Does God still talk with us? When we cry out to Him how can we be certain He hears us? It’s my belief that God is living and wants to have a relationship with His children. Not only do I believe God hears us, but I believe we too can hear God if we listen. The key here is “listening”. It is so easy to get wrapped up our daily concerns and put off spending time with God. But, as with any relationship, if you don’t keep communication open, you can lose closeness with the other person.
The time when I find God seems to be when I have needed Him the most. I’m not sure why I wait until I need Him so much to come to Him. In these times of brokenness, I become quiet and pray. He certainly speaks to us through His word, but He speaks to our hearts too. When I’ve come to God in my darkest times in prayer, I’ve felt His presence of comfort around me. It’s undeniable that He is my Comforter and Prince of Peace.
- “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29)
- “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:17-18)
- “For I know the thought that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me will all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13)
A common point in these three scripture verses is our hearts. When we really want Him, He has promised to be there! Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
I’m certainly not suggesting God can’t communicate with us in our day to day lives. I believe He does speak to our hearts throughout the day. I believe discerning the voice of God comes through knowing scripture and knowing the Lord’s voice through it. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27)
So when we have sought God with all our hearts regarding something, why is it sometimes we don’t hear what God is saying? I think sometimes God is speaking to us, but we are unwilling to hear. I believe too that His answers to our prayers come in different ways. He doesn’t always reveal to us His plans. This doesn’t mean prayer is left unanswered though. Sometimes God tells us no. Sometimes we have very self-centered motives that God is not willing to bless. James 4:3 shares with us, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
The best way to know God is by reading the Bible and praying. Start by asking Him to reveal Himself to your heart through the Word.
All scripture references are quoted from the NKJV.