Listening For God

Q.  What do I say to a  believer who doesn’t believe that God speaks to men today?

A.  God doesn’t speak through officially appointed prophets in the same way He did in Old Testament times, because He has spoken His complete message to man through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2).  But while hearing the audible voice of God is rare, I can personally confirm that it does happen.  And untold numbers of born again believers would testify to receiving direct communication from God in one form or another.  Sometimes it’s in a conspicuous answer to prayer, other times it might be in an obviously supernatural orchestration of events or circumstances.  For instance, missionaries receiving unsolicited gifts of money from people they don’t know in the exact amount necessary to handle an unpublished need.

Also, the Bible is clear that some believers have been given the gift of prophecy (1 Cor. 12:7-11).  Unlike the prophets of old, they speak to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort (1 Cor. 14:3) and have delivered personal messages from God when they had no way of knowing the conditions surrounding the message. Verification comes through others who unknowingly communicate the same message.

To people who don’t believe God speaks to men today, I would suggest that maybe they should try honing their listening skills.