“Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know“ (Jeremiah 33:3, NASB).

When I was a very young Christian, my heart was hungry to know God for myself, so I started reading the Bible. One of my first discoveries was that God constantly speaks to His people.

So the question is not whether God can speak. The question is whether you and I are listening with surrendered hearts.

Even today, as you read this, you could be carrying burdens, confusion, and questions, and more than anything else, you need to hear from God. And the good news is, God has not gone silent.

​1. God most often speaks through the Holy Scriptures.

​​You can hear His voice through personal interaction with His Word. The Bible won’t tell you the name of the person you’ll marry, the exact job you should take, or which socks you should wear next Tuesday. But the Bible does reveal God’s character, His wisdom, and His general will. Nevertheless…

Confirmation bias is the most common way we mishandle Scripture. God’s Word contains absolute truth, but we must use caution to interpret it correctly.

People often read things into Scripture that aren’t what God intended (eisegesis). Sometimes they start with an illustration and build the doctrine around it. This happens when we want what we want instead of what God wants! So, we look for something in the Bible to confirm our bias. Instead of genuine confirmation, we settle for emotional validation.

For the love of God and everything holy, read the Bible even when you don’t think you need to hear from God! Even if you have doubts, the more you read it aloud, the more clearly you’ll hear God’s voice. If you refuse to hear what He has spoken, don’t expect Him to lead you in other ways. However…

2. God often speaks through the situations of your life.

Romans 8:28 says, “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

It doesn’t say all things are good or that God causes every painful thing. It means He doesn’t waste a thing! ALL things work together FOR good FOR those who LOVE God.

That means your circumstances CAN become part of His guidance. The gifts you were born with, the doors He opens and closes, and the people He places around you, CAN become part of the way He leads you.

But we must not live superstitiously. Every traffic light is not a prophecy. Every inconvenience is not a sign. Still, we must remain open to God’s super entering our natural. Because…

​3. God sometimes speaks through signs and wonders.

God still gives dreams, visions, and spiritual gifts to speak to His people. He said, “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28).

Hebrews 2:4 says God bears “witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit.”

But notice my word, sometimes. While we should welcome whatever God truly gives, we should not chase the spectacular every time we need direction. Indeed, we must test our experiences by Scripture. The Holy Spirit will never contradict the Holy Scriptures. If a dream, a word, or an impression leads you away from God’s plainly revealed truth, walk away from it!

​BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT…

​4. God also speaks through significant people.

Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”

I don’t necessarily mean someone with an official title. I’m talking about a godly person in your life whose character you trust and whose wisdom you need.

God uses these people to encourage us when life has worn us down. God uses them to correct us when we are drifting. God uses these people to comfort us when our souls are wounded. God uses them to confirm His direction as we discern our next steps.

If no one wise and godly can confirm your path, don’t keep pushing forward. Take a knee. Pause and pray.

AND UNDERSTAND THIS…

​5. God speaks in the sanctuary of your soul.

​Sometimes we’re trying to force the spectacular when the voice of God is already present within. Elijah knew what it was to hear from God, but in 1 Kings 19, God was not speaking through the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. God spoke in a still, small voice, like a delicate whisper.

God’s leadership is not always loud or dramatic. Sometimes the Spirit brings quiet conviction, settled peace, or a holy discontent that will not let us go.

The question is not whether God is speaking, but whether we’re moving slowly enough and listening well enough.

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So, how do we keep hearing from God?

First, get closer to Jesus. In John 12, Jesus prayed, “Father, glorify Your name” (28). A voice came from Heaven, but some said it thundered. Others said an angel had spoken. They were near the sound but not tuned to God’s voice. Closeness to Jesus tunes our hearts to hear God’s voice.

Second, check every message by Scripture. Don’t ignore the Bible to follow an impression and call it God’s will.

Third, obey what He says. “Whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5). Hearing and obeying go together. The more quickly we obey God, the more ready we become for the next step.

Finally, become a person of prayerful dependence. Would you like to hear from God more? Then walk humbly into every day, admitting, “I do not know all that I need to know.”

Ignorance, not arrogance, is the prerequisite to hearing from God. There are hidden directions and guidance for every believer that can only be accessed through constant dependence upon God. So let us be people of prayer, as though our lives depended upon hearing from God. Meditate on Jeremiah 33:3 this summer. Memorize it. Carry it with you.

And if you are not a Christian, the Holy Spirit is calling you to Jesus. He is calling you out of sin, out of shame, and into the grace of Christ. Listen, believe, and come home.