God Conversations: 7 Days to Hearing God’s VoiceSample

God Speaks Back: When You Pray, do You Expect God to Speak Back?

Since the beginning, God has been a talker. All the way through the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, we see him speaking about a whole range of topics. Unlike other gods in the ancient world, the God of the Bible is known for his ability to speak. His words are full of love, power, and authority. They are designed to enact his purposes on the earth and reveal more of his character and nature. 

The Scriptures tell of how human rebellion originally blocked our relationship with God, but it never stopped him wanting to communicate with us. In ancient times, God chose certain people to be his mouthpieces. Known as ‘prophets,’ they would hear from God (usually through dreams and visions), then ‘prophesy’ or pass his messages on. So the people heard from God, but they had to go through a ‘middle man.’ Prophets like Moses knew this wasn’t ideal and looked forward to a time when everyone could go directly to God and hear the voice of his Spirit for themselves. 

Everything changed when Jesus came. While the prophets spoke words from God, Jesus came as The Word of God. He came as God ‘in the flesh.’ That means everything Jesus said and did was God’s message to us. Jesus did nothing without hearing from his Father and modeled a closeness with him that no-one had experienced before. He came to deal with our sin problem and paved the way for everyone to experience intimate relationship with God. 

Then the moment everyone had been waiting for finally came. On the Day of Pentecost, the Spirit was poured out, not just on God’s ‘chosen ones,’ but on all people; male and female, old and young. Now everyone could hear God speak in the same way the Old Covenant prophets did. Everyone can now hear God’s voice for themselves!

Reflect: What does God’s ability to speak show us about his nature?

Prayer: Thank you God that you are not struck mute in stone. You are a communicator who wants to speak to me personally. Help me to get to know you more through hearing your voice.