Scripture Begins to Jump Out at You
The Bible declares, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The Bible also says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is not just a book written by men, it is God’s living, breathing and active Word. The evidence of archaeology, history, fulfilled prophecy and personal testimony over thousands of years overwhelmingly points to the fact that the Bible is God’s Word.
The more and more you read the Bible, the more things will begin to jump out at you. This is a sign that the Holy Spirit is at work, trying to communicate God’s message to you. There are an infinite number of things that the Holy Spirit can communicate to you so you can handle any problem that may be coming your way. Over time, God's voice will become even clearer to you and you will have an even greater ability to discern it.
God Will Speak Through Dreams and Visions
If you’re wondering if God speaks to us through dreams and visions, the answer is yes. The Bible tells us, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28). God actively speaks to us through them and these can have scriptural meaning. God uses these messages to reveal His purpose for your life. Pay attention to what He is telling you. He may be speaking to you right now and you don’t even know it. Sometimes our dreams challenge us about things in our heart that we leave unattended. During our dreams, God bypasses any walls we have surrounding our hearts that can make us dull of hearing. We then have the listening to hear what the Spirit is saying. When we understand what God is saying to us, we can communicate with Him in a new way and also live in His purpose.
You Will Begin to Hear His Voice Through Prayer
It’s easy to talk and present our requests to God, but it’s a lot harder to listen to what God is telling us. Truly listening to God is an art that requires training and discipline. It’s very difficult to hear God’s voice when we are listening to every other voice besides His. The writer of Hebrews tells us that we can train our ears to recognize the voice of God above all the noise. “But solid food belongs to those who are full of age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14). When we practice, by reason of use, we are able to discern whether what we hear is of God, our flesh, or the Enemy. It’s important that we hear the Holy Spirit and recognize the ways He is speaking and working through us. Jesus said, “He who has ears [to hear], let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing” (Matthew 13:9). Prayer is so important as it can really open us up to hearing what God is trying to say to us. When we pray, we learn how to listen better. Pray that God will give you a hearing heart to listen and to obey.
You Receive Answers You Didn’t Know You Needed
Sometimes, when we reach out to God, He gives us the answers to questions we didn’t even know we were asking. God always provides according to His purpose for us. Let’s take our reading or listening of the Bible for example. How often have you read the Bible and a particular verse, or set of verses just jumped out at you? You weren’t sure why, but it just felt like those verses were speaking to you. They were. When these moments happen, ask God what He is trying to tell you through these verses. Some people make it a practice of reading through scripture and asking at the end of each reading which verses stood out most to them. If you’re in tune with the reading, but nothing is standing out to you, maybe those particular verses aren’t speaking to you and that’s ok. Don’t think of the Bible as a story book. Think of the Bible as your guide to handling your everyday.
God Will Begin to Adjust Your Listening
When God is trying to reveal something to you, He will begin to adjust your listening. If you’re having a difficult time discerning God’s voice, you may not really be listening the way you think you are. Sometimes, when we’re going through trials or rushing through prayer, we find ourselves so far from Him that we can’t hear Him. We tune God out because we don’t like the answers He’s giving us. Other times, we simply tell ourselves that we can’t hear His voice because the enemy has pulled us to a place where we are not only doubting ourselves, but also doubting God. Be aware of the enemy’s advances. First Peter 5:8 tells us “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”. The enemy is active, and always looking to pull you down in your moments of strength and weakness. It’s important in these moments of separation from God that you listen to God’s voice and not get distracted by the enemy’s voice.
