God Speaks

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3

God Speaks 

For too much of my Christian life, I believed God didn’t like to talk. My experience led me to think that God only spoke a few times in history and only to people like Moses, David, or Paul, but never to a person like me. Then one day, God spoke to me. I asked him a question out of desperation, and he spoke. The Creator of the universe broke through the walls of my misconceptions and spoke to my heart in a voice so clear it couldn’t be mistaken. 

After God spoke to me so clearly, I began to take time to listen. And in making space for God to speak, my life began to be transformed by a consistent, internal conversation with my heavenly Father. Scripture makes it clear that God loves to talk with his children. 

John 8:47 says, “Whoever is of God hears the words of God.” 

Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” 

Isaiah 55:3 says, “Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live.”

Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” 

The list of Scriptures goes on and on. In story after story, the people of God hear God and know his will. The Bible is clear that God speaks to all of us as his children in a way we can understand through any and every means possible. 

God speaks through all sorts of avenues. Most assuredly, he speaks to us through his Word. The Bible is one of our greatest gifts as Christians. It is the very word of God,

“living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). 

God also speaks directly to us through his Holy Spirit. John 16:13 says,

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

And Scripture reveals how God speaks through his creation. Romans 1:20 says that God’s

“invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”

God loves to speak. He isn’t silent. He isn’t distant. He longs for you to live with the knowledge of his love and perfect will. The question isn’t whether God speaks. The question is, will you listen? Will you choose to submit yourself to him—to receive and obey what he would tell you? The first time God spoke directly to me, he asked me to do something incredibly difficult. It didn’t make total sense. But I knew he spoke. And in submission, I obeyed his command, and my life has been different ever since. 

Listen to God today. Quiet your soul and receive the gift of conversation with your heavenly Father. God has placed his Spirit within you—closer to you than you can fully comprehend. You are unified with God. Ask the Spirit to reveal to you God’s word today. Ask God to make you aware of any and every avenue he desires to speak through. Then listen with an obedient, receptive heart to all the wonderful things he longs to tell you. 

Prayer 

1. Take time to quiet your soul. Confess anything that you feel is in the way of your relationship with God. Hand over to him anything that’s troubling your mind. Receive his peace, and wait patiently for him to speak. 

“Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live.” Isaiah 55:3 

2. Listen. Ask the Spirit how God feels about you. Ask him for his will and direction. Pay attention to any thoughts, inclinations, or changes in your emotions that come from the Holy Spirit. Allow God to speak in any way he wants. 

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:3 

3. Now, thank God for speaking. Worship him because he isn’t distant. Let the truth of his nearness transform your perspective and emotions today.

Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:3

God Speaks Through His Word 

Deuteronomy 8:3 teaches us that,

“Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

The word of the Lord, when planted in good soil, produces abundant, life-giving fruit (Matthew 13:20-22). We have in Scripture a feast that satisfies the deepest places of our hearts that no food or drink could ever satiate. 

When you open your Bible, you are literally opening the words of God. Scripture is God’s voice available for you in every moment, situation, and predicament you face. You can know God desires to speak to you because you have his voice through the Bible in your possession. God desires to reveal to you his will because he has given you his Spirit to

“guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13). 

When you read Scripture with the help of your teacher, the Holy Spirit, the Bible is no longer just a book written thousands of years ago but a source of life-giving revelation. Read the Bible prayerfully, paying attention to any words, phrases, or ideas that stand out to you. Allow God to apply Scripture directly to your life through his Spirit. And as you read, submit yourself to God’s word with a continual “yes” in your heart. Choose to be a doer of the word so that you might be blessed in everything you do (James 1:22-25). 

God’s word is only as impactful as you are willing to be obedient. The power of Scripture becomes evident as you daily submit yourself to it. So today, as you read God’s word, ask the Spirit to highlight phrases and ideas, submit yourself in obedience to what Scripture says, and be a doer of the word. God is ready to speak to you. He is prepared to sow the seed of his voice wherever it’s welcome. Open your heart to the word of God, and allow it to produce the fruit of joy, peace, and purpose in your life. 

Prayer 

1. Ask the Spirit what you should read today. Pay attention to anything you feel like reading or pick from John 17 or Proverbs 3. Meditate on any phrases, words, or ideas that stand out to you. 

“Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:3 

2. Submit yourself to the word of God. Allow Scripture to be the foundation for all your thoughts, emotions, and perspectives. Allow God’s word to influence and transform any parts of your life that don’t align with it. 

3. Now, commit yourself to follow through with any action that God’s word requires. Ask God what he would have you do with what he’s shown you. Choose to be a doer of the word. 

“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” James 1:22-25

Scripture: John 16:13

Hearing God’s Voice 

God desires to speak directly to you. As a good Father, he longs to engage with you in continual conversation. So great was his longing for communication that he’s given you the gift of the Holy Spirit. You now have access to the heart of God through the Spirit. You can know his will, hear his voice, and live with the knowledge of his love. 

John 16:13 says,

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

The “Spirit of truth” has come if you are a Christian. He dwells within you. He longs to tell you how God feels about you. He longs to guide you to the Father’s perfect, hopeful, and pleasing plans (Jeremiah 29:11). His voice is perfect, full of love, and always truthful. He will never guide you into something that isn’t best for you. He will never speak hate or condemnation to you. As John 16:13 promises, he will declare what he hears the Father say to you. 

Let the truth that God desires to have real, life-transforming conversations with you sink into your heart for a minute. Think about what it means for your own life to have communication with God. Your Creator longs to help you with your decisions, relationships, work, finances, and identity. God wants to talk with you about your life—to fully know and be known by you. 

Just as any good parent loves talking with their children, your heavenly Father loves talking to you, his child. God speaking to you is so little about your ability to hear his voice and so much more about his desire for you to know him. His voice in your life is just another product of grace, God’s unmerited favor for those who believe. Like any conversation, you will only hear him when you are listening. And just like any good conversation, God longs to hear from you as well. 

Hebrews 11:6 says,

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

Have faith that God longs to speak to you. Draw near to him in the assurance that he is already filled with love for you. The Holy Spirit longs to have a communicative relationship with you. Let the weight of conversation with God rest on his shoulders, trust in his word and his character, and listen to whatever he would speak to you today. 

As you enter into guided prayer, take time to quiet your heart and listen to the voice of the Spirit. 

Prayer 

1. Take a moment to quiet your mind and soul. Receive God’s presence and meditate on the important truth that the Spirit speaks. 

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13 

2. Now listen to God. If you have a situation, question, or anything you want to ask him, now is the time! God longs for you to tell him what you want help with. Ask him if you just want to know how he feels about you! Again, the weight of God speaking is on him. Trust him and his timing. God does desire to speak to you. 

3. Write down whatever God tells you. Rest in the goodness of what he’s spoken.

Scripture: Romans 1:20

God Speaks Through His Creation 

Nature has the ability to bring me peace in a way nothing else does. Sure I get annoyed by bugs or tired from hiking, but seeing the beauty, creativity, and complexity of what God has made has profoundly affected my spiritual life. Have you ever just spent some time in God’s creation? Maybe it was hiking, lying on the beach, swimming in an ocean or a lake, fishing, gazing over the Grand Canyon, driving through the mountains, watching a thunderstorm, or just playing in the rain. Take a minute to reflect on that time and what you felt. Looking back, do you think you might have felt God’s presence? Did the awe and wonder of nature’s splendor bring you peace or even lead you to thoughts about God? 

The more I’ve come to know God, the more I have grown an adoration and appreciation for his creation. Romans 1:20 states that God’s

“invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”

Nature is meant to declare to us the“invisible attributes” of God, and Scripture is clear that God is at work in his creation—maintaining and facilitating all that happens in the world. 

Psalm 147:8-9,15-18 tells us, 

He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry… He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold? He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow. 

When you see animals eating, you are witnessing God’s provision on the earth and can, as a result, know that he will provide for you. When you see snow falling, ice forming, and springtime coming to melt away the cold, you can know that God is at work around you and in your life. To miss out on all creation speaks to us is to miss an important part of God’s voice. 

