God-fearing people sometimes feel lost, as if no prayer they provide gets them an answer. And while they are afraid that the Lord is ignoring them, nothing can be further from the truth. God listens to all prayers, and he does answer — in His own way.
In this article, you will learn of 6 signs of God speaking to you and how to read and respond to them.
Why Does God Speak to You?
1. He Wants to Reveal His Purpose
The Lord has a purpose in mind — a grand purpose that His children on Earth don’t comprehend fully. And in order to fulfill that purpose, He reveals it to humans precisely when it’s necessary.
Take the case of Abraham. When God spoke to him, He did so with the purpose of building a great nation. He did so in order to prepare Abraham for the future and the hardships he was to endure. But He also did so to prepare the groundwork for creating the Hebrew nation, one that still goes strong today.
So, when God speaks to you, He also intends to reveal His purpose, or at least the part of His purpose that involves you. And it is therefore instructive to listen, for in fulfilling His purpose, you also fulfill your own. It is a complementary relationship that works to the spiritual benefit of both you and the Lord Himself.
2. His Plans Involve You
As stated earlier, the grand purpose of God involves His children, all of them. And that very much includes both you and us.
When we do His work, we do so as willing servants whose award comes from task fulfillment. Noah is the perfect example of that.
When God needed to cleanse the Earth, he instructed Noah to build an Arc and to save himself, his family, and the Earth’s animals. It was a daunting task, and Noah did the work because the Lord instructed him to. But he also did it because it was the right thing to do, and the result was the salvation of his family. And, consequently, the salvation of Earth and humanity as well.
So, if the Lord seeks your help with something, He does so for several reasons, some of which we mentioned earlier. Another key reason is to test your faith. A true believer will know how to recognize God’s intent and will help Him see it through.
And indeed, the test might be incredibly difficult, as it was for Noah and Abraham. Of course, if you do it knowing you’re helping God achieve His purpose, you’re going to pull through and come out of the whole ordeal stronger than ever. Plus, your faith in Him will increase, and the bond you share will harden all the more.
3. He Wants You to Feel Closer to Him
There are times, indeed quite frequently, when your connection with God goes cold. It might not be your fault, of course. Life just seemed to be throwing one curveball after another at you. And somewhere along your life path, you strayed from God or simply neglected Him a bit.
So, when He speaks to you, He wants to rekindle that bond — the one He shares with all of his children. He is genuinely asking you to let Him be a part of His life once again. For though He may appear cold and unresponsive, He’s anything but. After all, His love for His children is immense and everlasting, and even if you can’t hear Him, He’s there watching over you and guiding you.
Communicating with God is, therefore, key if you haven’t spoken to Him in a while. And sometimes, even a regular conversation may be enough. Just let Him know how your day went, how you feel, and how grateful you are for His grace. After all, He has created the world wherein you live through both good moments and bad, where you progress and where you love.
That one simple conversation will be a spark that gets you back on the right path, the spark that brings God back into your heart.
4. He Offers Encouragement
Of course, God doesn’t only want to speak to you when you’ve strayed from the path. There are plenty of times when His Holy image will appear before you after you’ve done something incredible or praiseworthy. That’s Him directly telling you how proud He is of you and your achievements.
Indeed, there is no greater encouragement than that which comes from the Lord. A lot of men and women across the globe have talents that they don’t use. Worse yet, they squander them or use them for ill purposes. And yet, God talks to them too, for they are His children as much as all others.
But the people who use their God-given gifts for good causes will ultimately hear His word of praise. And at that moment, they will know they are on the right path.
Naturally, there’s a difference between God’s honest encouragement and Satan’s sweet words of nothing. Unlike God, the Lord of Lies will encourage behavior that might seem beneficial to you but is actually toxic and self-destructive. You must therefore learn how to differentiate the word of God from the word of the Unclean One. The sooner you do that, the closer you will feel to Him, and more of His praise will come your way.
God’s encouragement, as beautiful as it is, can also be immensely useful. By doing right by God, you will get the motivation to progress, and that will result in you spreading His word through your actions and successes. Others will feel inspired by you, and if you rekindle the faith in only one of a million, you’re in God’s good graces and as far away from the Evil One as possible.
5. His Word Pulls You Up When You’re Down
Finally, the word of God will appear before you when you feel downtrodden and hopeless. In fact, that’s when God’s voice is the most powerful, for it boosts the human spirit and helps the person pull themselves out of the direst of straits.
