In a world of darkness, like the one in which we remain, of uncertainty, fear and where we hear different voices, it is transcendental that every believer, minister and leader learn to listen to the voice of God. Demonstrations of disbelief have been seen, in relation to this issue, an example of this is that people remain who do not believe that God speaks today.
They simply believe that it is a God who once spoke, but is now silent. However, by reading the Bible, we can see that God has always longed to speak and communicate with his people.
The voice of God in the present
Some people have ideas and standards from the past that have led them to believe that God does not speak to his people today. The word of God teaches us that he spoke yesterday, he speaks today and he will continue to speak. His desire is to communicate with the people.
“God, having spoken many times and in many ways in former times to the fathers through the prophets, in these last days has spoken to us through the son, whom he made heir of all and through whom he also made the universe.” Hebrews 1.1, 2
Who heard the voice of God in the Bible
God has always wanted to speak to his people, both in the past and in the present. He is a living and sovereign God. We have to replace our old mentality, which says that God spoke in the past and only to certain people..
1.- In the old testament the voice of God was heard by the apostles and prophets:
- God spoke to Moses, God teaches us in the Bible that he spoke to Moses face to face without intermediaries. Moses heard the voice of God.
–God answered Moses: “I am who I am and added: Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: I am sent me to you “. Exodus 3.14
- God spoke to Samuel, in the case of Samuel we see how God spoke to him in an audible voice, and he responded obediently.
“Jehovah came, stood up, and called like other times: Samuel, Samuel! Then Samuel said: Speak, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3.10
2.-In the new testament the voice of God was heard by the apostles and prophets:
- God spoke to the apostle Paul; At that time the apostle Paul persecuted and harassed the church and went to capture and kill the believers, the Lord appeared to him and showed in a vision and spoke to Paul.
“ But as he was going along the road, it happened that, as he came near Damascus, suddenly a flash of light from heaven surrounded him; and falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Acts 9.3, 4
- God spoke to the apostle John; he was a prisoner on the island of Patmos, but he was seeking the Lord with all his being and his heart. We see how God spoke to him and gave him the book of Revelation.
“While I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet…” Revelation 1.10
Why does God want to speak to us?
God wants to reveal his plans and purposes for our life, communication is part of his being. God’s tendency is to talk to his creation. He announces his wishes, his plans, the present and the future, because it is an intrinsic and natural part of his being.
The Bible tells us the following: “…if you hear his voice today…”, he is speaking to us in the present tense and God lives in the eternal present; therefore, his name is “The great I am”. God is today, that is, he speaks today and heals today.
If we are determined to obey him, we can hear his voice. Sometimes our spiritual hearing is blocked, and we don’t know how to hear the Lord when he speaks to us. The word of God teaches us that he is spirit and, therefore, an elementary condition to be able to hear him is to live in the spirit.
Which are the spiritual exercises that must be practiced to hear the voice of God?
- Fasting and prayer. fasting it generates great receptivity in our spirit and this makes us sensitive to hear the voice of God.
- Constantly praying in the spirit. When we pray in tongues, our spirit is stimulated and developed. Try to pray an hour in tongues or in the spirit every day, and after a while something will happen to your spirit; he will become sensitive to the voice of God.
- Deepen, study the word of God, scrutinizing the word creates sensitivity to the voice of God. When you study, the lord begins to show you the mysteries and hidden treasures of him. Take a Bible verse daily and meditate on it, speak it, whisper it to yourself and you will begin to see extraordinary consequences.
Find out more about it here: Spiritual Gifts: What Are They And How To Activate Them In Your Lifetime.
What is the essential key to hearing the voice of God?
Be willing to obey, orOne of the reasons why God stops speaking to many believers is because they are not ready to obey.
“Many say God does not speak to me”. If this is your case, before saying this, ask yourself when was the last time the Lord spoke to you and you did not do what he asked. When you identify it, you must rectify it, ask God for forgiveness, and you will see that he trusts again and will speak to you again When we are obedient, we are ready to hear the voice of God.
The word obedience implies two things in the Greek: “akouo” means to hear in order to obey, and “bupakouo” which means to urge, listen, hear in order to do. In essence, obedience is listening with spiritual ears and doing what God commands us to do.
At times, God will ask us to do things that go against our human reasoning, which will not be easy to do, but we must be willing to obey, regardless of the place, settings, or people.
