When God Reveals Something To You: Recognizing And Understanding Divine Messages
Have you ever felt like God was trying to tell you something but you just couldn’t quite figure out the message? Many believers have experienced the frustration of sensing God’s voice without fully grasping His meaning.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: God reveals messages to people in many ways, both direct and symbolic. Learning to recognize divine communications requires prayer, biblical wisdom, and discerning community.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore how God reveals Himself, how to prepare to hear from Him, ways we can miss His voice, and how to respond when we believe He has spoken to us.
How God Reveals Messages to His Followers
Direct Revelation Through Scripture
The primary way God speaks to Christians is through the Bible. Scripture is inspired by God and serves as a guidebook for life (2 Timothy 3:16-17). When we read the Bible, we may receive conviction from the Holy Spirit about something we need to change in our lives.
God also provides wisdom, encouragement, and direction through His written Word.
Symbolic Dreams and Visions
Throughout the Bible, God revealed messages to people in dreams and visions. For example, Jacob saw a vision of a stairway to heaven (Genesis 28:12). Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a giant statue (Daniel 2).
God may still use symbolic dreams and visions today, though discernment is needed. We should test any vision against Scripture.
Audible Voice
Though rare, some followers report hearing God’s voice out loud. The apostle Paul heard Jesus speak to Him audibly on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:4-6). God also spoke out loud when Jesus was baptized (Matthew 3:17).
While an audible voice would provide clear direction, we must be cautious and test it against the Bible. Satan can deceive through counterfeiting God’s voice.
Impressions During Prayer
Christians may receive communication from God during prayer. Often these come as impressions — thoughts or ideas that seem to come from outside of ourselves. For example, we may receive guidance about a decision we are facing or feel led to reach out to someone in need.
These impressions should align with biblical truth.
Christian Community
God will often speak through other followers of Christ. In fact, 1 Corinthians 12:7 teaches that the Holy Spirit gifts believers with wisdom and knowledge to share with others. A 2022 survey found that 67% of Christians said they had received guidance from fellow believers at some point. (source) Discerning Christians can help test if a message is truly from God.
Daily Life Experiences
Finally, God may reveal messages to us through our everyday lives. This could come while reading a book, overhearing a conversation, or observing something in nature. For instance, seeing a beautiful sunset may remind us of God’s glory and draw us closer to Him.
However, we must filter these experiences through the lens of Scripture to fully discern if they are divine messages.
Getting Our Hearts Ready to Hear God’s Voice
Prayer
Prayer is key to preparing our hearts to receive divine messages. As we draw near to God in prayer, we open our hearts to hear His voice more clearly (James 4:8). We can pray simple prayers like, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9).
Unconfessed sin can hinder our prayers, so we should regularly ask God to search our hearts and reveal any areas that need repentance (Psalm 139:23-24). Persistent prayer cleanses our hearts and fine-tunes our spiritual ears to pick up God’s signals through the noise of life.
Scripture Reading
Reading the Bible regularly keeps our minds saturated in God’s truth so we can more readily discern His voice. God will never contradict His written Word, so immersing ourselves in Scripture helps us weigh whether an inner prompting aligns with biblical truths (Isaiah 8:20).
When we notice a verse or passage speaking directly to an issue we are facing, we recognize God’s Spirit illuminating His living Word to our specific situations. Regular Scripture reading fills our minds with God’s thoughts so that we grow accustomed to the sound of His voice.
Silencing Distractions
Our busy modern lives can drown out God’s gentle whispers with constant noise, notifications and distractions competing for our attention. We need to purposefully retreat from these voices so we can tune our spiritual ears to hear God’s voice once again.
Turn off screens, quiet outside distractions, separate from others’ conversations and opinions, remove clutter from your surroundings. Choose a quiet space and time to purposefully meet with God, silencing the inner and outer turmoil.
Soak in passages reflecting God’s loving care and begin journaling your thoughts and prayers. In returning to peaceful stillness before Him, our spiritual antennas realign to receive His signals clearly.
Repentance and Obedience
Sometimes our ears feel blocked to God’s voice because of unyielded areas of sin or compromise. These build barriers that muffle divine messages from penetrating our hearts. As the Holy Spirit prompts us to deal with unconfessed sin or act on missed promptings from God, we should respond without delay to remove anything hindering our communion with Him (1 John 1:9).
Quick obedience positions us to hear more as we walk surrendered in His will. Additionally, serving others gets our focus off ourselves so we can objectively process God’s guidance toward next steps. Repentance dismantles deafening walls of stubbornness and realigns our receptive posture.
Why We Sometimes Miss God’s Messages
Busyness and Distraction
In our fast-paced world filled with the noise of social media and technology, it can be hard to hear God’s gentle voice guiding us (Prov 3:5-6). When our schedules overflow and minds race with busy thoughts, we easily miss the quiet promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Setting aside regular quiet time to still our minds builds our capacity to perceive divine whispers. As we grow closer to God, we recognize His voice more readily amidst the din.
Doubt
Sometimes our doubt prevents us from receiving God’s guidance. When faced with difficult decisions or confusing circumstances, we might question whether God really speaks to us personally. But the Bible reminds us that sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd.
As we spend time reading God’s word, our faith grows. We realize that the Lord rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Heb 11:6), and our confidence in His personal leading increases.