It’s a tale as old as time, and we need only look at the Book of Job as confirmation of God’s infinite grace. When Job lost everything he had earned throughout his life, he was tempted to scorn God, whom he had praised and prayed to for decades. And while Job did have some moments of weakness, as all humans do, ultimately, he stuck to his faith. And God indeed heard his prayers and felt the wounds Job felt. Thus, the good man’s fortune was restored.
So, if you’re ever feeling crushed by life, unable to move forward, you’ll know that God is the only answer and that He will contact you eventually. And no issue is too big or small for His advice, be it losing your home or getting fired or being mired in massive debt, or even having a terminal disease.
One conversation with God, and you will already have more than enough energy to try and pick yourself back up. You will join the ranks of millions of people whom the Word of God saved from destruction and damnation.
6 Signs of God Speaking to You
1. Scripture
Lots of children of God tend to forget that whether they speak to Him or not, God has already shared His Word with them. That Word, i.e., the Holy Bible, is deserving of its capital W. For it is in this sacred tome that you can find God speaking to you, with a solution to whatever problem ails you.
Let’s use a hypothetical example. You feel unhappy and unfulfilled, and your days go by looking the same. They almost blend into one another. You barely manage to get out of your bed, and each step you take feels as if your feet were encased in lead. And as sinful as it may be, there’s a thought in your head that it might be the time to just end it all, quietly, so nobody notices that you’re gone.
But as depressed and powerless as you might be, you can’t seem to get the verses from the Bible out of your head. Day in and day out, they pop into your head. Not too often, of course, but at just the right time, in just the right amount. And it’s usually one or two verses that directly relate to happiness and how to obtain it.
That right there is not a coincidence, true believer. That’s the will of God speaking to you through His written tome.
The Holy Bible, just by existing, has saved countless lives mainly because most of them had spoken to God via His quotes and phrases. It shows how much the Good Book means to us all and how respectful and logical God is when using it to communicate with us.
2. His Voice
Reading scripture is a nurturing, necessary experience. However, it’s far from being the only way God speaks to His subjects. Sometimes, the Lord himself will let His voice be heard and converse with the people living on Earth. And we repeat — he will let His voice be heard.
There are, naturally, cynical-minded persons who simply discard any event of God talking to us as superstition or even lunacy. And sadly, a lot of people with mental issues tend to ‘hear God’ when in reality, it’s their mind playing cruel tricks on them. Some people might go even further and ask, ‘what kind of selfish God lets people with health issues commit atrocities in His name?’
Indeed, that is a fair question; a layperson might assume that God simply allows these tragedies to happen. But again, true believers in God will not commit robberies, violence, or murder in His name. If anything, they will be the first people in line to say outright that God did not communicate with these individuals in need of psychiatric help. And indeed, God did talk to some of these good people, audibly and not via scripture.
Much like the verses from the Bible, the voice of God comes unannounced when we least expect it but need it the most. Therefore, it pays to have ears ready and wait for God’s graceful voice to reach our ears the next time.
3. Counsel by Others
There are millions of God-fearing men and women, so it should not surprise you that some of them want to give you advice. Sometimes, it’s out of fear, and other times it’s admiration or general interest and care. Whatever the reason, these men and women often offer counsel to those in need.
Interestingly enough, advice from God might not manifest through the words of a fellow believer. You can receive the Lord’s wisdom from some of the most unlikely sources. For example, a devout Muslim, Buddhist, Shintoist, or even an atheist can give you sage advice on any number of topics.
But make no mistake, that is the word of God speaking through them. It lets you know that He is everywhere and that all of His children have that spark of wisdom inside of them.
Once again, we should stress that not all advice may come from God. What’s more, you may run into someone who hands counsel from the Devil, disguised as if it comes from a noble source. It’s a heinous act from the Lord of Lies, and so you must recognize what advice is godly and what isn’t.
Experience will teach you how to handle Satan. And as long as you steer clear of his lies, you’ll move one step closer to God. A good way of doing that is comparing the counsel to what the Bible says, and if there’s a match, the counsel you’re receiving is sound.
4. Dreams and Visions
Many great men had received God’s wisdom through dreams and visions. People like the Magi and the apostles Paul and John all received warnings and important news via these indirect means.