You see, while God does an incredible job taking care of a world wrought with the effects of sin, he promises to take care of you even more. Jesus commands us in Matthew 6:26-30, 

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 

Jesus teaches us to look upon creation and listen as it declares God’s nature. In fact, he commands us to do so. You can look at the grass of the field and know about God’s unwavering faithfulness for you. You can look at the birds and never wonder if you will get your next meal. Nature declares that God has and will provide for us all our days. Nature tells us not to worry because God is both powerful and near. Nature tells us that God is creative, practical, brilliant, loving, and mysterious. Nature tells us that God speaks. 

God created the cosmos so that you might have another mysterious yet clear way of hearing his voice. Whether you live in the city or country, look upon God’s creation and listen for his voice. Ask him what he wants you to know as you see all the wonders of his hands. Let the beauty and mystery of all of God’s creation fill you with a deeper longing to know your heavenly Father. Listen to God today and allow your heart to be stirred as you discover his unwavering desire to speak to you through his creation. 

Prayer 

1. Take some time to go out in God’s creation.

2. Now, ask God what he wants to tell you through his creation. Let him speak in whatever way he desires. 

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” Romans 1:20 

3. Meditate on the truth he reveals to your heart and take some time to rest in his presence.

Scripture: Psalms 119:15

God Speaks Through Meditation 

The spiritual discipline of meditation does for the heart of a Christian what nutrients and good soil do for the seed of a plant. Through meditation, the seed of God’s word takes root and produces life-giving, abundant fruit. Richard Foster, in his book Celebration of Discipline, wrote, 

“The purpose of meditation is to enable us to hear God more clearly. Meditation is listening, sensing, heeding the life and light of Christ. This comes right to the heart of our faith. The life that pleases God is not a set of religious duties; it is to hear His voice and obey His word. Meditation opens the door to this way of living.” 

The Christian practice of meditation is, at its core, ruminating on the word of God. Meditation creates space for the Spirit to speak directly to our hearts and apply God’s word to our lives. When we ruminate on a passage of Scripture like Lamentations 3:22,

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end,”

we give God space to reveal all the ways in which his mercy and steadfast love are available to us. Meditation creates a pathway for Scripture to go past our minds and affect change within our hearts. 

Another powerful aspect of Christian meditation is mulling over the character of God. Sometimes when I feel hopeless, I will take a few passages of Scripture about the hope God provides and meditate on them. In the process of meditating on God’s perfect character, my thoughts, perspectives, and emotions align with my heavenly Father’s unchanging nature. Meditating on who God powerfully affects the way we view the world. It’s for this reason 

Psalm 1:1-3 declares, 

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 

Take time to meditate on Scripture today. Make space to listen to God and apply the seed of his word. Ruminate on his unchanging, perfect character. May your day be filled with abundant life as you bear the fruit of meditation. 

Prayer 

1. Choose a verse or aspect of God’s character to meditate on.

2. Make space to hear from God as you meditate on his word or character. Allow the Spirit to apply God’s word to your life as you meditate. Allow God’s character to lay a foundation for your emotions. 

“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” Psalm 119:15 

3. Take note of how the verse or phrase seems to have impacted the way you think, feel, or desire to act. Rejoice in the power of God’s word to transform lives and hearts.

Scripture: Psalms 46:10

God Speaks in Solitude 

Solitude—a time set apart where the rush, noise, and anxiety of the world fall mute on the ears and heart of a child of God completely lost in the peace and presence of the Creator. Solitude is a time to be with your heavenly Father, free from the distractions the world offers us at seemingly every moment. We are made for consistent time spent in solitude. 

C.S. Lewis wrote in The Weight of Glory, 

“We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship.” 

Most of us have grown accustomed to what truly does amount to being “starved” for solitude. We never fully realize how great our need is to be alone with our Sustainer. Let’s take some time today to recognize our need for solitude and then learn how to best practice solitude on a daily basis. 

You can know that you need solitude for one reason—Jesus needed it. All over the New Testament, we see examples of Jesus going off on his own to pray. One example, Mark 1:35, tells us that Jesus,

“rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark . . . departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”

Jesus, who practiced perfect communion with his heavenly Father while here on earth, still needed to spend time in solitude. Jesus, who loved parties, loved people, and was God and man simultaneously, needed time alone. You and I can be sure we need it if he needed it. When God incarnate was up against his hardest task, the Crucifixion, he didn’t just toughen up and get through it. He spent time alone in the Garden of Gethsemane in conversation with his heavenly Father. He needed solitude to accomplish his purpose here on earth, and so do you and me. 

