Is it possible to hear God's voice today as the New Testament apostles and disciples did?

[TruthSeek3r]

Yes. All these this are still active and available to believers today. Unfortunately, many Christians are never discipled in the fundamental principle of learning to hear God's voice.

Any good sources to learn how to hear God's voice better?

 

[RDKirk]

Any good sources to learn how to hear God's voice better?

James 1 works.

 

[jiminpa]

Of course God speaks individually to His followers. The Bible is full of that. If you have to ask, I can only assume that you are unfamiliar with the scriptures. Yes, I know that what I just posted is offensive to some, but I find cessationists on this part of the forum, trying to proselytize those of us who believe what the Bible says to their unbelief even more offensive.

If you are going to end God speaking to individuals you better have explicit scripture, and you don't.

In terms of carnal level explanations, for the cessationists on here, I need God's specific instruction every day, every minute. Without God's specific, individual guidance, my trauma will do my thinking for me, and that terrifies me. They tell me I'm intelligent, and whatever intellect I have tells me that none of us are smart enough. None of us know the future. None of us know the infinite variables we face constantly. If you want to go through this world without God's voice you must consider yourself as smart as the infinite God. Tell oh man, wise enough to live without the voice of the Shepard, how many bits did it take to post this message, and what paths did they take to get from my computer to this forum server and to your computer? God knows. How many hairs on my head? God knows. How many atoms in an individual elephant? God knows the atoms and the elephant. Should I go camping this week, and should I rent a spot, or go to the state park? God knows. What about the questions I don't know enough to ask? God knows the question and the answer. I'm not so smart as to want to walk this world without expecting God's regular direction.

BTW, a few weeks ago I went on a bicycle ride, and wanted to dismount and go down the bank from the trail to the river. I just knew there was a copperhead in the rotten leaves at the bottom of the bank. Now, I've spent a lot of time where that trail is, and I know that there are copperheads all over there, but I've never actually sighted one. I came about 4 inches from stepping on one before I made it to the river. Imagine if I would have been a little less careful. My car and the trailhead were about 3 miles away.

 

[topher694]

Any good sources to learn how to hear God's voice better?

Actually that was the topic of my first book. But, I don't share that information publicly here, so if you are interested you can feel free to DM me.

 

[zoidar]

Any good sources to learn how to hear God's voice better?

There are church teaching around how to hear God's voice. I have been to a few but haven't found it very useful. Maybe someone else got a better experience. I think it's more about open your whole heart to God and be sincere in prayer. If God wants to tell you something He will. I think if we hand over our whole self to God, He will also direct us. Also we are different individuals, with different gifts, that is to be remembered as well.

 

[zoidar]

We have to be careful though. Like I said, we need to learn to discern. That comes with experience (and a long life with Christ). There're more things out there than God that can speak to us in our mind. If it doesn't fit the character of God or is not in line with the Bible, it's not God.

There was this New Age sect that asked their dead guru for new names to new followers. Apparently they got new names, and they believed it was their guru talking to them.

 

[spiritfilledjm]

Straight to the point . May I ask how do you know that? Have you experienced it yourself?

When I was called to ministry, I was sitting waiting for a revival service with a friend of mine, I was 13. I kept hearing my name called over and over again but didn't really know anybody. The story of Samuel's calling was brought to my mind and I heard "Pastor, Jared, lead my flock." and I just knew this was His voice.

Let me be clear though, when one hears His voice, it's for that person or the group they are in. It is not, however, Scripture. Just like how not every prophet mentioned in the OT and NT had their writings appear in Scripture, nobody who hears His voice today should ever equate what they heard as Scripture. It is meant for their benefit and the benefit of those who also hear their testimony but it is not Scripture...but it will always line up with Scripture.

 

[Clintpauljohnson]

Any good sources to learn how to hear God's voice better?

I read Joyce Meyers book and it was pretty good. A few ways God speaks to us is through our conscience and also we confirm it by receiving an inner peace.

 

[RDKirk]

I read Joyce Meyers book and it was pretty good. A few ways God speaks to us is through our conscience and also we confirm it by receiving an inner peace.

A reliable Christian conscience depends on having a mind transformed by Christ. People calling themselves Christian have been able to perform horrible atrocities on other human beings with no troubling of their consciences.

 

[jiminpa]

The best thing, IMHO, is to be in Christian community with reliable people who can mentor. It's important that their lives, more so than their doctrinal statement, line up with the written word of God.

 

[Sabertooth]

Any good sources to learn how to hear God's voice better?

The best thing that you can do is read your whole Bible, at least once. (It is still good after that, though.)
Do not worry about any lack of natural reading comprehension. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would keep bringing it back to our remembrance as He needed to [John 14:26].

If you are able to study it, that is beneficial, too [Romans 12:1-2].

 

[lismore]

A reliable Christian conscience depends on having a mind transformed by Christ. People calling themselves Christian have been able to perform horrible atrocities on other human beings with no troubling of their consciences.

