How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

In Christianity there is no end of people claiming God told them this or God told them that. Is it always God when someone thinks God spoke to them? I ask this because a poster said God told her that it would be ok to use a cuss word if she wanted to.... Are we prone to thinking God is speaking to us when He really is not and perhaps we are led more by feelings and over active imaginations? Just curious and BTW I've wondered this for a long time so the other post just sort of reminded me. This is not meant to be a reflection on her

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

You'll hear the voice of George Burns or Morgan Freeman asking you to do crazy stuff you'd NEVER do otherwise . . .

This is why it is important to allocate some of our prayer time to listening, so we become more accustomed to that still, small voice.

Using just logic, easily less than one-fourth of actions taken by people believing they were spoken to by God are truly divine orders.

First, look at the actions and see if they align with scripture or not. The half that don't were performed by people who were obviously not hearing from God.

Of the remaining group of actions, it can be further divided into various categories:
Conscience
Guilt
Worry
Peer pressure
Random dreams
ulterior motives
the true voice of God

I am probably overly cautious on this subject. There is a cultural imperative to avoid anything that even remotely appears to be similar to the latter rain movement.

A lot of it has to do with our own preconceived notions. God can use anybody - ANYBODY. Somebody could come up to you with a true word from God for you, and you could reject it because they don't "look the part" in your eyes. God looks for availability, not ability.

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

I believe we blame God for too much stuff that he had nothing to do with.

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

Its a matter of checks and balances. If and when you think God is speaking to you, it will clearly line up with His Word. Anything you want to know, is found in the Word of God and if you can find what your hearing in the Word, then you KNOW its GOD!

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

Had a discussion of this in Deep Waters, a while back: When God speaks.

A snippet:

This was after some of the verification methods were discussed, like lining up a message with Scripture (which may eliminate some false messages but doesn't prove any true ones) and knowing it "deep inside" (yeah, that's always reliable ;)).

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

But it will always be a reflection.

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

The sure way is that Scripture is the voice of God today. What He reveals to me is in direct correlation to what I've hidden in my heart.

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

Sure way? You mean if a possible message agrees with Scripture, that proves that it literally came from God? That message, at that time?

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

I have heard it said-

God sounds like his word and his word sounds like God-

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

That's not quite what I said. I'm talking not about a 'message' but about Scripture itself.

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

I find it amusing how we believe that it could never be God, when it doesn't fit into our little box of allowable things. It's wonder God ever got through to Peter about the whole clean/unclean thing....

(P.S. I wonder how many Christian/Jews told Peter that he was carnal and deceived, and God would never say that??)

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

Ah, I see what you mean. I misread your post, sorry.

Do you have an opinion on whether God speaks to individuals directly, today? And if so, how does the individual know if it really is God speaking?

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

Blame and maybe we attribute things to God he had nothing to do with...at least not directly. Remember God's rain falls on the just and the unjust. People wonder why God is blessing a Bill Gates with billions and some little guy that is faithful to God is living just above poverty....

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Amen, this is true. But what about the preacher that believes God told him to go to a specific town and start a church? No doubt the word tells us to go into all the world and preach, but it does not say which specific city

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

We know God is speaking to us if the Spirit we think Is His and is speaking says the same as the Word.

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Right. THAT is questionable.

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

Peter had a very real and definite vision though. It wasn't just a random thought. It wasn't just a flash in his mind...he was watching this vision play out like a short movie

BTW it does short of match with what the word was saying about the Gentiles in the OT.

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

Right but what about a personal revelation from God to do something or go somewhere or whatever.

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

Praxeas,

Unfortunately, those whom seek accolades have given an ill-reputation to all legitimate "hearers" of God. Many have damaged saints and pastors with their "thus saith the Lord" counterfeit verbiage, and for this reason many pastors abstain/prohibit this particular movement within their churches. However, no pastor should hinder victories of tomorrow with disappointments of yesterday, due to previous ill experiences.


Anyone claiming to receive granted permission from God to utilize profanity is ignorant. Can you conceive the idea of God or us needing profanity to convey a message?


Furthermore, after reading the following scripture, written within Paul's letter to the saints in Colossae, it was either carnalism or demonic influence that granted this female poster permission to utilize filthy language!

Col 3:8
80 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips





p.s. Pro 17:27 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

I saw that already but my question is how does someone know they were called to a city to pastor it or does that just never happen?

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

Im not refering to a special office in the church that can hear God and everyone else can't. Im talking about ALL Holy Ghost filled believers. How do they know they have heard from God and not just their own feelings?

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

I guess that's somewhat of an accurate statement, seeing God overlooked Eli and spoke directly to Samuel during his childhood. If only some pastors would capture that revelation!



You align what you've supposedly received to the word of God. At other times you ask for confirmation.

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

How did Abraham know that God commanded him to sacrifice his son?

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He became accustomed to the audible voice of God. Have you read about his faith? :tease

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Does it work today?

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

Is there anyone alive today who has enough faith to determine whether the audible or internal voice they hear is really God's? How does one know if they have enough faith to do this? How did Abraham know?

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I usually just look for a burning bush. If there isn't a burning bush or a talking donkey then it is most likely not God.

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Yep. But hey, if you have a decision to make, and you want to know God's will, you could always just use Gideon's method: a fleece, left on the ground overnight. Better than a magic 8 ball! :winkgrin

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

Why can't He just say, "Hey Brad... this is God... I'm speaking to you" (in an audible voice that is clearly not my imagination or subconscious...)

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I dunno, but in the book "The Shack", God wrote someone a letter! ;)

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I think it does happen and sometimes it does not since in some cases it is not necessary. And when it does happen, the one being spoken to and directed by the Lord will know that they know! :)

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Unless they're wrong. :tease

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God speaks to me through my wife cause she is always right.

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Ah! Now there's something I can identify with! :toofunny

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Oh, wait, I should have said "I felt a confirmation in my spirit." :ursofunny

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

My wife can have wrath just like God,certain times of the calendar are moody blue.

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Timmy do you have goosebumps on your goosebumps ?
Maybe nothing will rub you and you'll get frighthened.

Re: How Do You Know if God is Speaking to You?
 

LOL!