by Vinny Knowles

Created on: July 16, 2009   Last Updated: July 22, 2009

We often hear people say "God spoke to me and said...". What do they mean? How do we hear God's voice?The Bible says, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth". "John 4:24. So, how can we hear the voice of a spirit? Is it possible? Yes, it is possible. But how? And when?

Do we hear God's voice only at church on Sunday morning? Do we hear God's voice through a burning bush like Moses? God is a personal God, so he often speaks to us in very personal ways. If you have ever felt the gentle nudge of God to do something, you can understand what it means to have God speak to you.

But sometimes we feel a nudge, and we are not sure if it is really God. We do not want to operate just in the realm of feeling. So what is our guide when it comes to recognizing the voice of God?

God has provided us a guide book by giving us the Bible. The Bible is vitally important in our relationship with God. Why? The reason is that the Bible is the very "Word" of God. If the Bible says one thing and our feelings, or a preacher, our Sunday school teacher, or a professor says something else, then there is no question which we should believe. We should believe the Bible.

As a builder has a plumb line to determine if something is straight, we have the Bible. God's Word, The Bible, is vitally important in helping us determine whether or not we are really hearing the voice of God.

That does not mean that God doesn't speak to us through a sermon, a teacher, or other methods. But, if it is God's voice, those teachings will reflect the teachings of the Bible. If they don't, then they are not from God. We should not fear them or trust them. Run from teaching that does not agree with the Bible. God does not contradict himself.

Diligent Bible study is so important to clearly hearing the voice of God. There are some people who base a major doctrinal belief on one verse in the Bible. But when that belief is lined up with the rest of the teaching of God's Word, it doesn't seem to make sense. Controversial doctrinal issues often come about in such situations.

As we read the Bible and compare what God says about an issue in different parts of the Bible, we can understand what God is saying to us on that given subject. A child cannot walk into the kitchen, hear mother talking about Mickey Mouse, and conclude that he is going to Disney World. Even so we cannot build a major doctrinal belief on one isolated and often misunderstood passage. Controversial

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