View Full Version : How do you you recognize when God is speaking to you?
Ickmeister
10-22-2003, 02:43 AM
How do you you recognize when God is speaking to you?
wastinaway
11-05-2003, 12:21 PM
Notice anything ironic about the lack of replies to your question in relation to all the other discussions? We're so busy trying to find more rules and legalism to slap on our wrists that we forget to just say "hey, God, what's your take on this?" There are a few things I can share with you about hearing God. They are things learned from either personal experience or books on the subject. I claim no extensive knowledge of the subject. I simply know what I have experienced. First things first. Can we honestly expect to experience a conversational relationship with God--as we were intended--when we knowingly and blatantly continue to allow things into our life that bring no glory to God. We're like people rubbing dog crap on our faces and then whining when no one wants to kiss us. In other words, it starts with repentance. Walking the path instead of just knowing it. By biblical stories the Holy Spirit aka Voice of God comes in a whisper. Can you hear a whisper when everything around you is screaming in your ear? When a King speaks he doesn't have to yell--though some situations call for it. He is able to speak in a clear, quiet tone because he is the king and his voice caries that subsequent authority. His subjects see his mouth open and they shut theirs to hear. Our drawing close to God has a direct effect on our ability to hear him. We often beg for the big thunder clap or the bolt of lightning, but the quiet whisper is what we should seek. If your not paying attention to me and your busy doing your own thing then I have to yell and scream to get your attention. But if you are focused on me, expecting me to talk and attentively watching for it then you will hear the slightest whisper. Ok, great--so what's the whisper? Well, this part is central. If you don't get it, then don't read on. What is Jesus called in John 1? The Word of God. What is the Bible called in that and other chapters? The Word of God. The Holy Spirit can affectively speak to us to the degree that we have the Word of God stowed away in our heart, or memorized and understood--those two together are a must. If you only know three verses then the circumstances that apply to those three verses are going to be slim. That's the first part of the whisper. Next is emotions and thoughts. Don't trust them. First you must discover where they are coming from. There is a never ending conversation in your head--as is evident from the comments of some of the people in this forum--between three voices. Yours, God and the Devil. You must discern why you feel the way you do about things. If it turns out that the thoughts are matching up with scripture then you can trust them. The last part of the whisper is circumstances. God is in control and he creates situations in our lives to open our minds or to take us to a new place--where are your circumstances leading you? When all three of these things mesh--point in the same direction--then you are beginning to discern the active voice of God in your life. It would be foolish to act based on simply one component of the whisper. Girls, how often do your emotions on a topic change over the course of an hour? How often do our personal ambitions hide the true nature of our circumstances? And how often do you see people twisting scripture and taking it out of context on this website?
Ickmeister
11-09-2003, 03:00 PM
ok, on that. I'm going to be a minister, I know it. And I'm 14. Thank you very much wastinaway,
The last part of the whisper is circumstances. God is in control and he creates situations in our lives to open our minds or to take us to a new place--where are your circumstances leading you That got me real good (darnit Living in Kansas is having a bad effect on my english):( . I really thought this was funny...
We're like people rubbing dog crap on our faces and then whining when no one wants to kiss us. :D that was cool. Sorry I didn't post sooner, I didn't check it because I thought no one way going to post on it:) thanks lots wastinaway!
wastinaway
03-05-2004, 12:31 PM
Sorry I didn't reply sooner, either. I just saw that you responded. If you have an internet connection faster than dial-up, you should check out www.722.net and go to the streaming video section. 722 is a bible study I used to attend in Atlanta and the guy that leads it heads up the Passion movement (OneDay, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Charlie Hall and such). I think you might enjoy the current series. It focuses on discerning God's will.
LV_Designs
08-18-2005, 06:35 PM
Hmm....how does one know when God is speaking?
It could be said that what we call a concious is in fact God telling us right from wrong.
I personally think that humans know what is right and wrong by way of society.
How do you know if God is talking to you? I've asked this question many times before and never get a clear answer (aside from a friend that went temporarily insane and said God himself came down from heaven to visit him personally). I was raised theist and the closest I could ever get to describing God talking to me was a feeling of safety in a time of need. Maybe God doesn't talk to people directly and that's why he gave us the ability to make correct decisions....maybe there is no God.
Ancestor
08-18-2005, 08:58 PM
Hmm....how does one know when God is speaking?
It could be said that what we call a concious is in fact God telling us right from wrong.
I personally think that humans know what is right and wrong by way of society.
