This question often brings fear to many, both those who are asking and those to whom the question is being asked. So what is the answer? Jesus said, "my sheep hear my voice and I lead them into good pasture". If Jesus said that we can hear then that should be enough right? Well, it should but sometimes there is a battle in our minds that usually has to do with "our worth" and holding it up next to "hearing the voice of God". "If I am good enough, if I pray, if I read my Bible, then I can expect to hear His voice". The only problem with that thinking is that it is not what Jesus said. In his words, the only qualification for hearing Him is being one of His. Not how good or faithful we are to do the things we think are necessary to win God's favor. Being one of His is the only requirement, but it is a huge one.
What does it mean to be one of His? It means that you believe that when Jesus died, God put all of the sins of all of mankind past, present, and future on Him; and he took yours as well. Then His death to sin was credited to us so that when God looks at us He sees the blood of the Son that He loves. What a wonderful place to be, in the Son that He loves. In addition, we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit who is God in us. Wonderful, now that we are in that place where sin is not our master anymore, we have been given the righteousness of Jesus as a gift, and we are filled with the Spirit; we can hear the voice of God.
Does God want to speak to me? That is another good question that needs an answer. Yes, He does want to speak to us. It is the reason that Jesus died and rose again from the dead so that we would have a relationship with Him that is somewhat like the one Adam had with God in the Garden at the very beginning.
What does the Bible do in this? The scriptures both old and new testaments are what Peter the apostle said were "a more sure word of prophecy" we can count on God to both speak through the Bible and through the inward voice of the Spirit inside of us. The Bible contains the words of God and it is therefore a guide to help us to discern the voices that we hear in our hearts and the voices of brothers and sisters who hear God and then speak to us.
There is no need to be afraid of hearing some errant prophet who goes off half cocked and says things that we don't believe. If you don't have an inward witness to a prophetic word, don't receive it. If part of it is good and the other part is nonsense, then keep what is good and toss the rest.
Paul the apostle said that we needed to test everything hold to what is good. He also said that the reason we need to test everything is that there have been many spirits that have gone out into the world.
So lets give an example. You have a friend who is having an affair and you know about it but no one else does. They come to you and tell you that they were praying and God said, "I see that you are unhappy with your situation with your husband, and it is weighing heavy on your mind. This other person is the one that I actually planned for you so you are released from your sinful, disobedient marriage and I will bless the other. (sound far fetched; I thought so to until it happened)
How do you answer your friend? This is how I would test that word.
First, does the Bible have anything to say about it? Now I would not take the scriptures quote them out of context and then beat your friend with them. Look at the entire counsel of God on marriage in both the old and new testament. There is a theme and it has to do with God's relationship to the people of God.
Do you as a redeemed person who loves your friend have any problems with it? There is nothing wrong with you telling your friend that you think it is not true, and I am sure there will be lots of reasons for your belief. The point is to test what you think and then tell them what you think.
Does the Holy Spirit have anything to say about it? This has to do with hearing the voice of God, testing what you hear and then communicating to your friend what you hear.
Each situation is different dependent on the friend and your relationship with them, but the point is that we must trust in the voice of God in every situation, and if we believe and listen you will get wisdom that cuts through all the nonsense. It might not be popular and you might lose your friend, as I did, but you will have spoken the word of the Lord to them and God said of His word, that it will not return to him void without doing what he sent it out to do. Later, my friend sent an email to me repenting and regretting that they had not listened to counsel, but the Lord had restored them to Him and although there is trouble He is with them. Wonderful, Jesus convinced them His way was best even after the fact and He is with them and doing His work.
There is a lot more to say about this that I don't have time for here, but if you have questions go ahead and comment.
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