Is God Speaking Today?

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not to thine own understanding. 

In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. 

Proverbs 3:5-6

God still speaks to mankind today; the question is, are we inclined to hear Him?

Apostle Paul summarized:  

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets.  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, who He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds.   Hebrews 1:1-2

God spoke in various ways in times past. He continued to speak to men in the time of Apostle Paul. Apostle Paul said the greatest message God ever communicated was through His Son, Jesus Christ.

God communicated His message in Biblical times by many methods. One method He used is recorded in Exodus:

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.  And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed.  And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.  And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses.   Exodus 3:1-4

From a burning bush, which was not consumed, God spoke to Moses; calling Moses to deliver the nation of Israel from Egyptian bondage. Yes, God definitely spoke to men in times past!

But does God still speak to men today in such miraculous ways? Were these forms of communication limited to Old Testament times before the infilling of the Holy Spirit was given?

The bush still burns! You may not actually experience this specific form of guidance given Moses, but God still speaks to men in miraculous ways just as He did in Old Testament times.

In Hebrews, Apostle Paul pointed out that God continues to speak to the world through Jesus Christ. Not only does God speak through His written Word which records the life and teachings of Jesus, but Jesus promised:  

Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.   John 16:13

The Holy Spirit continues to speak by Jesus communicating God's message to man.

After the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, special revelations from God continued just as in Old Testament times. People dreamed dreams, saw visions, talked with angels, heard the audible voice of God, and experienced other miraculous revelations from God.

Miraculous communication from God did not cease with the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit just added a new dimension of guidance. That dimension included inward direction, intercession according to the will God through the prayer language of other tongues, and special spiritual gifts through which God speaks.

The final book of the Bible, Revelations, is an extended record of a vision God gave to the Apostle John. Right up to the end of His written Word, God is speaking to man in miraculous ways.

God continues to speak to man through these methods. Modern church history contains many well documented instances of miraculous communications from God to man because. . .

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8)

But what happens if God does not choose to speak to you through a miraculous method?  What if you do not experience a dream, vision or miracle? What if He does not speak to you through an audible voice or through supernatural gifts of prophecy, tongues, or interpretation? What if there is no burning bush?

Some people wait all their lives for a supernatural revelation from God. 

Multitudes of believers waste their lives, immobile and ineffective, waiting for some unusual or dramatic message or sign from God.

The early church did not do this. They rejoiced when God chose to lead through miraculous methods, but in the many decisions of everyday life they were not guided by angels, dreams, and visions. Yet they moved ahead as a mighty force for God.

So, what do you do if there is no burning bush? Here are seven steps to finding God's will:

Ö      Pray:

Pray for God's direction in your life. Jesus taught His followers that part of the regular pattern of prayer was to be for the will of God to be done:  

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.   Matthew 6:10

When you pray, express your desire for God to reveal His will to you. Moses said this:  

Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.   Exodus 33:13

King David said this:  

Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.   Psalms 25:4

Prophet Isaiah said this: 

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.   Isaiah 55:3
  

Ö      You can ask for wisdom to make the right choices [in determining the will of God]:  

If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.   James 1:5-7

Ö      Request the prayers of other believers. 

God often reveals His will through spiritual gifts exercised in group prayer meetings. Apostle Paul and Barnabas received confirmation of their calling to missionary service in such a gathering.

As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.  Acts 13:2

Ö      Study The Scriptures:

Earnestly search God's written Word to determine if specific guidance is given for your situation. Determine if there are general Biblical principles or biographical examples which apply.

Searching the Scriptures does not mean letting the Bible fall open and taking the first verse your eyes fall on as your answer. Searching the Scriptures is a detailed examination of the Word and application of its principles to the decisions we must make. Every open door, every opportunity, every other leading we think might be from the Lord should first be tested by the written Word of God. Jesus used this principle. When He was tempted by Satan to act apart from God's will he answered repeatedly 

"It is written. . ."  Matthew 4 

He analyzed everything on the basis of God's written Word.

As you search the Scriptures, be sure to study the many promises for direction.  As you study, it will increase your faith that God does speak and that you can know His voice.

Ö      Listen To The Inner Voice Of The Holy Spirit:

Through prayer and study of the Scriptures, God speaks His will into your spirit by the inner voice of the Holy Spirit.  Part of the "voice of the Holy Spirit" is the prayer language of other tongues. When you are not certain of God's will in a matter, pray in the prayer language of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit knows the perfect will of God and will pray through you in harmony with that will:  

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.   Romans 8:27

Remember -- Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would "shew you things to come." This means He reveals God’s plan to you. He guides you according to the will of God.

Ö      Seek Christian Counsel:

God uses Christian counselors to assist believers in the decision making process. The Bible states:  

Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is a safety. Proverbs 11:14

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. Proverbs 12:15

It is important that believers seek counsel only from mature Christians. Believers, if at all possible, should not seek spiritual counsel from secular psychologists or psychiatrists. They will give worldly counsel. They are "blind leaders of the blind":  

Woe unto you, ye blind guides. . .   Matthew 23:16

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. . .   Psalms 1:1

Never seek counsel from new Christians, as they lack experience and spiritual maturity.  God has set certain gifts within the body of Christ:

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;   Ephesians 4:11
These gifts were given to us individually and collectively for:
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:   Ephesians 4:12-13

Some people only go to a counselor hoping to get them to agree with their own opinions. You will receive little benefit from counseling if this is the attitude. Some believers consult many counselors comparing the counsel they receive. They appear to be taking a poll as to how many are in favor of one course of action as opposed to another. This is not the purpose of counseling. Most important, always remember that all counsel of man must agree with the written Word of God.

Ö      Analyze The Circumstances:

Analyze the circumstances relating to the decision needed tobe  make. These should be considered in relation to the guidance God gives through prayer, study of the Word, the inner voice of the Spirit, and Christian counsel.

Circumstances should not be used alone to determine God's will, but they do define the context of the decision which is to be made. Sometimes circumstances limit choices or provide opportunity for new direction in life.

Don't give up hope because you are not having a new testament experience in hearing the voice of God.  Until and unless you do, let God's written word be your guide; let the Word do the work:

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not to thine own understanding. 

In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. 

Proverbs 3:5-6

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