How do you know if God is talking to you? I've asked this question many times before and never get a clear answer (aside from a friend that went temporarily insane and said God himself came down from heaven to visit him personally). I was raised theist and the closest I could ever get to describing God talking to me was a feeling of safety in a time of need. Maybe God doesn't talk to people directly and that's why he gave us the ability to make correct decisions....maybe there is no God.
Very good question and one that we may not be able to truly answer until after our death. The mind can play many tricks and through the passage of time memories can play tricks. You can take ten people who witnessed a crime and come up with ten different stories. How does your heart know you love someone beyond what words can say? I feel that you heart or spirit or soul whatever you want to label it just knows when the Great Spirit speaks to you. If is a feeling that comes from outside your mind and body. But that is just my opinion and I do not expect anyone to believe it but somehow my heart has always known things that it should not have.
tiny explorer
08-18-2005, 09:27 PM
I believe God's language is love, for God is love.He speaks His love through our spirit.And that makes us discern the right from wrong.The wrong discernment is brought by false intuition and relation to Him.But in many other ways He speaks clearly right to our hearts....I think!!! haha just to write something valuable for me!
Dyrwen
08-18-2005, 11:44 PM
Interesting how God manages to speak into a muscle in the center of our chests that pumps blood. Quite the deity he is.
Methinks the original poster was thinking, and what LV brings up as a good point, is that you can't know whether it's not just schizophrenia, your conscience, or some supernatural being because there's no way to tell. If it's a voice in your head, then that's what it is, but if it has to be a god to you, then so be it. Long as it doesn't start telling ya to kill the infidels or anything, heh, I doubt anyone will mind you talking to what you perceive to be a divine spirit.
Adelheid
08-19-2005, 04:19 AM
This is an interesting question, Ickmeister. I have often asked myself this question many times too, and am sure many Christians (or even non believers) would ask the same question too.
But then think about Elijah's case... Jezebel wanted to kill him. He fled. He cried out to God- take my life! I can't stand this anymore... I'm the only prophet left in the whole of Israel! (he was exagerating, btw) But then what?..... God's voice didn't come in either the wind, fire, lightening or thunder. It came in a Still small voice. Sometimes, though he comes in dreams, as in the case of Samuel. He may come to you in the form of a prophet/pastor/elder too- like Nathan was to King David. He will also speak through His Word, the Bible. There is definitely many ways God speaks to us. Like Gideon's case, it was in the form of a miracle. But the more important fact is whether we are always listening out for it, waiting for it, expecting it. Like Elijah. We do not always expect it, in whatever form it may come in. Who wants to speak when you're proccupied? They know you're not listening.
So do what the prophet Samuel did. Set yourself some time ALONE with God. And tell Him, "Speak, Lord, Thy servant heareth." And alone with Him, wothout any other snd around, any other distractions, He will speak to you, if you will wait for Him.
I also think that when God speaks, you will know. The Holy Spirit within you bears witness, and testifies to it. Look at the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaeus (pardon the spelling) they said afterward- did not our hearts burn as he was talking to us?
It's the same with us too. I hope this helps to answer your original question. And I pray that God will also reveal the truth to you personally, so that you may experience it yourself.
Gypsy
08-22-2005, 11:20 AM
When I want to ask the Goddess something, I just meditate on it. When an idea that I would never normally think of enters my mind, then that is the Goddess answering my question.
Thats what I believe anyway.
atiguhya padma
08-22-2005, 11:59 AM
When Ickmeister is using the term 'speaking', is this in the sense of vocal chords and all; or is this a metaphorical sense?
adilyoussef
08-24-2005, 08:38 PM
I think it's a metaphorical sense for God words are never heard but in our minds. I think God speaks to sombody buy other means than using the vocal chords or the organs of speach. His message is delivered by some kind of doings that occure to us and we don't expect them to. If you do something wrong is by punishment that He worns you; and by rewards He compensates your good doings. Dreams, some say, are a way God delivers His message to the person he wants to speak to. How do I know when God speaks to me? Really I don't; I'm not yet favoured by his speech. But I know that He is here whenever I need Him, and He has taken me from the hends of death many times. I think God will speak to me when He will judge. Then I'll be dead and could not tell you. :angel:
atiguhya padma
08-25-2005, 04:16 AM
So God somehow invades your mind with a kind of voice sans vocal chords. That is already beginning to sound like a hallucination to me.
If I were to say that someone I know has special powers and can speak directly into my mind without using vocal chords, how do you think I might be able to distinguish this from simply having an experience of another voice in my head created by my unconscious?
