In light of some thought-provoking things I've read recently (which, as you know by now, provokes me to comment in most cases, especially on spiritual matters), I'm curious how other people hear from God. How do you personally hear from God? In what ways does He speak to you?
Not to be overly analytical, but for the sake of being specific. could you give us rough percentages of how God communicates to you?
Finally, could you describe what it's like for you?
Since it's my blog, I'll tell you how I hear from God.
1) Probably 85% of the time, it's through the Bible. The Bible is God's Word, breathed by His Spirit through the pens of humans. The Holy Spirit often makes the written words on the page fresh to me even when I've read the same thing at different times for the past 30-odd years. Sure, I have dry times, but they are few and far between. By saying "to me" I am in no elevating my place on any kind of hierarchy of Privileged People or anything like that. I'm simply trying to be clear that God is not "out there somewhere" in my experience. I have a close and deepening relationship with Him, and He often just highlights one word or phrase to me, even I'm reading 3 or 4 chapters at a sitting in the morning. My mind will go back to that one word or phrase. (It's ususaly what I'll journal about.)
2) About 10% of the time, I hear the voice of God through Jesus Himself in my mind as if an audible tenor is standing next to me. Usually His sentences to me are short questions as they were to his first disciples. I remember once in Dundalk I was making excuses for not hosting a backyard Bible club for children because we had showings while the house was on the market and I needed to pack (in faith, of course). I said, "I don't have time" to the lady asking if I'd host. When I hung up, God spoke up, "Whose time?" Gulp. I called her back and said, "How does the first week of June sound?" At the club, a mother and her son were given eternal life!
Jesus is the Word (Logos, in Greek). He calls Himself the Good Shepherd and says, "My sheep know My voice." When you've been in relationship with someone a long time, you know their voice. Even if you don't have caller ID on your phone, and it's been five years since you heard from your best friend in high school, you know as soon soon as they say your name who it is. My friend Kelly is like that. All she has to say is, "Zoanna?" and I burst out, "Kelly!"
I know God's voice, and it keeps me from being confused. It's also why I'm not a big subscriber of the "open door" philosophy popular with Christians. ("The Lord opened a door, so I ...."). Satan opens doors, too, and often to very attractive things that call for no faith, whereas the Lord may open a door to something that's immediately scary to me, and calls for great trust.) Sometimes Jesus says to me while I'm reading something that sounds like a tenor whisper. It's not lifted right off the page. It may be, "You need to pray for Linda" (while I'm reading about Moses, and see no connection). Or sometimes while I'm driving He has spoken, "Go left" when my sense of direction says to turn right. I have made some serious mistakes from not listening to that Voice.
3) About 3% of the time, I hear from God through other people. It's often my hubby, my kids, one of the pastors, a sermon on the radio, a friend, a stranger in the grocery store.
4) ABout 1% of the time, it's through music.
5) Less than 1% it's the interpretation of a tongue given in public worship. I used to bristle at tongues, used to be utterly embarrassed when they were given (because I usually had a Baptist guest with me). Had many an argument why they should be kept between a person and God alone. But would God who has a sense of humor, let me, who loves all language, let me off the hook, especially a rebellious hook? No. Pretty soon I was hearing what used to sound like gobbledegook come to me in English. Again, short sentences, often repeated for emphasis.
When I first discovered He had given me the gift, my reaction was, "No, I'm not going to actually use it.. I could be wrong and God might strike me dead. Besides, there are plenty of people who believe women should be silent in church." So I dragged my feet until the Lord made it clear (don't know if He spoke it directly or thru a different means) but it was, "If you don't, you're withholding a blessing."
So that's it from this Listener. What about you?
3 comments:
Hi Zo, love the post. I wanted to write sooner, but have been down with a migraine for the last 4 days. Anyway, for me the Lord speaks to me four main ways. His Word, worship music, His people and Jesus himself.
For a worship music example - When I was getting ready to go to China to smuggle bibles, I was waiting to board the plane, I was a nervous wreck. I was going all by myself, and there were a million reasons I shouldn't go. I asked the Lord to reassure me one more time that it was His will I go. Just then, in the middle of October in the Pittsburgh airport, my most favorite song of ALL times, the Halleluiah Chorus started to play over the intercom. I was not hallucinating... it was actually playing. That was enough for me. I boarded the plane confident the Lord wanted me to do this and excited for what he was going to do.
While in China I had to cross the border by myself. I prayed before I left asking the Lord what book of the Bible He wanted me to read. He led me to Isaiah. Every morning I had my devotions. Every morning He led me to a scripture that gave me directions for how to cross the boarder. For example: Isaiah 10:27 "In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck." These words jumped off the page at me. I had a choice to pull the luggage the bibles were in or carry them on my back. I wanted in the worse way to carry them because I could walk faster, pulling them slowed me down. I felt that the Lord was telling me to trust Him to get the Bibles across the border, (“Lifted them from your shoulders” and pull them across) not my own strength. I obeyed, and I got across safely.
Another day the scripture was Is.18:4 "this is what the Lord says to me:’ I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place.'" He also brought to mind Ps. 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God." I felt the Lord told me that no matter what the officer asked me, no matter what, I was to remain quiet and just wait for him to stamp my passport and then move on. I did exactly that and again I made it through. Each day I had different instructions.
One day I felt Jesus Himself speak to me and prepare me that once my passport was stamped I needed to put it away immediately, and then as I was passing the X-ray area where I needed to put my luggage (which by the way I crossed the border 6 times and never once put my luggage on the X-ray area, I just kept walking) I felt the Lord tell me that I needed to "act" like I lost my passport and be VERY distracted as I passed the X-ray area and to not look up but keep searching my fanny pack as if I lost my passport and whatever I do, do not look up but be totally absorbed in patting myself down, searching pockets, and walking quickly. I did this. While I was doing this, a police officer started yelling at me because I did not put my bags on the X-ray area. He started to come after me and was yelling at me. The more he yelled, the more distracted I "acted" and I just kept walking. Eventually he gave up and must have thought I had bigger problems and let me go.
Although I listed a lot of China examples above, He regularly speaks to me through His word and encourages me, challenges me on sin, and gives me hope for the future.
Some non-China examples are when He brings a timely word to me through a faithful friend. This would be a regular occurrence. I had a friend not too long ago challenge me on how I was dealing with my trials. She was very gentle, but challenged how I was thinking about God in my trials and also showed me that I was having a pretty good pity party for myself. Proverbs 27:6 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend." I was able to thank her for her faithfulness and repent. The Lord was so kind to forgive me and open His Word up to me and help me look to Him instead of my circumstances. I am so grateful that the Lord speaks to us and in so many different ways.
Sorry this is so long. I enjoyed reading your post.
Great post! I read it yesterday and have been in a "not having enough time to comment" mode lately. But I had to tell you I love the new look! Have a great day!
Great "spring" blog make-over!
God speaks to me 100% of the time through His Word. The means may be different, but I can't think of a time when it wasn't through His Word. Whether through personal Bible reading, meditation, prayer, preaching, etc. I think is always been the active Word of God applied specifically to my heart by the illumination of Holy Spirit, either to convict, encourage, or change me.
Even the one time I felt God "speak" in almost an audible way to me that it stopped me in my tracks, it was still through His Word that I'd been meditating on earlier.
I'm often moved by songs about God emotionally, reminded of His truths, and worship through them but I can't say that God "speaks" to me through songs.
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