Most everyone accepts the idea that God speaks to special people, like ministers and prophets. When we hear regular people say “God spoke to me” or “I heard God say…” we tend to wonder. Does God speak to ordinary and common people? Can anyone actually ‘hear’ the voice of God?
When the first man was created, God formulated him out of two primary components: the dust of earth and the breath of His Spirit. (a) [See endnotes for Scriptures] These components provide us with a dual set of senses that enable us to relate to and interact with both the temporal and eternal realms.
While our five natural senses equip us to see, hear, taste, touch, and feel temporal realities, the spiritual side of our five senses enables us to sense eternal realities as well. (b) Yes, we all have an inherent ability to hear and sense God share enlightening thoughts and offer directional insight.
How God Speaks
The original sin in the Garden of Eden (ignoring God’s instruction) introduced a debilitating fear of God into the human experience. The dreadful fear caused them to hide from God’s presence (c) and produced a death-like condition to their conscious awareness. (d) Their relationship with God became complicated and their intimate fellowship with Him became strained and in essence died.
In their unrepentant state of mind, they suffered the consequences of their choice and lost the Garden-like life God’s guidance provided. They remained captive to their skewed perception. As long as they perceived that the Eternal One wanted to punish them, their ability to clearly hear and interact with God was greatly impaired. Historically, people have lived with the same fearful state of mind. Thus, our separation tends to keep us from truly trusting, causing us to stray. (e)
We must ask: does God speak to sinful people while they live in sin? Yes, God conversed with Adam and Eve while in sin. (f) Cain heard God caution about the error he was entertaining. (g) God even spoke to the prophet Balaam while he was disobeying. (h) Scripture is full of examples of God speaking to sinful people. We just need to listen and be more attentive to His guidance.
After all, God-in-Christ shed His life blood on Calvary for all humanity, (i) to illustrate that He is a forgiver. We need to accept the fact, stop fearing His loving and redeeming presence, and give ourselves to repent and follow His guidance.
The Eternal One is not limited as to how He speaks to us. Scripture records that God spoke to Abraham at least 10 times: (j)
- Once in a vision
- Twice as an angel
- Twice without noting a visual
- Once as three men
- Four times simply as a voice
In most if not all of these occasions, the insightful thoughts and inspiring words were received by Abraham’s consciousness.
God chided Israel of old for not having an ear to hear. It was evident the day they were delivered and continued into Jeremiah’s day. “The day that I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to this day, warning persistently, ‘Listen to my voice.’ Yet they did not obey or incline their ear.” (k)
The Eternal One is not limited as to how He speaks to us.
Hearing Our Eternal Father
God speaks to us in a variety of ways. Regrettably, we often do not pay attention, are waiting on an audible voice, or simply do not hear Him clearly. When God spoke to Israel at Mount Sinai, they saw and heard many natural wonders but they also heard His audible words. (l) King David compared God’s voice to the wonders and forces of nature, as if they were delivery vessels. (m)
Peter heard God speak in a dream about his ill attitude toward non-believers. (n) God spoke to Paul from a bright light and revealed his treatment of people he perceived were in error was incorrect. (o) Can this shed little light on our attitude and actions toward those who are unlike us?
How does anyone hear the voice of God 
and receive His thoughts today? Simply, we are a lot like a device designed to receive electronic signals (radio, TV, phone, or computer). The spirit of life in every person enables everyone to function as receivers. When we are consciously tuned-in to receive and we are listening, we can hear what God is communicating for our day.
Our reception of the thoughts God sends our way can also be understood as telepathy (transfer of thoughts and ideas apart from natural senses). How did Jesus know what to say and do in the multiple situations he encountered? He heard what his Eternal Father was saying and observed what God desired to do. (p) The prayer of Jesus tells us we can do likewise, “Father, I desire that they also…be with me where I am (in the earth).” (q)
So the question becomes; how sensitive are we to God’s input? While Israel was delivered from bondage, their lack of sensitivity to God’s voice kept that generation from entering the abundance God provided. (r) Their previous beliefs and understandings kept them wandering in a wilderness. Surely, we do not want to limit God’s intended abundance for our lives today!
How does anyone hear the voice of God and receive His thoughts today?
Hearing Spiritual Realities
Our erroneous behavior, mistaken understandings, and feelings of separation have not kept God from offering insightful guidance. Our Eternal Father knows our limitations. Even when we are intentionally open to hearing God’s voice, previous beliefs can cloud our ability to hear clearly.
At the age of 42, I began a new profession and became quite productive. As I had done since my early teens, I continued to seek God’s presence and insight in all areas of my life. After almost seven years, approaching my 49th birthday, I sensed God saying my time there would soon end and I would begin afresh, at my Jubilee. What is a Jubilee? God instructed Israel that every 50th year, a Jubilee was to be proclaimed, to bring release, restoration, and fresh beginnings. (s)
I thought I had a year to get ready to leave the job on my 50th birthday. A few months later, on my 49th birthday, the job came to an abrupt end. My shock only lasted a minute because God reminded me that my 49th birthday began my 50th year. We can be a bit off, but God is faithful.
Scientists are only able to measure and study natural things, so they label our ability to see and hear unnatural realities as a sixth sense. Without realizing it, they are actually acknowledging the spiritual side of our five senses; our ability to see and hear spiritual realities.
We can now understand our ability to hear God speak to each person. It is much like gravity; we experience it without thinking about it. Where do we think inspiring thoughts come from, just out of the blue or the sky? How do we sense a direction to go, receive a fresh idea, have a revelatory thought, and adjust a feeling? It is because our Eternal Father is with us!
What an immeasurable truth! We can hear God speak anytime and anywhere: while reading, meditating, listening to a speaker, and even in conversation with others. As we give ourselves to knowing the heart of God we can learn to recognize His voice above the clatter. The voice of God is full of benefits for everyone that listens.
We can hear God speak anytime and anywhere.
a) Genesis 2:7; b) Psalms 34:8; Hebrews 5:14; c) Genesis 3:8-10; d) Genesis 2:16-17; Ephesians 2:5; Matthew 8:22; e) Acts 17:26-29; f) Genesis 3:9-13; g) Genesis 4:6-7; h) Numbers 22:22-31; i) 1 Timothy 4:10; John 4:42; 1:29) j) Genesis 12-22; k) Jeremiah 11:7-8; l) Deuteronomy 5:24-26; Exodus 20:1, 18-19; m) Psalms 29:2-4; n) Acts 10:10-21; o) Acts 9:1-19; p) John 5:19; q) John 17:22; 14:23; r) Exodus 20:19; Hebrews 12:19; s) Leviticus 25:10-22
Keith Carroll, “The Relationship Guy”
Relational Gospel Founder
Created To Relate author