In this lesson, Pastor Dmitriy Leo examines the ways God can speak to people. The “How to Hear the Voice of God” school was held at Father’s Blessing Church.
The most important thing we can learn in life is to hear God. This is not merely a matter of gaining knowledge or receiving answers; it can save someone’s life. Many people have lost something in life or been deprived of something simply because they did not hear God or did not hear Him clearly. They could not discern when God was speaking to them and when a word was coming merely from a person. There is no doubt that everyone who hears God has a great advantage in every area of life and, of course, in ministry!
Our school is intended not only for mature believers or new converts, but for everyone interested in this topic. We will cover everything from A to Z: laying a foundation for those who have none; restoring it for those whose foundation has been destroyed; and correcting and strengthening it for those who desire to hear God better.
What should people who do not hear God at all do? I believe that, in order to hear God, we must first know all the ways He speaks to people. Second, we must learn to hear His voice. We are not born with this ability, but it can be learned.
Today, the Christian world is divided into two camps on this issue. Some believe that the ability to hear God is a particular gift a person receives from above. Others say it can be learned. I agree with the second view. And we will learn this in our lessons.
We will examine seven topics and answer the questions that concern people most:
How Does God Speak?
What Ways of Seeking Answers from God Are Dangerous?
Why doesn’t a person hear God?
Why doesn’t God speak?
What helps us hear God?
How can we discern the voice of God?
How can we understand what God is saying?
Lesson 1: How Does God Speak?
It is important to understand that a person’s spiritual condition and spiritual level directly affect how often and how clearly they hear God. It is not only about techniques for hearing God or certain principles. How and how clearly and deeply you hear God is directly connected to your spirituality.
Remember one more important thing: the more actively a person grows in serving God, the more reasons God has to speak to them. Conversely, the longer a person lives according to the flesh or withdraws from serving God, the fewer reasons God has to address such a person.
10 Ways God Speaks to People
The Bible often contains phrases such as, “And God said…” I want to explain right away that not every such statement means that these words were spoken in an audible voice. When you encounter phrases in the Bible such as “And God said…” or “heard from God,” you must always examine the context, which explains how exactly God spoke.
We will examine all the main ways God speaks. There are also individual ways, but they are highly specific and do not apply to everyone, so we will not consider them. We will discuss what is applicable to all.
The First Way: God Speaks in an Audible Voice
Numbers 7:89: “When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard a voice speaking to him from above the cover over the Ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; and He spoke to him.”
Imagine the scene: there is a chest, and a voice comes from beneath its cover, as if someone were sitting inside and speaking. Notice that Moses heard an actual voice; these were not simply his thoughts!
Daniel 4:28: “The words were still on the king’s lips when a voice came from heaven: ‘This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your kingdom has been taken from you!’”
In this case, people were meant to hear the voice; they later recorded what they had heard in the historical books.
Acts 11:9: “The voice spoke from heaven a second time: ‘Do not call anything impure that God has cleansed.’”
The Bible shows that God communicated audibly with only a few people. In theory, God can speak to you in this way too, but it is not the primary way He speaks to people.
Some believe that if they heard God’s distinct voice, they would be able to understand Him clearly. But if this were the best way to communicate with people, God would use it most often.
Here is a story that makes us consider how people can hear God’s distinct voice without realizing it.
Jesus prayed: “Father, glorify Your name!” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there and hearing it said that it was thunder; others said that an angel had spoken to Him. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not Mine” (John 12:28–30). The people never understood that God was speaking. Some thought it was thunder; others thought it was an angel. But Jesus told them, “No, the Father was speaking to you.”
So God often speaks to us through those who praise, preach, and pray, but some of us hear only noise, some hear a human voice, and some hear the voice of God.
The second way: God speaks within a person
2 Samuel 23:2: “The Spirit of the Lord speaks through me, and His word is on my tongue.”
Habakkuk 2:1–2: “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the tower; I will watch to see what He will say to me, and what answer I will give concerning my complaint. Then the Lord answered me and said…”
It is difficult to say what the expression “in me” implies, but I assume it refers to thoughts that God places within a person. If it says “in me,” it means not from outside. If it said “in the heart,” it would relate more to feelings. But here it says “will say in me,” so I assume that it nevertheless comes in the form of thoughts sounding in a person’s mind.
At the same time, it is important to understand that thoughts can come both from demons and simply from our fleshly desires (especially if we passionately want something and ask God for it).
The third way: God speaks through the Bible
Perhaps you think you know everything about this way? Then I will reveal something interesting to you.
2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…” God uses all Scripture to (think about this!) teach, rebuke, correct, and instruct us in righteousness. For this purpose, God can use the entire Bible as a tool—from cover to cover.
This means that the written Word carries the same weight and influence as the spoken Word. And those who want specifically to hear the voice of God need to understand that the written Word is identical to the spoken Word.