Misaligned Expectations
We can miss God’s messages when we expect Him to speak in spectacular ways. But in 1 Kings 19, God spoke to Elijah in a gentle whisper, not through impressive natural phenomena. Psalm 131 describes quieting our souls like weaned children to discern the Lord’s subtle guidance.
If we still our hearts, pray persistently, and wait patiently on God through seasons when His voice seems distant, He promises to renew our strength when we feel weary and walk beside us always.
Unconfessed Sin
Like weak mobile signals and disrupted connections, unresolved sins interfere with our communication with God. Psalm 66:18 warns that if we regard iniquity in our hearts, God will not hear us. But as we continually revere Christ through repenting of sins (1 John 1:9), He restores our fellowship with Him.
We must vigilantly guard our thought-lives, ask God to search our hearts (Psalm 139:23), and reject temptations so that nothing blocks us from perceiving His guidance.
Poor Christian Community
Insufficient Christian fellowship hampers our ability to recognize divine messages. In the body of Christ, we grow together, bearing each other’s burdens (Gal 6:2). Wise believers help us test leadings to ensure alignment with scripture (Acts 17:11).
Without godly counsel, we might follow our own imaginations instead of God’s true guidance (Jer 23:16). Prioritizing congregational worship and small groups provides affirmation, correction, and encouragement as we learn to discern God’s voice.
Testing and Confirming God’s Voice
When we believe God has spoken to us in some way, it’s crucial that we properly test and confirm that it truly was His voice. There are a few important ways to do this:
Evaluate Against Scripture
The Bible is the ultimate authority for testing messages from God. As 2 Timothy 3:16 states, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
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So we must carefully compare what we heard with Scripture to see if it aligns.Pray
Come before God sincerely in prayer and ask Him to confirm and make clear His message to you. Ask Him to speak through His Word and give wisdom by the power of the Holy Spirit. As you pray, listen for His still, small voice guiding your understanding.
Seek Wise Counsel
Talk with mature believers who know you well, can speak biblical truth, and want the best for you. Explain what you believe God showed you and ask for feedback. As Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” Their godly feedback is invaluable.
Consider Context and Timing
Look carefully at the circumstances surrounding the message you received. Did it come amid other things God seems to be speaking about? Does the timing make sense? Seek confirmation that contextual factors and timing align with God’s patterns.
Align with God’s Character
Assess whether the message resonates with God’s attributes like love, patience, kindness, faithfulness, grace, holiness, and righteousness. Does it lead you towards obeying Christ’s commands and producing godly fruit in your life? If not, further question if it was from Him.
As GotQuestions.org summarizes, “The best defense against false visions or voices is to know the Word of God.” So ground yourself in Scripture, pray for discernment, and don’t shy away from getting input from other believers. Testing messages is essential for understanding God accurately.
Next Steps After Hearing from God
Find Specific Application
When we receive revelation or guidance from the Lord, it is important that we prayerfully consider how to apply it to our lives in practical ways. Here are some tips for finding specific application:
- Ask God to reveal to you any personal applications, changes, or next steps you should take.
- Examine your heart and life and ask where you need to implement or obey what God showed you.
- Make the application personal and practical. For example, if God reveals His love for you, consider specific ways to live that out daily.
- Ask God for wisdom if you are unsure how to apply a revelation. He promises to give it generously (James 1:5).
Act in Faith and Obedience
When God speaks to us, He desires that we respond with faith and obedience. Here are some principles for acting on God’s messages:
- View obedience as an act of love and worship, not a burden (John 14:15).
- Remember that delayed or partial obedience is still disobedience. Do what God asks right away.
- Trust that God will equip you to obey Him. Rely on His strength, not yours (Philippians 4:13).
- Know that obedience often leads to greater freedom, joy, and blessing in our walk with God.
As we step out in faith to obey God’s voice, we will grow in spiritual maturity and intimacy with Him.
Thanksgiving and Praise
An important next step after hearing from God is to respond with thanksgiving and praise. Here are some reasons why:
- When we thank God for speaking to us, it demonstrates humility and an awareness of His grace in our lives.
- Praise focuses our attention on God rather than ourselves or our circumstances.
- Cultivating a heart of gratitude helps us recognize and remember all the ways God speaks and guides us.
- Thanking God for a revelation He has given helps seal it in our hearts and minds.
Make praise and thanksgiving a consistent part of your journey with God. Let it flow freely from your heart in response to His amazing love and kindness towards you.
Share with Others
When God gives us personal messages or revelations, it is often beneficial to share them wisely with other believers who can help us interpret, understand, and apply them. Here are some tips:
- Consider sharing with a pastor, mentor, or mature Christian friend who knows you well.
- Ask God to give you discernment about who and when to share revelations with.
- Share for the purpose of gaining insight, not to boast about your experience.
- Use wisdom and do not share personal revelations in a way that causes confusion or disunity (1 Corinthians 14:33).
Sharing what God shows you can help strengthen and encourage other Christians. Let love, humility, and discernment guide you as you testify about God’s work in your life.
Conclusion
Hearing a clear word from God can be one of the greatest joys of the Christian faith. However, learning to recognize God’s voice takes time, intentionality, and community.
As we prioritize prayer, Scripture reading, and heart preparation, we posture ourselves to receive divine messages. When we believe God has spoken, testing everything against His wise and loving character allows us to step out in confidence and obedience.
While sometimes confusing, the journey of understanding God’s voice will take us deeper into relationship with Him as we seek to align our lives around His purposes. We can rest in the knowledge that He wants to reveal Himself to those who earnestly seek Him.