Solitude is life-giving. It’s necessary to the Christian spiritual life. Richard J. Foster said, “Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment.” Solitude is one of the most important and life-giving spiritual disciplines. If you want to hear God, you must practice solitude. If you want fortitude in your life, a steadfastness that surpasses your circumstances, you must practice solitude. You are designed for time spent in the quiet, simply being with your heavenly Father. 

So how can you best practice solitude? The first step is finding a place where you can spend time with God, free from distractions. Find a place where you know you won’t be interrupted. If you live with others, find a time when they will not be around or awake. If you live alone, designate a place and time you will spend in solitude, free from distractions. Second, give yourself an amount of time to spend with God just being in solitude. It could be ten minutes or an hour. Spend this time free from reading, free from worship, or prayer unless solitude leads you to those things. Madeleine L’Engle said, “Deepest communion with God is beyond words, on the other side of silence.” Solitude is a point of deep communion where words aren’t required in light of God’s glorious nearness. 

Take some time today to practice the incredible discipline of solitude. Be patient with yourself. Be patient with God. Fill the emptiness of silence with the satisfaction of God’s presence. Your heavenly Father loves just simply spending time with you, enjoying deep communion with his crown of creation. You are his child. Climb into the comforting and sustaining arms of your heavenly Father today as you enter into a time of solitude. 

Prayer 

1. Find a place free from distractions. Ask the Spirit to calm your heart and mind and help you to spend time in deep communion with God. 

2. Spend a few minutes simply resting with God in solitude.

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35 

“Deepest communion with God is beyond words, on the other side of silence.” Madeleine L’Engle 

3. Write down how solitude made you feel. If you felt uncomfortable or frustrated, that’s alright! Solitude and silence are something most of us have never practiced. Have patience with yourself.

Scripture: James 1:23-25

Receiving God’s Word Through Action 

Faith and action go together. Understanding and works are tethered—joined together at salvation through the working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. James 2:14-17 asks us, 

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 

The poor, orphaned, widowed and lost don’t just need a word from God. They need us to act on our beliefs and love and serve selflessly with the help of the Holy Spirit. Gathering together as believers to worship is just a part of what God intends for us as his children. If we are to receive all that God has for us, if we are to walk in the abundant life God intends, we must resolve to be doers of the word. 

James 1:23-25 gives us a window into the life of a believer who never puts action to his faith. 

Scripture says, 

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 

Your identity as a disciple of Christ undoubtedly comes from a relationship with God, but it is meant to be lived out in your deeds. God longs for you to live a life of good works in response to the unconditional love you’ve been given. He longs for you to live in selfless humility, sharing with others what he’s done in you. 

We’ve separated Christianity from the world. We’ve separated Sunday from Monday, the sacred and secular. Jesus lived in line with God’s love every minute he was here. He broke the rules in healing on the Sabbath. He ministered almost completely outside of the walls of the synagogue. He brought the good news of God’s grace to all who would believe everywhere he went. His life was in no way segregated. Jesus’s turning the water into wine at a party was just as holy and spiritual as his reading of Isaiah in the temple, proclaiming his fulfillment of the prophecy regarding the Messiah. His love was put into perfect action through every word, miracle, step, glance, and prayer. 

With Jesus as our perfect example, let’s live in accordance with God’s will. Let’s blur the line between faith and works until the two become one. Let’s regard meals, conversations, rest, family time, and parties as important and holy as worshipping inside the walls of our churches. Let’s live as Jesus did and make love an action instead of just an idea we talk about on Sunday. 

Prayer 

1. Meditate on God’s desire for your faith to produce good works.

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2:14-17 

2. Ask God where he would have you put faith into action. It could be buying flowers for your wife, finding a new way to honor your husband, taking your children on a special trip, or offering encouragement to someone around you at work or school. Ask the Spirit to give you specific ways he desires you to live out the love you have received. 

3. Ask God for the strength and courage to live out his word. Follow the leadership of the Spirit into the good works he has prepared for you today.