2 Samuel 12:7–10 tells how, after David sinned, the prophet Nathan came to him and rebuked him:
“Then Nathan said to David: This is what the Lord God of Israel says: I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why then have you despised the word of the Lord, doing evil in His sight?”
Notice: nowhere does it say that God had previously told David, “Do not touch Uriah’s wife!” This refers to the word David knew—that is, the “Pentateuch” of Moses. It was about this that God said, “Why have you despised My word?”
“You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you took his wife to be your wife, and you killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised Me.”
Through the prophet, God speaks in His own name: “You have despised Me.” The Lord rebuked David because he had despised not only the word but the very person of the Lord.
The Bible is the inspired Word of God, so we cannot say, “Well, it isn’t ‘rhema’; it is merely ‘logos’!” Friends, it is not merely logos—it is what God has said! It is His message to us! And if the Bible says that something must not be done, God does not need to tell you so in a thunderous voice. If you do what the Bible forbids, you despise the Word of God and His person, since the written word is equivalent to Him saying it to you personally.
The fourth way. God speaks through people
People often do not want to receive messages from God through others, considering it shameful or humiliating. It seems to me that pride is the reason for this. As I studied the Bible, I discovered that God most often speaks to people through other people. This is part of God’s wise plan. We cannot say to God, “Why do I need people? Speak to me personally.” He speaks to us both personally and through people. And sometimes God deliberately will not speak to you personally, because He wants to deliver His message to you through someone else.
God does this in His wisdom so that there will be no divisions in His Body. So that no one separates themselves from the Body and says, “I am great! God speaks to me personally. I don’t care who tells me what in God’s name. I don’t need anyone!” You will get nowhere without the Body! In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit baptizes Christians precisely into the Body. You are either in the Body or outside the Body. The universal Church is the Body of Christ, so it is very important to be in the Body!
If you are seeking answers from God, you need to understand that God may speak to you both directly and through other people. Both are right and good!
Jeremiah 25:4: “The Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them—but you have not listened or inclined your ear to hear.”
God could have addressed each person personally, but He sent prophets to speak to people through them.
And yet many Christians today do not agree with this. They base their view on Acts 2:17:
“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…”
Do you know what the truth is? Every born-again person is able to hear God personally. But it is also true that in New Testament times “God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets…” and that He also speaks through a prophetic voice, prophetic anointing, and prophetic ministry. So one must not separate one from the other.
The fifth way. God speaks through events
Psalm 127:1: “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”
The Bible contains many examples of God allowing certain events because of people’s disobedience, saying, “I am not with you. Go to war or do whatever you want. I will not bless you.” We find many instances when God allowed drought, rain, famine, pestilence, or plagues to show His people that they had turned away from God and were acting unrighteously.
However, keep in mind that this way of hearing God is intended for mature Christians, because believers who live according to the flesh rather than the spirit perceive every event as a sign from the Lord. Therefore, I would not recommend that new believers try to hear God in this way.
For example, when you are trading and business is going well, it is very easy to say, “Oh, God is blessing me!” But if business is not going well: “Oh, I must be doing something wrong, so God has closed the windows of heaven over me!” In other words, events can be interpreted in any way. This is a great risk. In this way, you can follow false voices and expectations and get into serious trouble.
I have heard people misinterpret events so many times. They go to the bank reasoning like this: “If I am granted a loan for this venture now, it means it is from God. If I am not, it means it is not from God.” Or: “If I enter this building now and such-and-such a person meets me there, it means I should continue. If they do not, it means this is not the will of God, and I will turn back.” This is manipulating God.
The sixth way. God speaks through the plant and animal worlds
The Bible describes how God grew a plant that sheltered Jonah from the heat. Then the Lord caused a worm to attack the plant’s root, and it withered. Jonah was so upset about this that he asked to die. God replied, “You are so upset about a plant! So why should I not have pity on an entire city?” Thus, God taught Jonah a lesson through a plant.
Solomon wrote many proverbs based on observations of the animal world, through which God spoke figuratively to people and still speaks to them today. However, in order to interpret these images correctly, we need to ask God for wisdom from above.
The seventh way. God speaks through the Holy Spirit
This way of communicating with God should be the highest priority for every Christian. If we understand this, we will hear God much better.
Acts 8:29: “The Spirit said to Philip…”
Acts 10:19: “While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him…”
Acts 13:2: “While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said…”
God can reveal His will to us most quickly and accurately through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. It is important to understand that we can and should develop our relationship with the Holy Spirit. We cannot learn to hear God better through signs or heavenly messengers, because God Himself decides when to send us a sign or angels. The Holy Spirit already lives in us, and His purpose is to be our Teacher and make Jesus a close friend to us. Communication with the Holy Spirit opens up a wonderful opportunity for us to learn to hear God better.