A dream is a powerful tool of divination.
Many cultures other than Judeo-Christian used them to read the Divine will. When you sleep, powerful images will assail your mind. They will show you entire worlds different from your own, with messages that are not clear at first.
However, the ones that will be clear are the ones God Himself sends. If your dreams repeat themselves, that’s God speaking to you, letting you know that something is amiss. Ignoring these dreams is a mistake. If you do so, you’re not letting God help you and explain what’s going on, effectively shutting Him out of your life.
Visions offer similar effects to dreams, though they appear rarely and are usually more vivid. Nearly all great prophets of Judaism and Christianity had visions of different people, objects, or events.
Apostle John, for example, saw the entire end of our earthly realm in Revelations. He saw beasts and men fall to the pits of hell, angels next to God’s throne. Most famously, he saw the rejoicing that comes at the end of time. And no, it’s not uncommon for everyday Christians in 2022 to have a few divine visions.
5. An Inner Knowing
There’s that feeling, in the very core of a man’s body, that lets them know something is a little off. It’s a bit of a defense mechanism, telling the person whether or not they should proceed.
Sometimes, the gut is loud and states, “do it, go for it, don’t miss the opportunity!” Other times, it will quietly say, “walk away and leave it be, it’s not worth your time, and it is likely dangerous.”
The modern English language refers to that feeling as listening to one’s gut, as opposed to listening to one’s heart or brain. In fact, it’s God speaking directly through you, letting your body show you what you’re doing right or wrong. By listening to your gut in these situations, you will reach a decision that will get you one step closer to Heaven.
Of course, as is the case with counsel and dreams, the gut can also be stimulated by Satan. He is quite powerful, and manipulating a human body to the wrong instincts is not beyond his capabilities. So, what can you do to avoid listening to the wrong gut instincts? Well, simply refer to the Holy Bible and see what Jesus would do in that situation. If it runs counter to what your gut is telling you, then it’s best to go with the Bible’s wise words.
6. Paths in Life
Humans have a will of their own, as bestowed upon them by God. They can make any decisions they want, including bad ones. After all, as subservient as humans ought to be to the Lord, He made them be independent thinkers and progress and grow on their own.
So, as an individual who wants to grow and develop further, you will surely have goals of your own. And in order to achieve them, you will be going down certain paths. But those paths might be blocked in one way or another.
If you aim to reach one goal, but the same type of failure keeps happening, that’s God warning you not to pursue it. Of course, you’re under no obligation to listen, but it would be a really good idea if you did. One path in life is not worth maintaining if it goes counter to God’s teachings and your own well-being.
God, however, does not push you into anything directly. He might close a few doors on your path moving forward. But he’ll open a window or a small hatch for you to try and reach for further progress.
What Do You Do When God Speaks to You?
1. Respond in Writing
If God speaks to you at home and you’re not sure how to respond immediately, grab a pen and some paper. Then begin writing anything that comes to mind at the moment. For that’s the Lord slowly guiding you to share your entire life with Him.
Now, it’s important that your writing isn’t formal or dry. Let it flow and relax your mind. Your letter to God should be friendly and warm, deeply familial, for he is your Father and Creator. Writing like that often will open up a whole new relationship with the Lord, and we highly urge you to pursue it.
2. Respond in Conversation
We stated earlier how a simple conversation with God could change anything. And this step is roughly the same as the previous one. When you feel like you’ve heard God’s voice, sit up, listen carefully, and start asking questions. They can range between effective ones and downright useless ones. But be patient and wait for God’s feedback. Once you receive it, talk to the Lord some more, as it will strengthen your link to Him a thousandfold.
3. Pray
Prayer is the chief defense weapon against Satan in all his forms. As a God-fearing person, when you hear His voice and see His message, put your hands together and get on your knees. Then recite your favorite prayers, focusing on what comes next.
It might be mid-prayer. It might be once it’s long done. But God will definitely speak to the person who prays diligently.
4. Take Proper Action
Should you act after hearing the word of God and immediately go according to His plan? Is the better solution to wait it out and see where it goes?
In reality, both of these acts sound legit. At times, the Lord might need you immediately, sharing a task that only you can pull off. But at other times, the Lord needs you to think and only act once you’ve figured everything out. Once you learn to recognize which is which, your faith in God will strengthen, and you’ll move through life with a lot more ease.
