Hearing God

[Grace2022]

I was listening to a history programme about Joan of Arc. It made me wonder, does anyone truly hear the voice of God?

When I experienced the Holy Spirit, I sensed and felt He was telling me 'i am with you always'. I did not hear with my physical ears any voice nor ever have done. When I get answers to prayers, I find God has solved my problem for me in amazing ways, but not verbally.
When I have seen TV Evangelists who talk freely of God speaking to them, I take a dim view!

Of course mental illness is often manifested by hearing voices, yet that would be about doing bad things I assume.

What about genuine cases where true Christians have had their life transformed through hearing the voice of God? Famous excellent people who maintain God spoke. Many characters in the Bible included.

 

[com7fy8]

Famous excellent people who maintain God spoke.

Yes, I would say God has really famous people, while there are others who humans have made to be famous.

A very famous person would be someone who comes to encourage you when you are in trouble. That person has not been just a distant out-of-reach idol, but certainly will be famous . . . for you.

You can be the famous person who shows up to be a good example of how to love, so someone can learn how to love. A big-name person on TV might not be able to do this.

Jesus was famous in Heaven, but He came here in Person where He wasn't so famous.

Anyone who is specially blessed by God is our example to follow, trusting that God wants us also to be so blessed. So, it is possible that if God speaks personally to an obedient person who is great in fame, this is our example, how God also would please to speak personally to each of us. But we need to be obedient with ability to hear and to know His voice from what is not His voice.

And He has said so much good, already, through the Scriptures. So, why would someone just hope for God to whisper some one item in his or her ear? You can read and feed on all the good which is in God's word, and know this is what He is saying to you

And then, in practical matters, of ministry and other life, He will communicate personally about all He is committed to doing with you personally. But the communication might not come in words. This can get interesting, to say the least

Remember that our Father is about family. So, He does have family caring and sharing, using our brothers and sisters to help us, by their talking with us and their example that can speak louder than words.

 

[sandman]

I was listening to a history programme about Joan of Arc. It made me wonder, does anyone truly hear the voice of God?

When I experienced the Holy Spirit, I sensed and felt He was telling me 'i am with you always'. I did not hear with my physical ears any voice nor ever have done. When I get answers to prayers, I find God has solved my problem for me in amazing ways, but not verbally.
When I have seen TV Evangelists who talk freely of God speaking to them, I take a dim view!

Of course mental illness is often manifested by hearing voices, yet that would be about doing bad things I assume.

What about genuine cases where true Christians have had their life transformed through hearing the voice of God? Famous excellent people who maintain God spoke. Many characters in the Bible included.

I agree ….

When someone says “God told me” I always listen closely to determine if it lines up with the Word.

When someone says “God told me to tell you” ….I walk away….because…. unless I am totally in left field (out of fellowship) God will tell me first…not someone else.

Typically it is that still small voice I hear (the spirit of God) but I have had a few times when it has been audible (and necessary to be audible) because, I was not listening to that still small voice and the situation was critical. For clarification: When I say audible, I don't know if anyone else could hear. At the times it happened, I was either alone or didn't have time to check with anyone. I guess I would best describe it as the difference between someone whispering and someone YELLING in your ear.


As far as preachers I can’t tell you what they hear …but like yourself, I take a dim view …and a step back and evaluate the situation.

Does it line up with the Word?……… and who is getting the glory? If the glory is going to God ….Fantastic! ……..if it is going to man (the preacher)….. in the words of the terminator “Hasta la vista, baby”.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

St Teresa of Avila wrote that God speaks to us in the debts of our souls, it's where he speaks to us best.

In other words, God doesn't speak to us in an audible voice, it would end up being a distraction more than a message that we'll contemplate and grow with.

 

[Grace2022]

St Teresa of Avila wrote that God speaks to us in the debts of our souls, it's where he speaks to us best.

In other words, God doesn't speak to us in an audible voice, it would end up being a distraction more than a message that we'll contemplate and grow with.

Hi
exactly. That is how I see it. God's voice is not as our voices. He communicates in many ways. We have to be alert and open to listen.
I pray, then find myself guided and I realise it is entirely my choice to follow the guidance. As Jesus said, His sheep know His voice and they follow Him. He is the great Shepherd. His sheep will be lost without Him. So He takes care of us. It is just so wonderful that we are never alone unless we choose to be.

 

[Francis Drake]

Of course God speaks to his children.
The fact that few hear his voice is largely down to unbelief, an unbelief largely cause by pastors and teachers who insist that God no longer speaks.

I'm 70 now, but I first heard the Lord speak to me in my early teens, however, I never heard the gospel preached till my mid 20s and only then did I commit my life to him.

