How Does God Talk to Us?

These are some of the common ways that the Lord communicates with us:

• A simple, quiet “knowing” that something is true or not true, right or wrong, of God or not of God. This inward “knowing” is what the Bible calls “the witness of the Holy Spirit”, and among many believers this is often called “the inner witness” or “being led by the peace of God”. It is not a voice or a vision – it is simply the Holy Spirit letting your own spirit know the truth of something. While this may not seem to be very spectacular, it is from the Holy Spirit himself and it is supernatural. This is the primary way that the Holy Spirit leads the believer. In fact, this inner witness to the truth will always be present whenever the Holy Spirit is leading, even if he is giving “spectacular” visions or a very clear voice in your spirit. The inner witness, the peace of Christ in you, is the foundation for all of the Holy Spirit’s guidance. It is through the inner witness that every believer knows experientially that he is a child of God – “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. The one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself.” (Romans 8:16 & 1 John 5:10)

• A heightened understanding of what you are reading - verses of the Bible will seem to “stand out”, or they will seem to be speaking right to you or they will give you special insight – this is called illumination.

• A spontaneous flow of thoughts that is full of his wisdom, his mercy and his love for you. When you pray or ask the Lord something, his “voice” will often register in your thoughts in this way. Because it registers in your own mind, it will feel like your thoughts, but it will carry with it a quiet sense of peace, life and wisdom that originates with God and not you. This is your own spirit, picking up on what the Hoy Spirit is saying to you, and registering it in your mind. Believers often call this “the still, small voice” or “the voice of your spirit.”

• A picture or something like a mental image that you may “see” on the screen of your imagination. If the Holy Spirit “speaks” to you in this way, simply and quietly “look” at it to see all he wants to show you. It may be anything from a “flash image” to a “mini-movie” or sequence of pictures. These are sometimes referred to as impressions, pictures, or mini-visions.

• A dream – the Lord often counsels his people through dreams in the night. King David said, “I will bless the Lord, who has given me counsel; yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons.” (Psalm 16:7 Amplified Bible)

• An emotion or feeling that the Holy Spirit brings up from deep within your heart.

• Very clear words on the inside of you, easily “heard” and understood. This is often called “the voice of the Holy Spirit.” Sometimes, when this form of guidance comes in a strong fashion, it is so clear that it seems as if someone standing with you had just spoken to you. This is not the normal way that God leads, and we are not to seek for “voices” as such. This direct “voice of the Holy Spirit” comes as God wills. In your daily walk with God you always have the witness of the Spirit in you and the illumination of scripture to depend upon. In addition, you can always commune with God through your spirit and thus pick up on his flow of thoughts, and you can often “see” what may be called “mini-visions” or Spirit-led mental impressions.

• A very clear vision seen inside your mind when your eyes are closed. As with the strong “voice of the Holy Spirit,” these forms of guidance sometimes come, but only as God wills.

• Higher levels of revelation – there are higher levels of revelation that include things such as: seeing a clear vision with your eyes open, hearing the audible voice of God, having a visitation from an angel or the Lord himself, and being taken up to heaven. These things are not the normal ways that God speaks to us, but are nevertheless things that from time to time he may choose to do.