CHAPTER 3
How God Talks to You
God intended for you to engage in two-way personal
conversations with Him. He wants to talk with you frequently,
and He wants you to freely talk with Him—even though you
can’t see Him. And just as you’d expect, the more you talk and
listen to Him, the more familiar you’ll become with His voice
and the better you’ll know Him.
The reverse is true as well. If you ignore God or deny Him,
clutch stubbornly to a false idea about Him, or transfer an
identity upon God that other people in your life possess—any
of these behaviors can undermine, if not sabotage, your ability
to hear God talk to you.
I encourage you at this juncture, especially if you struggle to
hear God’s voice, to try two short exercises before moving on.
First, read the conversations that each of the following men
had with God: Noah (Genesis 6:8–7:5); Abraham (Genesis 12:1–
4); Joshua (Joshua 1:1–9); and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1). These are
just a few Old Testament examples of how people from all walks
of life and of differing ages heard God speak to them. As you
read their accounts, reflect on how God approached them, how
they felt about God when He talked to them, and exactly what
they heard God say when He talked to them.
Second, stop to examine who God is to you—not who He is
to your family or friends—but who is He to you? A. W. Tozer
(1897–1963), in his classic book on the nature of God,