Billy Graham Answers: How Does God Speak to Us Today?
God has the ability to speak to those who believe in Him, even if it's not through an audible voice, the Rev. Billy Graham says.
Graham, founder of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, says in his "My Answers" question-and-answer column on the organization's website that God can communicate in a variety of ways, including through prayer, the church community, and the Bible.
In response to a question about whether or not God will speak verbally to His followers, Graham explains that while it is possible for God to speak to someone in an audible voice, it's typically "a deep inner conviction about God's will."
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God can communicate through Scripture, prayer, or "other believers, whom God uses to encourage us and help us understand His will," Graham adds.
No matter which way He chooses to communicate, it reveals "God loves us and knows what is best for us, and He wants to show it to us. In fact, when we come to Christ, God Himself comes to live within us by His Holy Spirit — and one reason is so He can guide us."
To emphasize his point, Graham cites Psalm 32:8, which reads: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go."
Pastor Perry Noble of NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina, has also spoken about listening to God's voice, writing in a blog post that the Bible is a direct way for believers to learn His will for their lives.
"He wants to speak to us. He wants us to get it right. God's Word is His Will. He's given us the Bible as a tool to better know and understand who He is and what His plans are for each of us," the pastor said in his April 17 blog post, You've Got What It Takes to Hear From God.
It's also important to do the listening, instead of the talking, when communicating with God.
"Maybe the reason most of us feel like we can't hear from God is we're too busy talking! It's so tempting to ask God to say what we want Him to say instead of just focusing on what He's already said and how it applies in our lives. The next time you want to hear God's voice, start by cracking open God's Word," Perry added.
"Over the years, God has used godly Christian friends to speak life into me, encourage me, challenge me and get me back on track," he continued. "... God will use the Christian community in our lives to speak His truth to our hearts. Most of the time, He does it without them even knowing! If you're ever in a conversation with a friend and they say something that is consistent with Scripture and speaks directly to a situation you're in or something you've been wrestling through, that's the voice of God. You are hearing Him speak through your friend."
