God's voice? How do you hear Him speak?

[Blessed2003]

I have been a Christian for about 7 years now, I have been in church all of my life. I was brought up in a very conservitive church being told that miracles ceased to exist when the apotsles died, and that God only speaks to us through His word. I am skeptical. I have heard the voice of God, but I was also going through a tramatic time in my life, and by no means am I a "good" Christian, I struggle. I AM A SINNER, and I know it, I struggle to do what God wants me to do, and am confused with the role of God and Jesus, and my own role. I want feedback from others who have been there. Also, is salvation as simple as trusting God to save you through Jesus, because (lately) It feels like I may have "gone too far." Thank you-
B

 

[Karl - Liberal Backslider]

It is that simple. It's also more complex and difficult than anyone can imagine. Fortunately, God can do anything, so the difficulty is not an insurmountable barrier.

You seem to be concerned that because you are "a sinner" God doesn't accept you. Nothing could be further from the truth - Jesus said He wasn't interested in good people (or perhaps we should say people who thought they were good). He's interested in you. And me, fortunately.

As for hearing God speak - even an old liberal like me will say that He speaks through Scripture. He also speaks through others, and through our own reason. He speaks through church rituals. He can speak through anything.

But, and this is important, most of the time He seems to be silent. You may look back and realise He wasn't, but at the time, He often appears to be. The concept of the Dark Night of the Soul as written of by St John of the Cross is all to rarely addressed these days. C S Lewis has a good section on it in Screwtape, but I digress.

Hang in there. Don't worry about it. Fitting us for eternity is fortunately God's job, not ours.

 

[angeljan]

God is merciful and forgiving first and foremost , but he is also just, so ask God to forgive you and he will.

HOW.?

OBEDIENCE, is faith in action. Obedience is the fruit of faith. Obedience is practical righteousness. It is speaking the truth and doing good works.

Obedience is following in the footsteps of the Almighty and His Son. Obedience is the visible expression of our love for the Most High.

Obedience is the best and, perhaps, the only tangible evidence that our faith is alive. Obedience is living faith! Without obedience all professions of faith are nothing but self-deluding presumption; because where there is no obedience there really is no faith.

It is up to us, God gave us Free will , its our choice to follow him or not.!


Angel Jan


Go to church and take commuion and ask God to forgive, and make effort in not repeating the same offenses against God.

 

[Blessed2003]

Thank you for sharing your thought. Wise answers that do help-
B

 

[emerald Dragon]

While we as humans are not perfect, we must strive to do our best to follow God's laws. We will not be judged by the number of good works we do, but by what is in our hearts. In other words, if we just try our best, and seek God in our need, to help us, He will bless us and be eternally merciful. If you believe in God and all that Christ has done for you, the majority of the mission is done. All you have to do is ask forgiveness of God, and try your best to not do this again. And don't think that you are alone in your feelings. Lately I have been feeling that I am pushing myself from God by sinning, and I feel like a disgusting vermin not fit to be forgiven-but I know God will forgive me if I repent.

God Bless you, and may he provide you with the strngth and guidance needed.
Emerald Dragon

 

[CyNix]

To answer the question in the title "God's voice? How do you hear Him speak?", I hear him in a few different ways. Sometimes through His word, sometimes in what a pastor will say. But my favorite way is when he speaks directly to me. It is like a soft, but commanding voice in my mind. I know it is not me, or anything else because it is often contrary to my own will, or what I think is right by me.

 

[emerald Dragon]

Listen to the Still,Small voice of His Spirit. It will be difficult to hear at times, but listen, and it will never lead you astray.

God Bless,
Emerald Dragon

 

[Blessed2003]

Thanks, That is exactly what I thought, I just needed it confirmed. It was a still, small voice that was inside me, but I knew it was not me taking to me. I long to hear God every day but sometimes He is silent. I think maybe because the Christian life is based on a faith relationship with God, and that requires searching for things that can not be seen or heard sometimes. Thanks. God also speaks to us through others, and His word and in different ways. God is GOOD, Praise His name forever and always-
B

 

[Krystina661]

Thanks, That is exactly what I thought, I just needed it confirmed. It was a still, small voice that was inside me, but I knew it was not me taking to me. I long to hear God every day but sometimes He is silent. I think maybe because the Christian life is based on a faith relationship with God, and that requires searching for things that can not be seen or heard sometimes. Thanks. God also speaks to us through others, and His word and in different ways. God is GOOD, Praise His name forever and always-
B

 

[StuckRags]

The OP was a good question and it hasn't yet been answered in a way that I can understand. So if y'all could please bear with me, I would like this explained further.

The phrase "still, small voice" has become somewhat cliche, and thereby meaningless to me. Is there another way you can describe it?