Since that time, I have heard the Lord speak countless times and countless different subjects. The idea of a silent God is an appalling concept.

 

[Hazelelponi]

...

 

[Francis Drake]

If an earthly father refused to ever talk to his children, he would rightly be regarded by society as an unfit and abusive father.

In that prolonged silence, no effective father child relationship could possibly be established, other than on the birth certificate.

At some stage in his life, that child would undoubtedly need counselling to overcome the resultant rejection in his life.

When churches teach that God no longer talks to his children, they they are doing tremendous harm to our relationship with the Lord.
Having rejected God's attempts to speak to them, they set about to ensure other Christians never hear God speak.

 

[Sidon]

I was listening to a history programme about Joan of Arc. It made me wonder, does anyone truly hear the voice of God?

Jesus is God.
Jesus spoke to the Disciples.
So, there is "12 cases" of "hearing God".

Also, Jesus spoke to Saul, who became Paul after Jesus spoke to Him.

How do the born again "hear God"?

By reading the word of God.
The word of God is the Spirit of God, as revelation, waiting to reveal to your inner man the Light of the Word.

Also, the born again Spirit in a believer is "One with God and Christ", and so, God communicates this way.
This is not your mind, and its not a "voice" you hear.
Its a impulse, its a intuition, its a "leading".
Its a knowing that is apart from your mental logic or your reasoning.

"well, i was going to buy that car, but something just told me that this deal was a rip off".
Its that.

 

[EmethAlethia]

What about genuine cases where true Christians have had their life transformed through hearing the voice of God? Famous excellent people who maintain God spoke. Many characters in the Bible included.

Just about every belief group on the planet has signs, wonders, miracles, gifts of the Spirit ... that they KNOW verify their core beliefs as "fact". Hearing voices like when a statue of Mary in France came to life and grew back the amputated foot of a young girl before hundreds of witnesses, including the surgeon who amputated the limb after the carriage incident while the statue says to "worship Mary and the one true church the Roman Catholic church." Is just a minor thing compared to the signs and wonders the anti-Christ will perform ... signs so marvelous that even the elect are in danger of being deceived.

But believing Jesus is your Lord, God and Savior, that you are a true Christian, that you serve Christ and have cast out demons in His name, and prophesied in His name and even done many "Dynamite" "Boom" works of power in His name. "MIGHTY" works in His name doesn't mean that you won't hear, "Depart from Me ye who work iniquity for I never knew you."

No, getting whatever you need to believe whatever you want is not unusual. It's the rule. If we do not love truth more than what we want to believe, we all get proof, validation, signs and wonders, if necessary, to hold fast to what we "want to believe" "as" truth. Getting to truth is a much different process than going to scripture to prove your beliefs true and all opposing beliefs false.

The trick is figuring out how everyone manages to hold fast to their beliefs as truth and reject everything else. They all do the same things to "justify" what they want to believe "as" truth. But if you want truth, no matter what it does to your beliefs, you have to do the exact opposite of what every other group does to hold fast to their beliefs "as" truth.

That which we love least is always forced to conform to what we love most. Everyone either loves the truth or their beliefs.

2Th 2:10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

But God will make sure you get what you need to hold fast to what you want, if that's what you desire, closing your eyes and ears to even considering anything else. After all, God has spoken to me, right?

 

[Francis Drake]

Just about every belief group on the planet has signs, wonders, miracles, gifts of the Spirit ... that they KNOW verify their core beliefs as "fact". Hearing voices like when a statue of Mary in France came to life and grew back the amputated foot of a young girl before hundreds of witnesses, including the surgeon who amputated the limb after the carriage incident while the statue says to "worship Mary and the one true church the Roman Catholic church." Is just a minor thing compared to the signs and wonders the anti-Christ will perform ... signs so marvelous that even the elect are in danger of being deceived.

But believing Jesus is your Lord, God and Savior, that you are a true Christian, that you serve Christ and have cast out demons in His name, and prophesied in His name and even done many "Dynamite" "Boom" works of power in His name. "MIGHTY" works in His name doesn't mean that you won't hear, "Depart from Me ye who work iniquity for I never knew you."

No, getting whatever you need to believe whatever you want is not unusual. It's the rule. If we do not love truth more than what we want to believe, we all get proof, validation, signs and wonders, if necessary, to hold fast to what we "want to believe" "as" truth. Getting to truth is a much different process than going to scripture to prove your beliefs true and all opposing beliefs false.

