word ,,
which is actually made up of words that He spoke and men
then wrote down, to say He doesn't speak to His people.
I think it's kind of a given myself.
God would never tell man to do something that's not in line with scripture,
but sometimes He needs to give us personal/individual instructions.
Just like He did with King David or Abraham or Paul et al.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

As scripture plainly forbids such a thing, I have no further questions about these voices. Thanks for taking the time to explain.

Do you see that your skeptical, unbelieving spirit has shut you out from hearing beautiful testimony of God's wonderful working in this sisters life? You were looking for your reason not believe and thought you had found it but nowhere did she say she was to be an ordained pastor but merely to preach/teach those around her. Isn't that what we are all supposed to be doing? You know, go ye into all the world preaching the gospel? How easily you dismiss God's revelation of His power....

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

After reading most of the thread, I'd say that pretty well covers it, and I know the OP is about prayer, but we have to determine if God even communicates and how in order to answer the question... I should add right off, God has never once spoken to me audibly, in prayer or otherwise.

If we ever wonder why God won't talk to us, doesn't he like me? or something along those lines...it could very well be he is a lot closer to us than if we were talking to an individual as we do all the time, I mean a human friend, but we can't see him because he's right there under our nose. It makes perfect sense the voice of God is right there with us as the Holy Spirit and much closer to us than normal conversation with humans. If we don't recognize it and it would be easy not to, it may well be we are not seeing the forest for the trees.

Audible voice of God? Just personal opinion on possibilities, I think that is possible for whatever reason, like if God wants to make a point and make it absolutely clear it wasn't something we dreamed up (was it God or my imagination?) but I don't think it happens often at all...I don't think. If I heard some TV preacher say they heard the actual voice of God, or that God told them anything in any way, I'd take it with a grain of salt, all depending on who it was. On the other hand, it would make perfect sense that the type of people God is most likely to talk to are the ones that won't make it public so, it may happen often, but we don't know about it.

When ever I try to have a two way conversation with God in my mind, converse with the Holy Spirit or however it works, I start thinking it's me that's answering me and kind of back off because I just don't know if that is a fact or not. So I either don't have enough faith, or am just not understanding something about how it all works. If anyone were to tell me oh, you just don't get it, I'm very liable to think, these people are just talking to themselves too but don't bother to question if they are or not.

Maybe some day I'll get it or understyand it better, but apparently I'm not the only one who doesn't as I haven't heard a lot about solid unquestionable two way conversations between God and self being the norm.

God promised all of us believers different gifts so we shouldn't all expect to manifest God's gift in us the same as someone else.... if He promised some the gift of prophesy, do you not think He would have to personally communicate this? Me thinks so....

 

[Don Maurer]

Unfortunately, I can't ask Scripture (God's written Word) which church to attend in the new town Im moving to.

I could never choose a church without first consulting the scriptures and considering if a prospective church has a biblical world view and doctrinal position for me to become a member. I must admit surprise here. Does the scriptures really mean so little to you that you would not consult biblical doctrine to see if it matches a church that you would attend?

And Scritpure can't give me an "UNCTION" about how to pray for the teen who won't open up about what she's been weeping about all weekend.

I John 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
Of course Scripture cannot give an unction, that is a function of the Holy Spirit, or "Holy One." However, if you are a Christian, you already have an unction from the Spirit. All Christians do.

I'm kind of surprised that people want to use God's word ,,
which is actually made up of words that He spoke and men
then wrote down, to say He doesn't speak to His people.
I think it's kind of a given myself.
God would never tell man to do something that's not in line with scripture,
but sometimes He needs to give us personal/individual instructions.
Just like He did with King David or Abraham or Paul et al.

I see some views of yours here that show that we are very very far apart. We would not even agree on the nature of scriptures. I would not see the bible itself as some sort of little "personal/individual instruction." That would be to rob the Bible of its majesty and wonder. The Bible is not about us, but about Christ.
Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Notice how Moses and the prophets was about Christ. The passages with David and Abraham are not little "personal/individual instructions to guide them what Church to choose, those passages are about Christ.

Certainly the scriptures mentions the nature of man in original sin, our need for the gospel. It speaks of the gift of faith, and many other aspects of mankind in passing. Mankind is in the scriptures only to show the work of Christ. The scriptures reveal Christ, and the NT is even through Christ (Heb 1:1-2).

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Do you see that your skeptical, unbelieving spirit has shut you out from hearing beautiful testimony of God's wonderful working in this sisters life? You were looking for your reason not believe and thought you had found it but nowhere did she say she was to be an ordained pastor but merely to preach/teach those around her. Isn't that what we are all supposed to be doing? You know, go ye into all the world preaching the gospel? How easily you dismiss God's revelation of His power....

Several times, she mentioned a "calling" and that others confirmed it. Where I come from that's the language used only for those called to pastoral ministry.

God works mainly through the ordinary things of life. Sensationalism acts mostly to cause problems, and ruins the faith of many.

 

[Tree of Life]

The idea the God talks back to us when we pray has become so accepted that it's difficult to challenge, but is it true or a cliché?

True prayer should be a response to the word of God so there is a dialogical sense to it. God is always the first speaker in true prayer. We talk back to him.