Does he still speak- Preparing your heart to hear God speak.

Tone of mum’s voice/ how she calls my name signals that she’s happy with me or that I’m in trouble. If the tone of her voice is harsh or impatient, then I know that I have done or that I am doing something amiss. If she calls me endearingly using my pet name, then I know she is happy with me. It is only a wise child that would note the pitch, tone and texture of the parents’ voice to know what to expect.

There are many ways in which God speaks. In Rev 1:15, John compared it to the sound of many waters. 

See Psalm 29: 3-9

The way in which God speaks depends on the circumstance/ situation, the type of person you are. He can speak to a person individually, through someone else (ministers, fellow believers), through events/ happenings in life (there’s nothing like luck/ serendipity for believers!), through a ministration (song or his word- John 1:1, II Tim. 3:16) or even through dreams (Jacob in Gen. 28:12- 15, Joseph in Genesis 37, King Nebuchadnezzar in Dan. 4:9-27).

As long as you’re a child of God and he is the one ordering your steps, even an idea/ thought you’ve never had before that drops in your spirit (take a particular route instead of another), a peace in the midst of chaos or something that may seem like mere coincidence could be God’s way of speaking to you. There are examples of people who have shared a testimony about God leading them to take a route different from their normal route & somewhere down the line they realize that they just averted an accident or that they were placed there to be of help to someone!

Sometimes he speaks audibly in a natural way that will only be heard by the one he is speaking to (ex. Samuel in I Sam. 3), at other times he speaks in an audible voice that would be heard by all (with thunder & lightning @ Mount Sinai Exodus 19: 16-20) and at other times he speaks in a supernatural way (ex. Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3) and even still, he speaks in a still small voice (I Kings 19:12). God speaks to some of us through our conscience (our sense of what is the right thing to do).

Before you can hear God speak, you must be ready to listen and be in a position to yield to him (ex. During your quiet time/ prayer- when done praying wait to hear from him). If God speaks to you and you never acknowledge or listen to him, BE CAREFUL because not only will he stop speaking, he will give up on you! (Romans 1: 18- 24)

Sometimes our thoughts get in the way of us hearing from God.

However God speaks to you, you must test all spirits to see if they are from God (I John 4: 1- 3). If they are from God, they will ALWAYS align with his word. Remember God is not an author of confusion. His will and word always aligns.

Satan is the author of confusion & chaos (that targets your heart and conscience). If what you’re hearing leaves you confused, that isn’t God. Satan is not patient- if what you’re hearing leads you to making hasty decisions, that’s not from God.

To draw closer to him (James 4:8)- Draw near to God and he will draw near to you

For guidance & protection (John 10: 27- 28)