How do I know when God speaks to me? As a Bible study teacher, I get asked that question a lot. Are you struggling to hear the voice of God in your life? Do you find yourself doubting whether you can genuinely recognize it? This article will explore 7 ways God speaks to us.

A part of the root system beneath the fruit of the Spirit requires we know God and maintain a relationship with Him. However, relationships require two-way communication. Therefore, we need to talk to God, and we need to hear His voice. Recognizing the voice of God is not always easy. Often, we are bombarded with distractions and doubts that cloud our spiritual perception. But, we can discern His voice amidst the noise through the Holy Spirit, Bible reading, and prayer. As we continue our Rooted Bible Study, we’ll demystify the process of recognizing God’s guidance and show you how to apply it to your everyday life. So, if you are seeking a greater understanding of how God communicates with you, join us on this transformative journey and open your heart to the voice of God.

How do Vessels hear the Potter?

In our children’s books, The Potter is purposefully never quoted. He communicates subtly through His actions. Without ever hearing the Potter speak, we still know His voice by the characteristics of who God is and how He interacts with Little Pot, Tea Pot, Oil Lamp, and the other vessels in the workshop. How the Potter produces strawberries through Little Pot mirrors how your creator cultivates the fruit of the Spirit through you. You can receive details about that process by signing up here:

Roots Beneath the Fruit of the Spirit.

The fruit of the Spirit grows through us when we allow God to have control of our thoughts and emotions. Therefore, it should be evident in the lives of believers. Altogether, the fruit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Little Pot’s Humus, seed, stem, leaves, and flowers lead to strawberries. Comparatively, the Potter cultivates these qualities through humility, God’s Word, integrity, relationships, and knowledge.

While we have compared these fruit-bearing cycles, we’ve never unearthed the root system that forms inside Little Pot and us. Therefore, we are digging up answers to some difficult questions. Roots are intertwined and hard to break. Likewise, the answers we unearth will be interconnected. Here is a list of the questions we will investigate during this study. I hope you’ll follow along and leave comments. Additionally, I recommend you get a copy of the workbook, too.

• Who is God?
• How do I Know When God Speaks to me?
• Where is God When it Hurts?
• Who is the enemy, and How to fight with spiritual warfare weapons?
• How will my life have a positive impact?
• Serving God by serving others: How can I make the most of my life?
• What about money?
• How and why should I tell others?
• Is church important?

The Sword of the Spirit

Take the Helmet of Salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

-Ephesians 6:17-18

1. Know God Speaks through the Bible

God can communicate with you in different ways. However, the main way He will speak is through the Bible. It is called the Word of God and the Holy Spirit’s sword. The Bible’s author is God Himself. He inspired humans to write His words. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 explains that ALL scripture is God-breathed. Therefore, it is useful for teaching what is right, rebuking what is not right, correcting how to get right, and training to stay right. Consequently, we can be fully equipped for every good work.

Because the words are God’s, They are alive and active, dividing our thoughts and attitudes like a two-edged sword. See Hebrews 4:12.

When we read the Bible, we are reading a letter from God. We can know for certain it is His voice speaking to us. Likewise, God refers to His word as the Bread of Life. Therefore, He intends us to “eat” from it daily. As we do, it changes the way we think and act.

Know 4 Other Ways God Speaks to You

2. Creation

John 1:1,14, and 18 explain that God is the “Word.” The Word was there in the beginning and spoke creation into existence. Consequently, creation is another way we know God speaks to us. Psalm 19:1-4 tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day, they pour forth speech; night after night, they reveal knowledge. They have no speech; they use no words; no sound is heard. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” Therefore, spending quiet moments in nature can clear our minds and allow the Holy Spirit to impress on us His thoughts.

3. Other People

Another way we God Speaks is through other people. There are many examples in the Bible where people heard God speak through others. Jethro shares with Moses God’s wisdom. Deborah tells Barak God’s message. Daniel communicates to King Nebuchadnezzar about God’s plans. Peter, Paul, and the other disciples speak for God in the New Testament. Likewise, God continues to speak through people today. This is why being in a church family and staying connected to other Christ-followers is so important. God will often use their words to communicate with you what He wants you to hear.

4. Know God Speaks through Circumstances

Thirdly, God speaks through circumstances. However, our circumstances can distract us and lead us away from God. If we cautiously pray and seek the Holy Spirit in our circumstances, He will arrange them, telling us what to do.

5. The Supernatural

Lastly, you can know that God speaks through supernatural means. A burning bush, Balaam’s donkey, Angels, visions, and dreams are all biblical examples of God speaking to people supernaturally. Occasionally, God may use crazy circumstances to get your attention and tell you something. The message will never contradict the Bible. If you think God has spoken to you supernaturally, ask Him in prayer.

Know God Speaks Through Prayer

The idea of prayer is misused in our lives. We flippantly tell others we will pray for them with the idea that because we think of someone and empathize with their situation, that constitutes praying. We think prayer is when we talk to God. However, the primary purpose of prayer is for God to speak to us. Genuine prayer means to be in God’s presence. The more time we spend engaging Him through reading the Bible, journaling scripture, sharing our thoughts, and listening for what He impresses on our hearts and minds, the more we will recognize His voice. God wants us to know HIm. Therefore, knowing when God speaks will not remain a mystery. John 10:3-4 says the sheep recognize their shepherd’s voice.

6. Prayer

The Rooted Bible Study uses the acronym P.R.A.Y as a formula for how we should pray. The letters stand for Praise, Repent, Ask, and Yield. Try writing a prayer to God using these four words to guide your prayer. Begin by praising and thanking God for all He has done in your life. Next, repent of any recent sins you’ve allowed yourself to commit. Thirdly, ask and make your requests known. Finally, sit quietly and reflect. Write down any thoughts or promptings that enter your mind. Prayer is a way to align our desires with God’s.

Growing Fruit of the Spirit

Another section in this week’s study details an advocate and helper Jesus sends us (John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit promises to guide us (John 16:7, 12-13). Therefore, you can know when God speaks to you because the Holy Spirit will give you wisdom and understanding of God’s voice (1 Corinthians 2:10-12).

7. The Holy Spirit

Ultimately, the Holy Spirit helps us hear God’s voice in all the six ways listed above. When we listen and obey, He produces His fruit through us. Just as Little Pot discovers it is a vessel created to be a fruit pot, we can know God speaks to us and become fruit pots, too. Add your first name and email below, and we’ll send you the seven steps to the Holy Spirit growing fruit through your life. You will also be added to our Fruitful Friday email list so you can continue to … “Learn a lot from Little Pot!”

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