As we can see, there are many ways, but as you practice each of them, as you grow, you will settle on 2–3 priorities for yourself and develop them. And God, seeing that you are developing precisely these ways, will speak to you through them more often. For He understands that your ear is open to this way. Otherwise, you will doubt a hundred times, double-check a hundred times, and reject it.
Personally, I would advise you to focus on the Holy Spirit and make communication with Him a priority. This is the best channel because He is within you.
I have heard some people say, “I want to hear the Father and Jesus specifically.” Don’t worry about it! John 4:24 says: “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” We don’t need to divide God. He is spirit!
The Eighth Way: God Speaks Through Angels
The Bible contains many examples of God speaking through angels. Angels are subject to archangels, who in turn are subject to God. They bring us messages from God according to His will and purpose. I do not recommend developing relationships with angels, because Satan can come disguised as an angel of light.
The Ninth Way: God Speaks in Dreams and Visions
Acts 18:9: “The Lord said to Paul in a vision at night: Do not be afraid; keep on speaking and do not be silent.”
Have you ever wondered why the Lord does not speak in just one way? Sometimes He appears Himself, sometimes He speaks to people in dreams, and sometimes He sends angels or prophets. I have understood one thing: we should not try to hear God in only one way.
The Tenth Way: God Speaks Through Signs
Acts 2:19: “I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.”
Signs differ from one another. There are spiritual signs, for example, those indicating the coming of God’s judgments, and there are natural signs—the sun, moon, and stars—by which one can determine the time of day and location.
We need to understand that there are signs through which God speaks, and there are simply natural phenomena that, in their ignorance, pagan peoples in ancient times accepted as divine messages. Therefore, not everything that happens with the sun, moon, and stars should be regarded as signs from God.
In addition, there are signs that have no hidden meaning at all—they are given simply for encouragement. For example, God may cover you with gold dust or glitter; oil, feathers, stones, and so on may appear on your hands. These are specific signs through which God says that He is with us.
We have examined the 10 main ways God uses to communicate with people. We began with HOW God speaks, and next we will consider WHY, WHAT, and FOR WHAT PURPOSE God speaks.
In this section, I wanted to convey the main point to you: to hear God, you need to know HOW He speaks and practice doing so. Then you will learn to hear God more clearly and discover the ways you previously neglected.
And if, after completing this lesson, any of you take more seriously the ways you previously underestimated, God will begin to speak to you through them. At the same time, you should not think, “Why doesn’t God speak to me clearly?” You should thank God that He has begun speaking to you in various ways, because that is wonderful!
My goal is also to show you that all these ways are valuable and important. You should not weigh them on the scales of your preferences and say, “I like this, but not that!” If you are open to all the ways, you will have a greater chance of hearing God!
People often come to me asking me to pray for them and listen to what God will say. They usually repeat the same sad story: “God does not speak to me. I do not hear God and cannot understand what He has planned for my life.” As I listen to such people, I realize that God has spoken to them many times—they simply did not notice it!
– I have addressed you repeatedly!
– When, Lord?
– Do you remember reading about it in the Bible? Do you remember hearing it in a sermon? Remember when there was a word for you at the home group?! That was Me speaking to you.
God very often speaks to us in this way. Believe me, many problems arise because people are unable to hear from God what they should do in a particular situation. Many difficulties and disasters befall people simply because they did not hear God at a critical moment or beforehand. Many people have lost their businesses by investing their finances incorrectly because they acted logically or followed the wrong voice. Many people have lost their health or loved ones because they did not hear God’s warnings.
And I urge you to continually practice hearing God for your own sake, for your relatives, and for the sake of sick and unsaved people. We must hear why people do not come to God. We must hear why they are not healed. We must hear why businesses collapse. We must hear what will happen in Ukraine a year from now, so that we will know where to invest our finances and whether we should invest them at all. We must hear which house we may move into and which one we may not. If you are unmarried, you need to hear who your future husband or wife will be.
God said to the prophet T. B. Joshua, when he was not yet married: “A woman will come to you. Do not send her away; she is from Me. She is your future wife.” And He told her: “There is a certain man. He is your future husband. He lives in such-and-such a place. Go to him.” At that time, T. B. Joshua was not planning to marry. He simply wanted to live in the jungle and spend time alone with Jesus. But God decided otherwise!
Let us pray:
Lord, we accept Your challenge! We truly realize that we could have avoided many difficulties, defeats, failures, and losses if we had heard You clearly. And what we do not yet have, what has been delayed somewhere along the way, we would have received long ago if we had clearly heard Your voice. And we are zealous, Lord, to hear You more often and more clearly. In agreement, we ask You to teach us this through these lessons.
Lord, we open our spirits to hear Your Holy Spirit within us and to hear Your Holy Word. God, change our wineskins so that we may receive the new. Deliver us from old thinking and from everything that prevents us from receiving the new and hearing You clearly. And we believe that we will learn to hear You better not only for our own sake, but also for the sake of others!
Text prepared by Marina Serkova