Find out more about it here: 8 Keys to Enter the Door of Obedience to God
Means by which God he reveals himself and communicates with his people.
When speaking of hearing, it is not a physical hearing, but a spiritual one. Our spirit has a spiritual ear, just like our body has a physical ear, and it is the primary means by which the Lord speaks to us.
“When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his cloak, went out, and stood at the door of the cave. Then a voice came to him saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19.13
When speaking of seeing in the spirit, it is when the Lord lets us see the spiritual world, and when this happens, we can see mental images, visions and dreams.
“When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching him, he said of him: Here is a true Israelite in whom there is no guile! Nathanael said to him: Where do you know me from? Jesus answered him: Before Philip called you, when you were under from the fig tree, I saw you”. John 1.47, 48
Feeling is an interior perception, an intuition of the holy spirit within our being; it is an interior knowledge that has nothing to do with a physical or carnal feeling, but is an interior testimony, a feeling in our spirit.
Methods that God uses to speak to us.
1.-The inner testimony
What is the inner testimony?
It is a shudder in the depths of our spirit, an inner intuition, a knowledge, a perception, it is a feeling and an impulse in our spirit.
In the spirit, there is something called intuition, through which we perceive and know the spiritual forms. The inner testimony is not a voice, but a feeling.
However, understanding spiritual things is the work of the mind. Just as the soul has emotional feelings, the spirit has spiritual feelings. The internal testimony is the most usual method, used by God to speak to the people about him.
2.-The voice of the holy spirit
God speaks through the voice of Holy Spirit. Most of the time that the Holy Spirit speaks to our life, it is because he wants to announce something of enormous importance. It can be something that has to do with our calling, that is life or death for us, or that can positively or negatively affect various people.
Also, it can be something that changes the course of a ministry or a vision. God makes sure that we concisely hear the voice of the holy spirit.
How is the voice of the Holy Spirit?
It is a tender and soft voice, but at the same time, with great authority. At times, it turns out to be as if someone were speaking to us with an audible voice, loudly. The Holy Spirit He does not speak to us directly at all times.
3.-The prophets
The ministry of the prophet is active today, this ministry is given by the Lord Jesus Christ to build up his people. God had prophets in the old and in the new testament, as he currently has them at that time, because God continues to speak through his prophets.
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God spoke at that time through the prophet to Naaman.
“Then Elisha sent a messenger to him to say, ‘Go and wash seven times in the Jordan; your flesh will be restored and you will be clean “. 2 Kings 5.10
“While we remained there some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea, “who; Coming to see us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his hands and feet, and said: This is what the Holy Spirit says:
“This is how the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man whose belt this is, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.” Acts 21.10, 11
What is a prophet?
It is an important extension of the ministry of Jesus and one of the five ministries of God’s government. The profit; he is one who speaks in the name of God, whether in the present, in the past, or in the future. He is the one who speaks impelled by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
4.-The prophecy
Another method by which God speaks is prophecy. Prophecy is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and its purpose is to build up the body of Christ. Just as God uses prophets to speak to us, he also uses prophecy.
Be sure to read the following article: What is the throne of God and how is it manifested in us?.
What is prophecy?
It is the Hebrew word “naba”, which means to flow forward, to bubble like a fountain, to manifest a thing that can only be known by divine revelation.
What is the biblical definition of prophecy?
It is a gift of the holy spirit given to the believer to speak a word intervened by God. Its purpose is to comfort, exhort, and edify the body of Jesus.
What is the difference between the office of the prophet and the gift of prophecy?
The office of the prophet is one of the five ministerial gifts that are an important and fundamental part of the government of the church.
The ministry of the prophet is not a gift of the holy spirit, but an extension of Jesus as a prophet. Jesus is the full manifestation of the five offices or ministry gifts of the holy spirit.
“And he himself constituted some, apostles; others, prophets; others, evangelists; others, pastors and teachers…” Ephesians 4.11
Taking into account that prophecy is a gift of the holy spirit given to the individual. The prophet is a ministerial gift, an office, management, mission, given to the body.
What is the purpose of prophecy in the new testament?
Cheer up. When a prophetic word is given to someone, they receive encouragement, moodeither and motivation to continue forward and, at the same time, it is a call to get closer to God.
- Consolation. The word consolation represents receiving relief in the midst of trials or difficulties. The prophetic word serves to lift, strengthen and comfort when a person is going through…