 

[Blessed2003]

The only way I know how to describe it is to tell you the first time I "recognized" it.
I was up late on night painting a house and (me and my husband) and I got tired and decided to lay down. Usually my mind is constantly running. It seems I can never have a moment of peace! For reasons beyond my comprehension this night I was a blank. I had lost my dad about 3 years prior and had some major life changes. Needless to say I "strayed" and at this point was begging God to come back to me, and had been for some time to no avail it seemed. I wanted so badly to "get back" to where I had fallen from because of misery, and a few bad choices. Anyway, I was lying there my mind completely blank! (for once) when I heard, not in a voice with my "ears" but inside me. It seemed to be me thinking, but I knew it was not because why would I tell my self this, "my name, I have a special purpose for your life, and you are not living it, I will prune you from my vine if you do not make some changes," then I heard "Now is the time for the harvest," Now, I could not believe it at first, because I did not believe God spoke like that anymore, but I prayed about it and read scripture to make sure it was not something out of line with His Word, and it was not, it was a warning, that I heeded! Anyway, read examples of how God spoke in the O.T.
Read ISamuel 3:2ff as an example also read I Kings 19:11-13 that is a good explanation of how we would imagine God speaking to us, and how He really does! I hope I helped you- May God speak to you and Bless you (all)
B

 

[Krystina661]

I've never heard anything..

 

[Blessed2003]

Don't worry, I am 28 and I only have a couple times, and if you don't then God will speak to you in other ways. We are all loved and viewed the same by God, but we all have different purposes in life, and individual relationships with Him. If He never speaks to you the way He did to me that in no way means i am closer with Him. It just means He chooses to speak in different ways to you, or maybe He just hasn't YET. He is never late, and never wrong, pray about it and ask Him to speak to you, but ask Him for His will too. He knows what's best, maybe there is a reason. Maybe you're like me always thinking, and if He did speak maybe you would not know it, maybe He already has. When He has something to say you will know it, God would not let you "miss out" if you had to know- Be patient- I must confess, I don't hear Him at will, or haven't in a while, I long to hear Him everyday, but that must not be His will. Remember faith is what we can not see or feel or touch, we just believe. God loves you, keep seeking, keep knocking, you will find!
Love in Christ-
B

 

[emerald Dragon]

To me, it can be like a thought that you had, but it will have a feeling of the Holy GHost attached to it. It resonates inside you, so that you can barely hear it, like a child wispering in a huge warehouse. You have to strain to hear it. It is truly wonderous to hear it though.

God Bless,
Emerald Dragon

 

[emerald Dragon]

God will speak to you in a way that you will hear. He will not always use the same method, but it will always be in a manner that you will be able to hear and comprehend.

God bless,
Emerald Dragon

 

[Blessed2003]

AMEN to that, Emerald Dragon.
B

 

[HomeBound]

I agree with all these responses that it is a small internal voice (at first)

With me, all I heard was my name, it wasn't a scary voice, but my fear of what it could be, and my analytical mind trying to figure out what it could be physically, made it go away.

You have to really go within yourself to hear it. Keep in mind that the Kingdom is within you. And that you are worthy (or Jesus wouldn't have come)

I believe the best time is when you are laying in bed, face up, no distractions (at first at least)

This curiousity you have is such a blessing. Don't let it rest. and don't believe the hype. God has not stopped talking to us. We just forgot how to listen.

I hope this helps.

 

[HomeBound]

The only way I know how to describe it is to tell you the first time I "recognized" it.
I was up late on night painting a house and (me and my husband) and I got tired and decided to lay down. Usually my mind is constantly running. It seems I can never have a moment of peace! For reasons beyond my comprehension this night I was a blank. I had lost my dad about 3 years prior and had some major life changes. Needless to say I "strayed" and at this point was begging God to come back to me, and had been for some time to no avail it seemed. I wanted so badly to "get back" to where I had fallen from because of misery, and a few bad choices. Anyway, I was lying there my mind completely blank! (for once) when I heard, not in a voice with my "ears" but inside me. It seemed to be me thinking, but I knew it was not because why would I tell my self this, "my name, I have a special purpose for your life, and you are not living it, I will prune you from my vine if you do not make some changes," then I heard "Now is the time for the harvest," Now, I could not believe it at first, because I did not believe God spoke like that anymore, but I prayed about it and read scripture to make sure it was not something out of line with His Word, and it was not, it was a warning, that I heeded! Anyway, read examples of how God spoke in the O.T.
Read ISamuel 3:2ff as an example also read I Kings 19:11-13 that is a good explanation of how we would imagine God speaking to us, and how He really does! I hope I helped you- May God speak to you and Bless you (all)
B

That's excellent !

 

[scraparcs]

It is also prudent to use discernment when listening to that still, small voice. For many years, I thought that I heard that voice speaking to me at times. The end result was losing all faith in God.

Now that that time has passed, I no longer hear God speaking to me directly. No longer do I consider it a deficit of faith; rather, I have been given enough discernment to know that I cannot hear God directly at this point.

Slightly aside, I believe that God can also speak through the sacraments. However, I have never been a part of a sacramental congregation. How does God speak through the sacraments?

 

[Karl - Liberal Backslider]

Lel - a girl after my own heart...

God most definitely does speak through the sacraments, and I have to say I haven't looked back since I moved from charismatic to sacramental worship. But what God says to us through them is hard to put into words - that's why He puts it into bread and wine, and water, and ritual.

Was it Betjeman who wrote that "God was man in Palestine/And lives today in Bread and Wine"