What is the experience of having God speak to one like?

Question

I have suffered from silence on the part of God my entire life; despite my upbringing as a Christian, never have I felt or had conscious experience of a connection to God. These days I am an Atheist, but I am curious about the experience of those who have felt that connection, even communication, with God.

What has the experience been like for you, and how has it helped you in your life?

Answer 1

Wow, there's alot of great answers above me. I can only speak out of my own personal experience. I will try and keep this short.

There are three ways I hear God's voice:

1. Through other people. I have often had other people speak to me (typically believers) who have had no idea of what I was going through or thinking about, and they spoke to me directly and gave me words of wisdom as if they knew exactly what to say to me or knew just what I needed to hear. It is powerful experience to be a part of that, and to me it's the Holy Spirit speaking to me through other people.

2. By studying God's Holy scriptures. There's alot to be learned in the Bible and in other's teachings on it. You could spend an entire lifetime reading it, and still only scratch the surface of what God is trying to teach and tell us.

3. Through the "small still voice" that many people talk about. Call it your conscience, call it your spirit, call it your common sense or whatever seems proper. You have to be "in tune" spiritually to better understand this one, and it requires self-discipline in order to understand it clearly, or you'll end up just hearing yourself and your own fears and desires. I see it as an antennae that allows me to hear God, but I have to keep it "in tune" by living purely or in a spirit of love for my fellow man (which is impossible to do 100% ), or I'll only end up picking up static, or nothing at all.

And last but not least, I usually find God telling me what is best for me, and what I need, and seldom what I "want" to hear. It usually sounds tough, or even impossible, but in the end it always works out best for all it involves in the final analysis.

Thanks for that question Jack. It's been awhile.

Answer 2

God is rarely silent unless you don't want to listen.

He's sometimes that still small voice inside your head. Sometimes that gut instinct or a feeling that you know is right w/o having to verify it. It's an awareness that there is an ultimate day of reckoning for everyone.

But there is that occasional voice you know isn't your own because it came from nowhere. Ever been busy doing something, ignoring your surroundings & suddenly saw an ambulance go by & instead of ignoring it or wondering just what happened or who they were, you instead wondered if the one inside was ok? Or worked on something for days & couldn't get it right then suddenly you saw what was wrong?

You can't feel a conscience connection to someone you've never met or spent time with getting to know. God isn't a deadbeat father. He's always there leading, guiding. But if you ignore or only come to Him for needs then He becomes little more than Santa.

We were made in His image. Now imagine how you would respond if your child behaved towards you as you behave towards God. You wouldn't stop loving him but eventually you'd get tired of making all the effort to reach out simply because the child didn't want to make any effort to connect.

I personally don't know what I'd do w/o the Lord or the ability to hear His voice. But sometimes that voice really is my own because I've studied the Bible enough to know when it's of the Lord's will.

Hubby has never had any moments of consciously feeling the Lord or hearing His voice. That's why he was in his mid 30s before becoming saved by intellectual choice. But as he has studied the Bible through the years & gotten to understand God there's a very deep connection though it's not in an emotional way. It's more like a security. One that tells him no matter how he may fail he's still loved & accepted. That gives him the courage to accept new challenges as well as who God made him to be. That in itself is a connection, though not audible.

Answer 3

It's not like you "hear" His voice. An example would be when I pray for something and then later I get it. And I KNOW I got it, because of the prayer. Or another person says something to me that answers a question or corroborates an idea or thought and I realize at that second that what this person is saying is from God. I may talk to the person for an hour and one sentence is something I KNOW is from God in response to something I've asked, experienced or felt. And I think, "Wow, that's from God."

Once I was spacing out and walking downtown, not paying attention. I started to cross a busy street. There was a bus island in the middle of the street. I got across one lane of traffic. I was looking straight ahead, deep in thought. I stepped up on the bus island and for some reason paused just a second before I would have stepped off the island and into another lane of traffic. Instantly, during the brief pause, a bus whizzed by me, mere inches from my face. It shocked me out of my day dream and I KNEW instantly that my Guardian Angel had made me pause long enough to save my life. There was no doubt I'd be dead if I had not paused, the bus would have crashed into me headon going at least 30 mph. The Guardian Angel is from God and I knew it was protecting me, because it was not my time to die. And I KNEW that was a direct communication from God.

When God communicates, you just KNOW it. That awareness can make me so joyful, I can be instantly moved to tears. At that time, all you can do is pray and thank God and there is not the slightest doubt He exists, He's there and He loves you. The way all this helps me in my life is that no matter what happens or where I go, I know God is with me. And it's such a secure, safe, helpful, satisfying, joyful feeling to know that He's in the background. For me, it's given me confidence, hope, happiness, peace and made me a more loving, caring, compassionate person.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

The way I see it, if God were to visit someone with a spiritual epiphany, it would make the person omniscient, for at least that point in their lives.

If God were to communicate one thing, why would be bound by any limits? Wouldn't he communicate everything? Shouldn't someone who has a personal relationship with God be omniscient?

I've never had a religious experience, so I'm in your boat. But what I find astonishing is how people can claim to have felt the presence of God and have nothing extraordinary to show for it.

Answer 6

For me (a Christian) I don't actually hear God...but after reading the Bible and praying on a regular basis....I believe the Holy Spirit talks to me in my thoughts. The thought is easily attained and is something that would be in line with the acts of a Christian and God would approve. The experience is different for eveyone (as you have already noticed). It's not always there (for me). And it was difficult for me to get: fifteen years ago I was in the same position. Don't give up, it may happen when you least expect it. Remember that if it is consistent with the teachings of the Bible, you're probably on the right track. Good luck and may God Bless you in your quest. Merry Christmas.

Answer 7

I have a great story that I posted on this site. I believe God came to me in a dream and I had an out of body experience. It felt so real so very real. I was in the sky looking down at earth, I was in the clouds, I felt wind on my face and heard it blowing past my ears. I started to descend and some clouds parted and I could see a vast land of green below me. The colors stood out so much, much clearer than a human eye, and at that time I felt as if I understood everything in the universe in that moment. It felt amazing, so comforting.

I was going through a rough time when this happened to me.

I believe it was God showing me its ok, showing understanding.

It only lasted for 15 seconds I'd say.

Answer 8

I won't go into the long version. Let's just say that I always figured if God spoke to me it was going to be pleasant. It wasn't. He busted me for my arrogance, among other things, with the immediate result being that I ended up in a humbling situation. Did it help me? Yes, it did. I learned the hard way that I can't control everything, and once I got used to the idea it was quite a relief.

Incidentally, I was not praying at the time.

Answer 9

Literally, it has been defined as 'terrifying'. The Isrealites asked Moses to speak for God instead.
There are people who just have a feeling that God is there, like me. I talk to him, and I just know that he is listening. Afterwards I feel relaxed and safe. (you can pay a lot of money to a psychiatrist for this same effect atheists argue). But in my experience, I've had direct answers from God, that have even saved my life at one time. Once I started living my life according to his commandments, I've been so much happier and content. But I had to open my heart to him (I was borderline atheist for many years) and that was hard to do since I had learned to rely only on myself.

Answer 10

I am a Christian, have been for years, but have never really heard God as an audible voice. I have felt His presence though, usually in church during an intense worship song, I feel his love in the church and know he is watching over us.
I was having a very bad day years back, felt no one cared about me, then a little voice in the back of my head remined me God loved me, and that helped me.
I pray someday you will return to the faith.

God Bless. :-)