I was actively involved in a local church with wonderful fellowship and regional outreach when a job offer came to me from a technology company half-way across the country.  I had accepted an interview, which was unexpectedly orchestrated by a family member on my behalf, and the eventual offer was handsomely lucrative.  I was confronted with a dilemma, so I came to the Lord once again for direction.  My decision window was small and the days of prayer sped by quickly without a word from the Lord on the matter.  One evening I was standing high on the bluffs of northwest Missouri, overlooking the majestic river below with Kansas spreading westward toward my destination city, if I were to accept the job.  Why was I so stymied?        

This night was my final opportunity to receive guidance from the Lord, and suddenly during prayer an unusual question popped into my mind, “Would you have this same trouble deciding what to do if the salary was half the offer?”  I was so perplexed by the question that I knew intuitively it had come from the Lord.  And as quickly as the question was posed, it was nearly as quickly I knew why the Holy Spirit asked it.  His question had nothing to do with money.  He was not accusing me of greed.  The Holy Spirit posed a question that would reveal my own heart to me as I considered how to answer it.  I had been wondering if I should pursue my career elsewhere, and the size of the offer did play a role in my indecision. But I finally realized by answering the question, I did not want the work itself in this new job, regardless of pay.  I did not want to move.  I dearly wanted to remain in town in the community of believers with whom I lived, and I had the freedom to do so.  So, to the bewilderment of many, I turned down the position and stayed nearby for another season.

This is an example of another common way by which the Lord speaks to His people, with an unexpected question.  Jesus often posed a question in the Gospels to reveal someone’s heart, challenge their motives, or point to another direction.  Examples are plentiful, here are a few:

I already described in Part 1 of this series the critically important way God speaks with scriptural-based insight.  There are several other more subtle yet profound ways He speaks to us, but it takes a few insights, some experience, and an awareness of safeguards to begin to receive them freely as from the Lord. 

We tend to believe that every thought originates from ourselves, especially when we are young.  But our minds are also accessible to the spirit realm.  Unclean spirits come to tempt and harass (Luke 6:18).   More importantly, for those in Christ, our own spirit was made alive to God by the Holy Spirit who was given to us, so we certainly hear what God says (1 Corinthians 2:11-12).  In other words, there are several voices seeking to influence us, not just our own internal thoughts.

Here are a few examples from Scripture when Jesus used spiritual discernment to address the reality of who was speaking:

Be mindful that the Holy Spirit always speaks words of God to His people that edify, exhort or encourage.  He exalts the Lord Jesus Christ and brings conviction of sin for the purpose of repentance.  Conversely, the devil tempts people to sin, and brings guilt and shame for the purpose of condemnation.  Discern every word wisely, embrace only what you hear from God, and reject all else.  As Paul exhorted, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV).

While we are in the midst of worship, prayer, or consultation with another believer, God also speaks with a spontaneous thought, a remembrance or impression, a peaceful knowing, or a confirmation.

One day a work colleague who knew I was a Christian asked if I would be willing to meet his friend whose wife had recently left him after he became a believer himself.  My colleague was concerned about his friend and the “over the edge” charismatic church he attended, so I agreed to meet him.  As we stood in the hallway speaking about this, I was struck with a profound sense, a certainty of knowing, that “this person is going to be important to you.”  Turns out, the Lord orchestrated the beginning of what became a brotherly relationship where each of us served as part of the Father’s strengthening provision for the other, and we remained best friends for many years. 

On another occasion years later, I sensed Holy Spirit inviting me to put away alcohol completely from my life, with a promise that by doing so, I would walk in deeper intimacy with Him and experience more spiritual effectiveness in ministry.  The next day I listened to a favorite pastor online and received a compelling confirmation when he spoke the exact same message.

We also know from Scripture that God speaks with a still small voice:

God speaks in dreams and visions:

God speaks through pictures and symbols (the universal language of the heart):

God speaks through sensations in our spirit that affirm a truthful word:

Spirit sensations also reveal God’s own heart on a matter as they register in the longings and emotions of our soul:

The Greek word “stenagmos” used in the above verses means “to sigh, groan or moan.”  In these contexts, it connotes a deep compassion and prayer burden without any visible expression. Such a sensation is prominent in those called to intercessory prayer.

The Greek word “embrimaomai” used in this verse has a similar, but more complex meaning that also connotes an infusion of God’s authority with a sense of indignation to do something about a situation.

Several other Greek words are used throughout the New Testament to describe sensations that initiate in the spirit and powerfully touch the soul to also stir up, warn, or to compel to action without fear.   

And at times, God speaks through other people:

It should be noted that some of the ways of knowing and hearing from God cited in this article were more commonly accepted in the time and culture of Jesus, and also in modern cultures elsewhere in the world today, than they are in the modern West.  Our western culture was heavily influenced by Aristotle’s formal, analytical system for reasoning and the pursuit of objective truth that he taught mostly occurs through our senses.  Hence, believers in the West tend to solely think of the word “mind” in Scripture as our brain, the intellect, our rational conscious thought.  But there are intuitive and imaginative aspects of the mind as well through which the Holy Spirit often communicates with us.  This topic, only briefly mentioned here, is well worth pursuing in depth because an expansion of perspective can result in greater ease when encountering God in these ways.

Note also that some of the ways to hear God’s voice described in this series might be included in what Paul calls a “word of knowledge” or “word of wisdom” when describing gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8).  A full description of the gifts and their operation is not the focus of this series, but it is wise to recognize the potential overlap.  “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6, NIV). 

The final posting in this series will include important guardrails to examine and test what you believe you have heard from God.  Meanwhile, open your heart and mind to all the ways of encountering and hearing from God experienced by His people in the Bible, and welcome Him to speak to you in the same ways.