Does GOD Speak To People?

This is a question I’m sure many out there have asked themselves. In short, the answer is YES!

GOD spoke to people throughout history, beginning with Adam in the Garden of Eden and still speaks to us today. To dig a little deeper into this topic though, let’s start off by looking at some scripture:

One of the most well known verses comes from Jeremiah 33:3, where GOD says to the Prophet Jeremiah, “Call to Me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”

In John 10:27 we see again where Jesus is speaking to John and says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

In Job 33:15-18, he declares of GOD, “He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds. He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings. He makes them turn from doing wrong; He keeps them from pride. He protects them from the grave, from crossing over the river of death.”

In John 16:13 the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit speaking to man, “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.”

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus again says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.”

How Does GOD Speak?

There are many ways GOD speaks to people. He may speak directly to a person through an audible voice or what some call an “inner voice.” He may use another person to deliver a message to someone. We see many examples of this in Scripture where GOD used Prophets to speak to people. He may speak to us through the written Word, which is the Bible. We may be reading through a verse and a line or a word feels like it leaps off the page at us. That is usually an indicator that there is something there GOD is wanting to show us. He also at times chooses to speak to us through dreams or visions, often to bring warnings.

So Let’s Talk About It…

I’ve heard it said by some that GOD no longer speaks to people like He once did in Biblical times because we now have the written Word of GOD to go by. That thought process doesn’t line up with scripture. While it’s true that we do have the Bible to reference and study, GOD also desires intimate relationship with us and this is achieved through the Holy Spirit. One great example to reference this comes from Acts 2:17 that says,

“In the last days, I will pour out My Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.”

Because we have not seen the fulfillment of Revelation and what the Prophets spoke of that was yet to come, we are still living in “the last days.” Until Jesus returns, it still applies.

I have witnessed this in my own life many, many times. One example I would like to share happened to me not long ago. I was involved with a business for a certain amount of time. On the surface, the individual running the business seemed on the up and up. I was happy to be involved. I felt like it was a great opportunity to promote my work and I felt like I had such tremendous favor. As time went on though, it seemed like I wasn’t gaining any ground but still I wanted to press through and see something great come of it all. One night, I had a dream. In that dream, I was standing in the back of the room as though observing a scene taking place. I saw the business owner removing my products from their display areas and taking them to the back. When I woke up, my initial thought was, “This business venture is about to end for me.” I shared the dream with my Mother but still I continued on with that dream tucked away in the back of my mind. A short time later, I had a second dream. In the second dream, I walked into that same business and a young woman was at the counter. I looked around the room and many people’s things were no longer there, including mine and others’ that I knew. I asked the young girl where my products were. She stated to me she did not know anything about them, and truthfully, in this dream, I don’t believe she did. It was clear to me instantly in the dream that the owner had removed them to some undisclosed location with no intention of ever returning them. When I awoke from the second dream, I felt very strongly then that the dreams meant that something was about to occur in the near future and GOD was warning me. The fact that there were two dreams solidified it.

Just A Side Note:

When I have one dream about something, I take note. I tuck it away. I watch, I pray and I wait. It could be that GOD is speaking about a matter and the best thing to do is to wait for confirmation. If GOD speaks something, He doesn’t mind confirming it. But when there are two dreams, that’s a whole ‘nother matter.

To further clarify this, we look to the book of Genesis 41:32, where Joseph is interpreting two dreams Pharaoh had. Joseph says to Pharaoh:

“And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.”

That’s important to know. When GOD sends two dreams on a matter, they may not be exactly identical, but the message will be the same between them. When you dream something twice, you especially need to take note.

And Back To The Story:

So what happened? I shared both dreams with my Mother. It’s good at times to share things of this nature with a trusted, seasoned person who has walked with the LORD much longer than you. I decided it was time to withdraw from participating with that business. On the outside, I couldn’t see what might have been going on but there was clearly something there the LORD knew and I felt like He was warning me to protect me. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I was scrolling through a social media site and saw a post concerning that business. Every word that was written within that post appeared to confirm what I had dreamed. I was absolutely floored. While I don’t know all the specific details, I felt certain I had heard from the LORD. It just confirmed to me once again that GOD does speak and it is vital that we pay attention when He does.

So What Do I Do If I Think GOD Is Speaking?

First, write it down. Whether it comes by dream, by vision or by some spoken word… write it down! Next, pray about it. Ask the LORD to confirm whatever it is He may be speaking to you. If the context of the message appears to be a warning, ask the LORD to guide you through the situation. Ask Him to protect you or anything that concerns you and be watchful for anything that may look like that event trying to come to pass. Sometimes the LORD will give us a single dream to warn us about a potential risk down the way. It’s not meant to scare us, but for us to be aware, to cover that thing in prayer and to do what is necessary to try to avert it.

Being A Key Carrier:

The Word of GOD also says we have the authority to “bind and to loose.” What does that mean? When the LORD shows us a war plan or a snare the enemy has laid out for us, we have already been given the keys of the Kingdom to fight with.

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.“ -Matthew 16:19

I recently saw a definition that I loved on Wiki, referencing this verse. It stated that the Jewish Mishnaic phrase, as well as the Targum says about this verse’s usage: “To bind and to loose simply means to forbid by an indisputable authority and to permit by an indisputable authority.” (Wikipedia)

You may be wondering why I’m sharing all of this. I have felt for days now that we are entering a time when GOD is going to really start speaking to people through various means, but particularly through dreams. I want you to understand what is taking place when it happens.

We also need to understand we have a GOD that is on our side and He’s ready, willing and able to be involved in our daily lives, down to the most minute details. So, as you move forward, I want to encourage you to press into the LORD. Speak to Him and seek Him out, expecting for Him to speak to you also. When He does, write it down. Your journey with Him is waiting!

(Original Image Courtesy of Pexels)