Ancestor
08-25-2005, 07:23 PM
So God somehow invades your mind with a kind of voice sans vocal chords. That is already beginning to sound like a hallucination to me.
If I were to say that someone I know has special powers and can speak directly into my mind without using vocal chords, how do you think I might be able to distinguish this from simply having an experience of another voice in my head created by my unconscious?
How do you know you are living in reality right now and that your mind is not making you think you are? You just have to find out for yourself whether it be a voice within you or not. After all how does any of us what truly is true or not these days. As someone who can feel emotions, illness, and energy off of others I just know that does not come from me.
atiguhya padma
08-26-2005, 04:20 AM
<How do you know you are living in reality right now and that your mind is not making you think you are? >
Firstly, what do you mean by reality? Secondly, you obviously don't believe this yourself, otherwise you would not have asked the question of me. Thirdly, it makes no sense for an indvidual to consider themselves the totality of all that exists, as, from what we know of existence is that it requires an environment in which to exist. A white circle drawn on a white background of exactly the same shade will not exist. A subject or object, requires a relation between itself and an other, in order to be defined, in order to exist. Existences require boundaries.
Ancestor
08-26-2005, 07:51 PM
<How do you know you are living in reality right now and that your mind is not making you think you are? >
Firstly, what do you mean by reality? Secondly, you obviously don't believe this yourself, otherwise you would not have asked the question of me. Thirdly, it makes no sense for an indvidual to consider themselves the totality of all that exists, as, from what we know of existence is that it requires an environment in which to exist. A white circle drawn on a white background of exactly the same shade will not exist. A subject or object, requires a relation between itself and an other, in order to be defined, in order to exist. Existences require boundaries.
First of all I do believe in this stuff and second reality is what you define it because I have found out people do not define reality the same way. Ever have a dream so vivid the you swore you were awake? I have had several where I was sitting with my Grandfather and I could feel his hand touching mine. Only thing is he has been deceased for three years but I swore I was awake and I could feel his physical body. Now that may make me sound like I am crazy and need psychological help but I can assure you that I am indeed sane. You drew the white circle upon a white background does not mean it does not exist. You know it to be there but it blends within the background just because it cannot be seen does not mean it is not there. Personally most people do not see me even though I am a bit hard to miss but it is a matter what we choose to see and what we do not. Whether to believe that an entity we cannot see can speak to us or not is up to us. I have known things about a person before we even spoke just by looking at them. I do not how I do but I even knew my sister would lose her leg before she was taken to a ER and flown to a hospital. There are things for which there are no explantion for and it will be a wonderful journey to try to explain the unexplainable.
PistisSophia
09-14-2005, 01:16 PM
I've gotten a busy signal from God for a very long time.
rachel
10-02-2005, 05:42 PM
it is absurd to expect to have a relationship with God or call Him our heavenly father if we cannot talk to Him, hear Him talk to us. I have expected to hear Him all my life and He has had expectations from me. It is about covenant and relationship. a man and a woman who won't talk or listen to one another are in the same sort of boat as the person who won't talk to God or be quiet and patient and listen to Him speak back. Holy Scripture says" call upon me and i will answer" and also "be still and know that i amd God."
my son didn't believe he could hear from God and was very hurt and bitter for a long time. he said he felt like he was in some sort of waiting room and God was behind the door and never invited him in. then one day i received a cheque in the mail and placed it on the table. the children were all out of doors working in the garden. i turned my back for only seconds really and when i looked at the table the cheque was gone. i called to the children and they came inside and we prayed and searched and couldn't figure out what had happened. then travis went outside and looked in the day before's garbage and there amazingly was the cheque with a smidgeon of jam on it. later travis said he heard clearly a voice that he absolutely knew was the Father tell him to go and look there. He never doubted much after that and learned to talk to Him and be quiet and listen. that moment changed forever his precious life.
Lauralou
10-02-2005, 06:03 PM
I recognize God's voice through the people I love. Usually a friend or family member may say something that takes my breath away and gives me goosebumps. Other times when i am praying I will get what I call "divine inspiration" whether it be a solution to my present dilema or an innovative idea. Still other times I will be getting out of my car at night and just look up and be utterly amazed at the beauty of the sky and the stars as if I'd never really stopped to notice them before. God "speaks" to us all the time we just have to learn how to listen with our hearts instead of our ears. :angel:
yellowfeverlime
10-02-2005, 06:04 PM
Supposedly, you just do.
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