Interesting point, perhaps this scripture is relevant:

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 (Romans 12:2)

 

[tturt]

Also, "No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day." John 6:44

So there's some "communication" with everyone who becomes a believer - whether they acknowledge it or not.

 

[Clintpauljohnson]

Interesting point, perhaps this scripture is relevant:

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 (Romans 12:2)

Romans 12:2 proves that neuroplasticity is possible and this was thousands of years ago. I feel that God put this thought into my head so that I would research it. This is one of the ways God speaks to me.

 

[jiminpa]

Romans 12:2 proves that neuroplasticity is possible and this was thousands of years ago. I feel that God put this thought into my head so that I would research it. This is one of the ways God speaks to me.

That's an interesting take away from that verse. It seems to me to be a sound interpretation.

I also agree that sometimes the voice of God can just be an inspiration that we wouldn't normally have otherwise.

 

[Clintpauljohnson]

That's an interesting take away from that verse. It seems to me to be a sound interpretation.

I also agree that sometimes the voice of God can just be an inspiration that we wouldn't normally have otherwise.

Thanks, I also find God can work through coincidences and other believers too.

 

[jiminpa]

Thanks, I also find God can work through coincidences and other believers too.

Got to be careful about coincidences though. I once wound up at an old girlfriend's house completely by coincidence. It didn't end well.

 

[RDKirk]

Also, "No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day." John 6:44

So there's some "communication" with everyone who becomes a believer - whether they acknowledge it or not.

Most people who have become believers by way of an evangelist had been walking around "enabled" without even knowing they were enabled, until they heard the gospel. I've heard a number of testimonies like that. I know a couple of people personally who had been in the US and were thus aware of various repellant Christianese natterings around them, but had never actually heard the gospel. Yet they knew something was missing in their lives, and when they finally did hear the actual good news, they had that "That's it! That's what I've been looking for!" moment. They had long been enabled, but didn't know it.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Possible? Sure.

Needed/useful? Thats the question. We live in a different era, after the revelation has been completed and God does not break the natural rules just for our personal desires.

So, if somebody hears voices today, its more probable that its some kind of mental disorder.

The Apostleship of Paul and Barnabas were unique in the initial formation of the early church. Paul received direct inspiration from the Holy Spirit which resulted in a prominent part of the New Testament. There is no record of anyone else receiving the same direct communication from the Holy Spirit.

The notion of hearing God's voice comes from a misinterpretation of "My sheep hear My voice", which in reality is the voice of Christ through the preaching of the Gospel inviting the person to believe the Gospel and be saved. It is linked with Hebrews where it says, "Today, when you hear His voice, do not harden your heart". This also means that it is the voice of Christ through the preaching of the Gospel, and that when one hears the Gospel, they are instructed not to harden their hearts against it.

Neither of these verses refer to hearing God's voice in the process of the daily walk in the Spirit. If we need to hear God's voice in our daily walk, we need to read and study the Scriptures. God has said all He has to say in those pages.

We do get impressions in our minds as we seek God for guidance, but they usually comes in the form of Scripture, and we go to where the verse is located and study it in context. This proves either the impression being correct, or false. The Scripture says that by experience in the Word and use enables us to be able to discern between good and evil. So, to hear the voice of God through the Scriptures one has to be a person of prayer and strong in the Scriptures. Without a good foundation in the Scriptures we would have no way of proving whether a "voice" in our thoughts is from the Holy Spirit or from just our own imagination.

 

[zoidar]

The Apostleship of Paul and Barnabas were unique in the initial formation of the early church. Paul received direct inspiration from the Holy Spirit which resulted in a prominent part of the New Testament. There is no record of anyone else receiving the same direct communication from the Holy Spirit.

The notion of hearing God's voice comes from a misinterpretation of "My sheep hear My voice", which in reality is the voice of Christ through the preaching of the Gospel inviting the person to believe the Gospel and be saved. It is linked with Hebrews where it says, "Today, when you hear His voice, do not harden your heart". This also means that it is the voice of Christ through the preaching of the Gospel, and that when one hears the Gospel, they are instructed not to harden their hearts against it.

Neither of these verses refer to hearing God's voice in the process of the daily walk in the Spirit. If we need to hear God's voice in our daily walk, we need to read and study the Scriptures. God has said all He has to say in those pages.

We do get impressions in our minds as we seek God for guidance, but they usually comes in the form of Scripture, and we go to where the verse is located and study it in context. This proves either the impression being correct, or false. The Scripture says that by experience in the Word and use enables us to be able to discern between good and evil. So, to hear the voice of God through the Scriptures one has to be a person of prayer and strong in the Scriptures. Without a good foundation in the Scriptures we would have no way of proving whether a "voice" in our thoughts is from the Holy Spirit or from just our own imagination.

What about Philip?

So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
— Acts 8:27-30