5 Ways God Speaks to Us

​One of the times I’ve most clearly heard God speak to me was when I was sitting in a car borrowed from my parents in the parking lot of the grocery store where I worked as a cashier. It was shortly after I had graduated from high school, and this was my first “real” job.

Working this job wasn’t what I wanted to be doing with my life. But the thing is, I didn’t know what I was supposed to be doing with my life.

​My one dream had been to get married and have kids.

​And while looking back it seems a bit silly of me to have based all my plans and put all my hopes in that dream coming true shortly after high school, I didn’t know to do anything different. Because I didn’t have any other dream. I didn’t sense any other calling or plan for my life. So I have a lot of grace and compassion for my younger self and her post-graduation decisions.

As I sat in the parking lot, trying to dry the tears of confusion, frustration, sadness, fear, and loneliness, I cried out to God, What on earth am I supposed to be doing with my life?!

And then I hear Him speak. It wasn’t an audible voice. It wasn’t a thought in my mind. It wasn’t a sign I saw.

But I sensed it, His voice answering my desperate prayer: Teach My Word.

I could take this whole post to share how that answer has been an anchor, a light, and an encourage to me to this day; how I’ve seen it unfold in my life in ways I never could have dreamed up or planned for on my own; how whenever I find myself again wondering what I’m supposed to be doing, these words still echo in my spirit.

But that’s not going to be the focus of this article.

Rather, I want to encourage you in your own prayers you’re praying, direction you’re seeking, and answers you’re waiting for.

Scripture has two encouraging promises for us when we pray: God hears and God responds.

God Hears

Our Heavenly Father listens to our prayers, sees our tears, hears our cries, and gives attention to our needs and longings.

Like Hagar weeping in the desert (Gen. 21:10-21). Like the Israelites crying out in bondage (Ex. 2:23-25). Like Hannah begging for a child (1 Sam. 2:1-20). Like Elijah declaring, “I have had enough Lord. Take my life.” (1 Ki. 19:3-18) Like the woman who’d suffered 12 years of bleeding reaching for Jesus’ hem (Mk. 5:24-34). Like the blind man yelling, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Lk. 18:35-43) Like Zacchaeus climbing a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus (Lk. 19:1-10)—each one crying out in some way.

And each one was heard by God.

God Responds

​Our Heavenly Father hears our prayers, and Our Heavenly Father responds to our prayers.

His response may not always be right away, so we continue to seek Him. His answer may not always be what we had hoped or wanted, so we continue to lean on Him. His voice may not always be loud and obvious, so we continue to listen to Him.

Here are some ways God speaks to us, in which we can seek His will, lean on His wisdom, and listen for His voice:

Ways God Speaks

​His Word
God’s Word teaches us His character, His will for us, and His promises to us.

I’m listing this one first, because in any other way God speaks to us, He will never speak in a way that is contradictory to His Word—in both the method and the instruction.

He will never speak through a method that is contrary to His Word, such as through divination, as He says in Deuteronomy 18:10-12 that we are not to seek answers or guidance through such practices. We need to seek God in the ways He has given us to seek Him, as these are for our good and growth in godliness.

And the instruction God gives us will never contradict the instruction He has already given in His word. If Scripture gives us instruction, teaching, and encouragement in how we are to think, speak, act, relate to others, and relate to God, we can know that this is God speaking to us, even if we don’t feel or hear or sense His voice in some way.

Conviction
There are times when God will speak to us through convicting our spirits of an attitude, an action, a through-pattern, a habit, a way we’ve spoken to or treated someone else that are not aligned with His character and will, and so need to be changed and renewed

This may be the most unpleasant way God speaks to us, because it often means confronting and confessing our sin and the harm it has done. It also means submitting to God’s discipline as we learn and grow in a new way of being.

But conviction is a grace from God, because He convicts us of sin so that we may repent of it, turn to Him for help and healing, and grow in Christ-likeness. (See Rom. 2:4 and 2 Cor. 7:9-11)

Prayer
Prayer is conversation with God, so it makes sense that He would speak to us during times of prayer.

As we make our requests known to Him, offer thanks to Him (Phil. 4:6), confess our sin (1 Jn. 1:9), cast our worries on Him (1 Pet. 5:7), lift up others to Him (1 Tim. 2:1), seek His will (Prov. 3:6), and be still before Him (Ps. 37:7), He will meet and commune with us (Eph. 3:12; Heb. 4:16, 10:22).

The Wisdom and Encouragement of Others
We get to walk in faith and follow our Heavenly Father with a whole family of other believers! (Eph. 2:14-22)

And God will oftentimes use the wisdom and encouragement of these other believers to speak to us.

The New Testament came about through God inspiring different Jesus-followers to write words of teaching and encouragement to other Christians. And much of those words teach and encourage us in how we are to give support, speak truth to, and care for one another.

So we can seek the advice of godly people we trust (Tit. 2:4-5; Heb. 13:7), talk with them about what’s on our hearts, ask them to pray for and with us (1 Thess. 5:25), and find encouragement in their support and care (1 Thess. 5:11).

His Holy Spirit
I’m sharing this one last because really, all these ways God speaks to us are the work of His Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit causes God’s written Word to be “living and active” in our hearts and lives (Heb. 4:12).
The Holy Spirit is the One who speaks to our spirits to convict us of sin we need to confess and ways of being we need to change, and He is the One who empowers us to do so (Jn. 16:13; Eph. 3:16).
The Holy Spirit is with us in prayer, guiding us in what to pray and interceding for us (Rom. 8:26-27).
The Holy Spirit is the One who gives wisdom in what words to speak (and not to speak) as others give advice, encouragement, and support to us.

And the Holy Spirit is the One who stirs our spirits with that sense of “this is the way; walk in it.” (Is. 30:21)

God’s response may not always be right away, His answer may not always be what we wanted or hoped, His voice may not always be loud and obvious.

But His response, His answer, His voice will always speak to draw us closer to Himself, to grow us more in Christ-likeness, and to equip us more to share His presence with those around us. 

So we continue to pray, trust, and obey Him.