Be led by the Spirit of God
In any satisfying relationship, there should always be 2-way communication e.g. in husband-wife & parents-children relationship. Many Christians pray and hope that God would hear them. But that is just 1-way communication. You need to know that God loves communicating with you! He talked to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 2:16; 3:8-9). It was the sin of disobeying God that broke the relationship and hence the communication between God and men (see Genesis 3).
The reason Jesus came to earth was to restore our relationship with God. Once your relationship with God is restored, the communication between God and you is restored too. What does that mean? It means the Father God wants to speak to you directly and personally.
By Jesus’ finished work on the cross, you are made righteous and are now a temple of the Holy Spirit once you have confessed Christ as your Lord and Saviour (see 1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 6:16). Right on, God sent the Holy Spirit to live in you, to guide and teach you (see John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7-15).
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Romans 8:14)
The word ‘led’ here in Greek is pronounced as ‘ag-ō’. It also means ‘to lead, to bring, to drive’. If the Holy Spirit is to ‘lead’ you, no doubt there must be a way of communication. Isn’t it?
The 1st communication: ‘’I know that I know that I know’’
You may say, “Pastor, I have never heard from God before.” That’s because you didn’t even realise it when God spoke to you in different ways.
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ… (Romans 8:15-17a)
When you are asked, “how do you know you are surely saved?” You can explain with all the profound scriptures about Christ’s salvation work on the cross. It’s great! But it’s the ‘’I know that I know that I know’’ deep inside your heart which resonates with those scriptures that causes you to ‘know’ deep inside that you are saved. What’s that? It’s God’s Spirit bearing witness inside your heart. This is the most basic, non-verbal and yet deepest way God speaks to you in your spirit.
So, what makes you think your Father God doesn’t talk to you? Some believers think God shuns away from them when they sin. Some believers think they don’t hear from God because they are not special enough compared to other believers with ‘great callings’. But can you find Jesus or His apostles said it anywhere in the Bible? No! So who told you that?
It’s the devil who first lied to Eve in the Garden of Eden - that God doesn’t want mankind to have His wisdom! (see Genesis 3:5) It’s religion that tells you, you need someone ‘holier’ or with ‘greater callings’ to be the mediator for you. But Jesus has already become your perfect Mediator! (see 1Timothy 2:5) It’s your legalistic flesh (old-self) that tells you, you aren’t worthy to hear from God because you still can’t stop sinning. But you are already cleansed and saved by His grace through your faith in Christ. You cannot achieve it with self-effort (see Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-9). The true desire and the ability to please God can only come by the working of the Holy Spirit within you (see Philippians 2:13).
Be set free from that bondage of fear! You are now joint heirs with Christ (see Galatians 4:6-7). As much as God loved to communicate with Jesus when He was on earth, that’s how much He longs to communicate with you.
Father God speaks to each of His sons & daughters
You may ask, “How about the prophets? Aren’t they sent by God to speak to us?” Good question.
In the Old Testament, God spoke only through the anointed prophets because the Holy Spirit was not yet given. In the New Testament, every believer of Christ is sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of their inheritance in Christ (see Ephesians 1:13 & 2 Corinthians 1:22). Therefore through Christ, we have access by one Spirit to the Father God (see Ephesians 2:18).
But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. (1 John 2:27)
If you are a parent with 3 children, will you make one of them as your representative to speak to the rest? No! You love each of them as who they are. You love to spend time and talk to each of them personally. So is your Father God. He loves talking to you personally.
Then, what are the prophets for? Prophets in the New Testament are called together with apostles, evangelists, pastors and teachers in the 5-fold spiritual offices to equip the saints for the work of ministry, and to edify the body of Christ (see Ephesians 4:12). Prophets teach and train believers to hear more accurately from God. Prophets also prophesy to confirm revelations the believers have personally received from God. Apostle Paul told us in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 not to quench the Spirit by despising prophecies. But we are to test the prophecies and keep what is good.
The best way to receive prophecies and to know the accuracy of the prophecies is when they come as a confirmation to the revelation you have already previously received from the Lord. I personally think that Father God prefers to communicate with you personally first, before sending the prophets. But that depends on how open and ready you are to be led by His Spirit, thus to hear from Him.
Many ministers of God use the above scriptures to teach on the gift of prophecy. It’s not wrong as believers with prophetic gifts tend to hear from God through the above means more frequently because of their specific calling. But the prophetic gift is the manifestation of the Spirit for the benefit of others (see 1 Corinthians 12:7). That means if you have the prophetic gift, you receive revelation from God to minister to others. While as a beloved child of God, you receive revelations through these means for your own benefit.
The ways God speaks to lead you
But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath; … (Acts 2:16-19a)
Apostle Peter quoted Joel 2:28-30 in the above scriptures. He was preaching Christ boldly in the public for the first time after being filled with the Holy Spirit. These scriptures are very powerful because they are the proof that God wants to communicate to 'all flesh' which is every one of us through His Spirit!
The above scriptures also indicate that God communicates with us in different ways:
Bearing witness – the Holy Spirit testify unto your spirit as in Romans 8:16.
Stirring in the spirit – the Holy Spirit impresses God’s feeling upon your spirit and prompts you for actions. (Note: related scriptures will be provided in another post on this specific topic.)
Hearing – in order to prophesy, you need to first hear from God’s Spirit speaking either audibly or in your spirit.
Visions – He lets you see visual slide(s) of stagnant or moving picture(s) or divine figure(s), while you are awake.
Dreams – The Holy Spirit overrules your mind with drama scenes when you are sleeping.
Signs & wonders – He speaks to you through physical signs and also through supernatural occurrences.
Many ministers of God use the above scriptures to teach on the gift of prophecy. It’s not wrong as believers with prophetic gifts tend to hear from God through the above means more frequently because of their specific calling. But the prophetic gift is the manifestation of the Spirit for the benefit of others (see 1 Corinthians 12:7). That means if you have the prophetic gift, you receive revelation from God to minister to others. While as a beloved child of God, you receive revelations through these means for your own benefit.
I will give more details on each of the ways God speaks to you through the Holy Spirit in other posts on these specific topics.
We have derived from the scriptures and we are convinced that our Father God loves to communicate to you through His Spirit. He doesn’t look at how perfect you are or how great a calling you have. He looks at each of you as His beloved son/daughter, redeemed by Jesus’ precious blood. How will you look at Him today? Are you ready to spend more time conversing with a loving Father God and to hear from Him? If you are willing to hear, He is always willing to speak and lead you!