In your recent post “Hearing The Voice Of The Lord”, you referenced Elijah in 1 Kings 19:11-13, but Elijah was a prophet who heard regularly from God. I am not sure that would apply to believers in general. As far as you know, are there any instructions or similar examples for us in the New Testament about God speaking to a believer’s heart, other than to apostles, prophets, etc? And if so, how would we know if an inner voice telling us something (like buy a new house, confront this person, look for a new job, etc) is actually coming from God, or merely us just having an idea and thinking about it?
You don’t need to search the Scriptures for examples of God talking to ordinary people. When you were born again, He put His Spirit in your heart (2 Cor. 1:21-22). One of the Holy Spirit’s functions is to be your teacher and counselor. Therefore He has to speak to you.
The reason I used Elijah as an example was to show how even he had to learn to listen for the still small voice of the Lord. It’s the same for everyone. You learn to hear His voice by learning to listen for it. The way you know if an inner voice is the Lord telling you something is through practice. If you think you hear God telling you something, do what He says. He won’t tell you to do anything that’s contrary to His word so there’s really no risk. He will also begin with small things that are easy for you to do. As you do them, He will reward your faithfulness with bigger things. Soon you’ll have an ongoing conversation just like you do with your other friends.