Jeff

The Bible records God speaking audibly to people many times (Exodus 3:14; Joshua 1:1; Judges 6:18; 1 Samuel 3:11; 2 Samuel 2:1; Job 40:1; Isaiah 7:3; Jeremiah 1:7; Acts 8:26; 9:15 – this is just a small sampling). There is no Biblical reason why God could not or would not speak to a person audibly today. With the hundreds of times the Bible records God speaking, we have to remember that they occur over the course of 4000 years of human history. God speaking audibly is the exception, not the rule. Even in the Biblically recorded instances of God speaking, it is not always clear whether it was an audible voice, an inner voice, or a mental impression.


God does speak to people today. First, God speaks to us through His Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Isaiah 55:11 tells us, “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.� The Bible records God’s words to us in everything we need to know in order to be saved and live the Christian life. 2 Peter 1:3-4 declares, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.�


Secondly, God speaks through impressions, events, and thoughts. God helps us to discern right from wrong through our consciences (1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Peter 3:16). God is in the process of conforming our minds to think His thoughts (Romans 12:2). God allows events to occur in our lives to direct us, change us, and help us to grow spiritually (James 1:2-5; Hebrews 12:5-11). 1 Peter 1:6-7 reminds us, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.�


Finally, yes, God likely does sometimes speak audibly to people. It is highly doubtful, though, that this occurs as often as some people claim it does. Again, even in the Bible, God speaking audibly is the exception, not the ordinary. If anyone claims that God has spoken to them, always compare what is said with what the Bible says. If God were to speak today, His words would be in full agreement with what He has said in the Bible. God does not contradict Himself. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 proclaims, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.�

Reproduced with permission from Got Questions

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there is nothing too hard for God
Jermiah 32:27

SpiritLedEd

I got saved through a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit in 1983 and God has blessed me numerous times by using me to deliver words of prophesy and encouragement.

He does not speak to me audibly (at least not yet), but He does speak to me through my thoughts as well as through His Word, the Bible.

Many times He has caused an urge to speak to rise up inside of me and when I try to dismiss the idea, He will stir up the urge again. When the urge comes again, I know it is God speaking and I will go ahead and speak the message.

SLE

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I want to be a coin in God's pocket that He can spend any way He wishes.

CD27

I have had similar effect, including standing up in front of a large congregation to give my lengthy testimony.

cd

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"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
Galatians 2:20-21

Jeff

I love standing in front of people and testifying. Most of the time it makes me nervous, but i feel so happy about it. :-D

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there is nothing too hard for God
Jermiah 32:27

CD27

yea, like yesterday at church my pastor was talking about some changes our church has had to go through because of a great need for an administrator to organize things and yet we don't have enough money to pay them.

So, i stood up and said, "Everyone in the church has somehting to offer and if we work together as a whole, as a church is supposed to work, and not just a few people running the entier church, then we won't need an administrator because nearly everyone in the church will be able to act as a part of that whole administrator." lol, i felt special

cd

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"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
Galatians 2:20-21

greyfeather

I also find that although not spoken out loud , I can feel and hear God speaking inside . This is usaly in very quiet times when I am still.

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Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.

Associate Chaplain

I found, for the second time recently, that GOD does speak to us. I turned over a problem to HIM, saying " I give up trying to take control of my problem it is in YOUR hands." I was sleeping when I was told I do not have a problem - things completely changed.

Boanerges

I was dealing with some local cultist and spent hours researching the subject. After wrestling with a particular subject I went to bed and prayed just before going to sleep. I was awakened in the middle of the night by a loud clear voice speaking one word "Isaiah". I got up and opened my bible and there was the answer I was looking for. God had given me the answer I was praying for.

|_.

A couple years ago my mom and my family were having Christmas dinner and a voice spoke to her audible and said this will be your last Christmas together and she said no then the the voice said it will be your last Christmas with Scott (my father) and sure enough it was they had a divorce not even a year later.

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The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27: 1-2

Dusty

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