The trick is figuring out how everyone manages to hold fast to their beliefs as truth and reject everything else. They all do the same things to "justify" what they want to believe "as" truth. But if you want truth, no matter what it does to your beliefs, you have to do the exact opposite of what every other group does to hold fast to their beliefs "as" truth.

That which we love least is always forced to conform to what we love most. Everyone either loves the truth or their beliefs.

2Th 2:10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

But God will make sure you get what you need to hold fast to what you want, if that's what you desire, closing your eyes and ears to even considering anything else. After all, God has spoken to me, right?

I can't make sense of this!

 

[sandman]

Just about every belief group on the planet has signs, wonders, miracles, gifts of the Spirit ... that they KNOW verify their core beliefs as "fact". Hearing voices like when a statue of Mary in France came to life and grew back the amputated foot of a young girl before hundreds of witnesses, including the surgeon who amputated the limb after the carriage incident while the statue says to "worship Mary and the one true church the Roman Catholic church." Is just a minor thing compared to the signs and wonders the anti-Christ will perform ... signs so marvelous that even the elect are in danger of being deceived.

But believing Jesus is your Lord, God and Savior, that you are a true Christian, that you serve Christ and have cast out demons in His name, and prophesied in His name and even done many "Dynamite" "Boom" works of power in His name. "MIGHTY" works in His name doesn't mean that you won't hear, "Depart from Me ye who work iniquity for I never knew you."

No, getting whatever you need to believe whatever you want is not unusual. It's the rule. If we do not love truth more than what we want to believe, we all get proof, validation, signs and wonders, if necessary, to hold fast to what we "want to believe" "as" truth. Getting to truth is a much different process than going to scripture to prove your beliefs true and all opposing beliefs false.

The trick is figuring out how everyone manages to hold fast to their beliefs as truth and reject everything else. They all do the same things to "justify" what they want to believe "as" truth. But if you want truth, no matter what it does to your beliefs, you have to do the exact opposite of what every other group does to hold fast to their beliefs "as" truth.

That which we love least is always forced to conform to what we love most. Everyone either loves the truth or their beliefs.

2Th 2:10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

But God will make sure you get what you need to hold fast to what you want, if that's what you desire, closing your eyes and ears to even considering anything else. After all, God has spoken to me, right?

I am not sure I understand entirely where you were going with that …but

With all that you pull a scripture out of context, which is pertaining to the second part of the Parousia (coming) of Christ..... and trying to make it applicable to now.

 

[Veteran1990]

I was listening to a history programme about Joan of Arc. It made me wonder, does anyone truly hear the voice of God?

When I experienced the Holy Spirit, I sensed and felt He was telling me 'i am with you always'. I did not hear with my physical ears any voice nor ever have done. When I get answers to prayers, I find God has solved my problem for me in amazing ways, but not verbally.
When I have seen TV Evangelists who talk freely of God speaking to them, I take a dim view!

Of course mental illness is often manifested by hearing voices, yet that would be about doing bad things I assume.

What about genuine cases where true Christians have had their life transformed through hearing the voice of God? Famous excellent people who maintain God spoke. Many characters in the Bible included.

How is hearing a voice mental illness when auditory perception us sensory related based on neural encoding and the psychology of auditory perception? You could never potentially hear, nor could anything potential stimulate your brain to hear, or your ear to hear. Ringing in the ear is caused by the eardrum moving and interpreting small vibrations it makes during movement.

 

[EmethAlethia]

I am not sure I understand entirely where you were going with that …but

With all that you pull a scripture out of context, which is pertaining to the second part of the Parousia (coming) of Christ..... and trying to make it applicable to now.

2Th 2:10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

Look at the start of verse 13. Paul examined the people he was writing to at that time and said that they passed the test and received a love of the truth, and thus ended up "believing the truth." Since the same standard was in effect and was used to judge whether or not we will receive truth then as it will be in the end times, it is a timeless truth. Every person on this planet either loves their beliefs or loves truth. There are no exceptions. Love your beliefs and you will have everything you need to hold fast to them.

Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

If you love your beliefs, and not truth you do the things that will harden you into your beliefs, and God will help you as in that 2Th. passage above ... Everyone gets what they want. Look at all the belief groups out there who believe they love the truth and have the truth with all their heart, mind soul and strength. They ...

They …

1.) Gather whatever they can “use” to prove what they “want to believe” to be truth.

2.) Accumulate all evidence they believe proves all opposing views incorrect.

3.) Assume their beliefs are unquestionable truth, and interpret everything in such a way as to make it all support, or at least not negate, their beliefs. Think about it. If your beliefs are unquestionable truths, all “valid” data, must support … or at least not negate, your infallible beliefs, right?

