Free Experiencing God at Home by Richard Blackaby, Tom Blackaby Page A

Circumstances, and the Church to Reveal Himself, His Purposes, and His Ways
    This particular truth has proven difficult for many believers. That’s because they have never been taught to recognize God’s voice. Many new converts were informed that once they became Christians, they were to attend church each Sunday and to try and be good people. One day when they died, they would go to heaven and God would finally become “real” to them. As a result of such anaemic teaching, many sincere believers are unaware that God wants to communicate with them, to say nothing of being able to discern His voice. Consequently, many Christians have never heard God speak to them, even though they claim to have a personal relationship with Him.
    Some Christian leaders argue that God has already spoken (as recorded in the Bible), and there is nothing more He needs to say. Some people equate God speaking to His people today as equal to God dispensing new revelation, so they are wary of any active role the Holy Spirit might play today in applying Scripture to people’s lives. These same people typically struggle with the concept of a personal relationship with God because any meaningful relationship between two people requires two-way communication. God is not a mute observer, sitting passively in the backseat of our life while we take the wheel. He is almighty God who will relate to us in the same manner in which Jesus related to His disciples (John 14:16). Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). This verse certainly applies to our salvation, but it also encompasses our entire relationship with the Good Shepherd.
    The moment you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit enters your life and assumes the same role Jesus exercised with His disciples (John 16:7). Just as Jesus guided His disciples to know what to do and believe, so the Holy Spirit will lead you to experience the fullness of the Christian life. Depending on your particular need, the Holy Spirit will be your Guide, Comforter, Advocate, Defender, and Friend. The Spirit will direct you in the path you should take (Ps. 25:4–5; John 14:17, 26; 15:26; 16:13) and what you should say (Luke 12:2). The issue is not whether or not God is speaking to you; the question is whether or not you are hearing what He is saying. There are four primary ways the Holy Spirit communicates with people. These are the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and other believers. Let’s look at those.
    God’s Spirit will speak to you through the pages of the Bible.
    God’s Word is living and active (Heb. 4:12). The Holy Spirit uses it to provide guidance, convict of sin, reveal truth, and address the needs of your heart. If you do not spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word, you remove the primary instrument through which God guides His people. It is essential for Christians to regularly submit their lives to God’s Word so He can address any area of their life that is not in alignment with Him (Eph. 5:26). This involves more than merely pausing for a moment to collect a comforting devotional thought for the day. This includes allowing God’s Word to wash over your heart and mind so it transforms your thinking and behavior. Every time you open your Bible, be prepared for God to speak directly into your life.
    God will speak to you as you pray.
    Prayer is a conversation between God and people. We relate to God in prayer as children relate to their father (Matt. 6:9). Through prayer we share our concerns, joys, love, fears, and questions with Him. Sometimes we simply bask in His presence (Ps. 63:1). However, while many Christians have been taught to present their petitions to God, they are not always aware that prayer is a conversation . If we chatted with our friends like we talk with God, we wouldn’t have friends for long! No one likes to have friends who do all of the talking!
    This is God’s invitation: “Call to Me, and I will answer” (Jer. 33:3). The