4.) Reinterpret, ignore, discredit, invalidate … anything that doesn’t seem to fit with their views, Why? Our beliefs are “Fact” Valid data interpreted correctly can’t contradict the facts.

5.) Gather all the other experiences, feelings, data … to solidify their beliefs such as signs, wonders, spiritual gifts or facts about your belief group. Things like: we have a burning in the bosom, we speak in tongues, we perform signs or wonders, a statue of Mary came to life and told us our belief groups views are correct, we have prayed to God for the truth and received “feelings” or even signs from heaven. Or, on a more concrete level: Our belief group is the oldest, largest, fastest growing, wealthiest, has the most experts with doctorates… Include anything that adds assurance that your views and belief group have the most truth.

All the belief groups in the world have exactly what they need to hold fast to everything they want to believe, and they all hold to the things above. Romans 1:18-32 shows us the starting point. Everyone KNEW God, and they suppress, reject and exchange the truth of God for a lie. Romans 10:1-3 describes the people who are on fire for God but don't believe in Christ. They also go to their sources to "justify" what they want to believe "as" truth. Matthew 7 describes the "Many on the broad path that leads to destruction, the false preachers and teachers in the church who know they are right, those who will have the same spiritual gifts that the true Christians of the day had ... but are responding to the pearls and what is holy from others like those in Mat. 7:6. Why? They are doing the 5 steps above and know they have the truth. So seriously consider anything else is to consider exchanging the "unquestionable truth" of their beliefs for a lie, so they trample what is said under foot or get angry that you might consider them one of the people who believe Jesus is their Lord God and Savior but are lost.

All the belief in the world only gets in the way if you are not habitually doing what it takes to get to the truth. Belief doesn't save. Only belief in the truth saves, and everyone using the Methodology above only gets from God everything they need to close their eyes and ears and harden them into their beliefs. Why?

2Th 2:10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

And they will hear, depart from Me ye who work iniquity for I never knew you.

 

[Dick Barton]

Hearing God is all about relationship. Think in terms of your own family or someone elses. If your family have good relationships you talk to each other. You listen to each other. If one member of the family calls to another member in another room, they know who is calling because they recognize the voice.

If the relationships are fraught with problems or they don't talk to each other much the relationships are strained. One person might say to another than someone said this and the person responds with " that does not sound like him." They might be admitting they don't know that person all that well.

The more you develop your relationship with God, the more you know him and recognize his voice. What that means is that every believer should know his voice. The main problem is that too many do not expect him to talk to them.

I don't need a book to know when my earthly father is talking to me. Neither should we need a book to know when God is talking to us. Yes, we read the Bible to find out what God is saying to us and it is invaluable in that respect. Even so, he can only talk to us through his word if we have a relationship with him where we know his voice. Without that we are none the wiser.

As Jesus said in the scriptures, My sheep know my voice.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I was listening to a history programme about Joan of Arc. It made me wonder, does anyone truly hear the voice of God?

When I experienced the Holy Spirit, I sensed and felt He was telling me 'i am with you always'. I did not hear with my physical ears any voice nor ever have done. When I get answers to prayers, I find God has solved my problem for me in amazing ways, but not verbally.
When I have seen TV Evangelists who talk freely of God speaking to them, I take a dim view!

Of course mental illness is often manifested by hearing voices, yet that would be about doing bad things I assume.

What about genuine cases where true Christians have had their life transformed through hearing the voice of God? Famous excellent people who maintain God spoke. Many characters in the Bible included.

Some of whether or not any one of us hears the actual Voice of the Lord may depend upon the role/gift that He has chosen to give to us.

We might ask: is the person who claims to hear God's audible voice also associated with others in a responsible way with the Church AND is that person indeed a prophet or prophetess designated by God? If so, he or she may be directly visited by and hear from the Lord or from one of His angels.

If not, then when that person claims to actually 'hear' the voice of the Lord, we should probably be a bit reserved about that claim.

 

[Confused-by-christianity]

It made me wonder, does anyone truly hear the voice of God?

I pray and try hard to relax and let God speak to me.
Often, but not always, I "hear" something.
I don't hear a voice like someone speaking in a room. I hear a quite voice on the inside - telling me something.
This voice has in the past been wrong.
People often say "The way to tell if it's God's voice, is by seeing if it matches what the bible says" - well that isn't always a good answer because there are confusing bits in the bible. Verses I don't know the meaning of.

I have had dreams where Jesus came to me and spoke to me - person to person. These dreams I am almost certain were the voice of God - they are rare.
I have had a dream that seemed like God but turned out wrong.

In summary (only my opinion, what I do)
I think practice, honesty and common sense are the way to go.

Practice
Just keep praying, and listening. Keep trying and trying.
Accept that you will fail and hear the wrong thing. (Sometimes that really sucks!!!).
But hang in there and try to get better.

Honesty
Try to silence your own desires. I struggle with listening and them quietly putting words in God's mouth - or afraid to let God speak for fear of what He will say.
Don't do that. Just listen and let it come to you - tell the truth to yourself.

Common Sense
You will know what is good and what is bad nearly all the time. Go with what is good - even if a verse you flick to in the bible "confirms" some thing to you know deep down is bad. Common sense isn't all that common, but having your heart in the right place is a great start. Heart in the right place is; Loving God, Loving people.
If you aren't operating out of genuine love of people (defined as "how would you feel if you were treated that way or if Jesus treated you that way") - you're likely messing up a little.

What do you think??

 

[Francis Drake]

Some of whether or not any one of us hears the actual Voice of the Lord may depend upon the role/gift that He has chosen to give to us.

Hearing our heavenly Father speak is not a special gifting for a few, but for anyone who is prepared to listen.

Is a person associated responsibly with the Church AND is indeed a prophet or prophetess designated by God? If so, he or she might actually be directly visited and hear from the Lord or one of His angels.

Again, anyone can hear God speak if he so chose, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the church. It is in fact the church that has misdirected God's children away from listening to their Heavenly Father.

If not, then when that person claims to actually 'hear' the voice of the Lord, we should probably be a bit reserved about that claim.

Spoken by someone whose ears are tightly closed to God.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Hearing our heavenly Father speak is not a special gifting for a few, but for anyone who is prepared to listen.

Again, anyone can hear God speak if he so chose, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the church. It is in fact the church that has misdirected God's children away from listening to their Heavenly Father.

Spoken by someone whose ears are tightly closed to God.

It's not your place to judge me in this way, brother Francis! So, please don't.

My ears are fully open to The Lord. And quite so in fact. I just don't think I'm a prophet, and while I'm sure the Lord can communicate with us as He wills to do so, this doesn't mean that every Tom, Rick and Sally in the local church who claims they're being directly spoken to by the Lord..............is really being spoken to by the Lord.

That's all I'm implying and saying.

 

[Francis Drake]

I pray and try hard to relax and let God speak to me.
Often, but not always, I "hear" something.
I don't hear a voice like someone speaking in a room. I hear a quite voice on the inside - telling me something.

Agreed.
It's hard to differentiate between your own thoughts and God's thoughts.

This voice has in the past been wrong.

Been there many times, but it does get better.
Learning to hear God speak is a bit little like a baby learning to understand the sounds coming from its dad's mouth.
We gradually become familiar as our hearing gets tuned to the Spirit.

People often say "The way to tell if it's God's voice, is by seeing if it matches what the bible says" - well that isn't always a good answer because there are confusing bits in the bible. Verses I don't know the meaning of.

Again, I get fed up with pious people insisting that everything we hear has to be checked against what the bible says.

When the Lord tells me to sell up and move house, including which town and which house to buy, how do I match that in the bible? That's happened many times over the last 40 years.

When the Lord tells me to go across town to a particular street where I will find my wife's car which had been stolen, how do I check that with the bible?

I have had dreams where Jesus came to me and spoke to me - person to person. These dreams I am almost certain were the voice of God - they are rare.
I have had a dream that seemed like God but turned out wrong.

In summary (only my opinion, what I do)
I think practice, honesty and common sense are the way to go.

As someone once said, "Those who make no mistakes, usually make nothing".
If we are not prepared to take the risk of occasionally getting it wrong, we will never discover anything about God.

Practice
Just keep praying, and listening. Keep trying and trying.
Accept that you will fail and hear the wrong thing. (Sometimes that really sucks!!!).
But hang in there and try to get better.

Amen

Honesty
Try to silence your own desires. I struggle with listening and them quietly putting words in God's mouth - or afraid to let God speak for fear of what He will say.
Don't do that. Just listen and let it come to you - tell the truth to yourself.

Common Sense
You will know what is good and what is bad nearly all the time. Go with what is good - even if a verse you flick to in the bible "confirms" some thing to you know deep down is bad. Common sense isn't all that common, but having your heart in the right place is a great start. Heart in the right place is; Loving God, Loving people.
If you aren't operating out of genuine love of people (defined as "how would you feel if you were treated that way or if Jesus treated you that way") - you're likely messing up a little.

What do you think??

What do I think?
I think this is excellent and encouraging, much like my own experience.
Thank you.