What Should You Do When It Feels Like God Is Trying to Tell You Something?
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“God told me to…”
“God wants me to tell you…”
Have you ever heard (or said) either of those two sentences? Many people have, but is it true? Does God directly tell us to say or do something? What about when you have something (or someone) on your mind, and you are unsettled until you do something or talk to someone? What do we do when we feel like God is trying to tell us something?
These questions will frame our look into what we should do when we feel like God is trying to tell us something.
Does God Still Speak to Us Today?
Before we answer that question, let’s look at how God spoke to people in the Bible.
In the Old Testament, God had direct interactions with certain people. Until what He said was written in scrolls, He spoke, and He still spoke even after portions were written (e.g., The Law). The following verses cite one example for each of a few men with whom God spoke: Adam (Genesis 1:28), Abram (Genesis 12:1), Jacob (Genesis 28:13-15), Moses (Exodus 3:5), Samuel (1 Samuel 3:11-14), and Elijah (1 Kings 18:1), among others. From the writings of the prophets came the scrolls, which became part of the (Hebrew/Jewish) canon of Scripture — what we call the Old Testament.
In the New Testament, we read how God audibly spoke as Father, as Son, and as the Holy Spirit:
- At Jesus’ baptism, the Father spoke. (Matthew 3:16-17; Mark 1:10-11; Luke 3:23)
- At the Transfiguration, the Father spoke. (Matthew 17:5, Mark 9:7; Luke 9 35)
- The Father spoke to Jesus in John 12:28.
- In multiple places in the book of Acts, God the Father, the risen Christ, or the Holy Spirit spoke. (Acts 9:4-16, Acts 10:13-20, Acts 13:2, Acts 18:9-10, and Acts 23:11)
- The book of Revelation records Jesus as speaking in 1:11-4:1, 10:8-11, 16:1, 21:3-8, 22:6-7, 12-13, 16 and 20.
If God Does Speak to Us Today, How?
In Hebrews 1:1, we are told, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world.”
Hebrews 3:7 references the Old Testament. It reads, “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,”
The word, says, describes an ongoing action which continues to this day. This — that the Spirit is speaking — is happening today. What was written (past tense) in Scripture is still spoken (present tense) by God today.
Psalm 19 describes the two ways (“through two mediums”) God communicates to us today. Verses 1-2 say we hear from Him through His creation, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” There’s no denying the powerful testimony of a starry sky or a thunderhead on the horizon. Majestic mountains, an eagle in flight, a new-born baby, or a born-again believer being baptized: all these things are God’s voice to us, attesting to His holiness, greatness, grace, mercy, and presence. And all for His glory.
The psalmist speaks of the law, testimony, precepts, commandment, fear, and rules of the Lord in Psalm 19:7-11. These verses explain how we hear from God through His Word — the Bible. Verses 10-11 state, “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”
2 Peter 1:19-21 declares, “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Don’t these passages describe what we hold in our hands — the Bible? God does not speak audibly to people these days. He has given us His word, and it had a period at the end. Saying “God spoke to me” in any way but through His word is tantamount to adding to the Bible, which we are not to do.
Since “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16), we can apply the warning from Revelation 22:18-19 to the whole of Scripture (see also Galatians 1:6-10).
People may desire the power that comes with saying, “God told me such and such,” but it is misguided. The only power we trust is that of God and His Spirit working in our lives. This selfish desire removes one’s reliance on Scriptural authority and places the focus on self.
But What about Spiritual Promptings?
Darlene (names changed in these true stories) had two distinct instances when she felt the Holy Spirit nudging her to action.
Janice prayed for Darlene’s salvation and became her sister-in-Christ when Darlene accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. Though close for a time, distance and a change of vocation made their communication less frequent (although there was no loss of sisterly love). Not having spoken in almost a year, one day Darlene could not get Janice out of her thoughts. Darlene called to check in and found her friend had passed away the same day she was heavy on Darlene’s heart.
On another occasion, Darlene’s Aunt Jane, who lived ten hours away, was her favorite aunt. Jane staunchly refused to accept Jesus as Lord. She said, “I’m just one of those people who chooses not to believe.” She was quite wealthy and relied on her riches to keep her out of harm’s way. Then health issues came, which surprised Jane because she thought if she had enough money, she wouldn’t get sick. Darlene continued to witness to her, even throughout Jane’s dementia. One day during a walk, Darlene felt a weight for her Aunt Jane and had to get on her knees and pray. She prayed Jane would have a lucid moment and that she would hear the Gospel one more time and say “Yes,” to the Lord’s kind invitation. The next day, Darlene learned that during the time of her walk, her beloved aunt had died.
What do we do with instances like this? Darlene acted in the moment with a godly instinct that came through spiritual maturity as only comes from being regularly immersed in the Word and in interaction with more mature believers. She later reflected on what transpired based on her knowledge of God through His word. God through His Holy Spirit impressed something on Darlene’s heart, and she applied what she knew of God and the Bible to the providential experience she had. Being daily in God’s Word gave her knowledge of how He works.
We know the Spirit enlightens our minds to the truths God would have us grasp, and how does God draw us to Him but by His Spirit? God would not have us desire “immediate revelation,” instead, He would have the Spirit open our minds to understand His word as revealed in Scripture.
John Murray said, “As we are the subjects of this illumination and are responsive to it, and as the Holy Spirit is operative in us to the doing of God’s will, we shall have feelings, impressions, convictions, urges, inhibitions, impulses, burdens, resolutions. Illumination and direction by the Spirit through the Word of God will focus themselves in our consciousness in these ways.”
Five Things We Should Do When It Feels Like God Is Prompting Us to Do Something
1. Process these questions:
- Is God testing you?
- Is there an immediate danger to you or someone else?
2. Pray humbly and expectantly.
3. Look to the Scriptures for wisdom and understanding.
4. Speak to your pastor or an elder for guidance.
5. Act on the prompting only if:
- It is not sin
- It aligns with Scriptural teaching
How Can We Tell if Something Is NOT from God?
If you feel prompted to act in a certain way, do follow the five points listed above. The following practices and Scripture references are vital in your strategy of discernment.
As you begin each day and even when you are in a time of testing, whether good or bad, put on your full armor (Ephesians 6:10-18). Our full armor — in addition to prayer — is our best offense and defense.
1 John 4:1 alerts us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
If something does not align with Scripture, it is to be avoided.
Jesus may have had Deuteronomy 13:1-4 in mind when He said, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”
We should never base our Christian walk or pursuit of God on emotions. Our Spirit-led lives must be grounded in what God says in His word — Scripture. If there is a temptation to follow a lie, what the Apostle Paul related can help, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” It’s the temptation God will save you from.
Some people say God will not give us what we cannot handle. That’s not true. We are hit with things everyday which are impossible for us to endure (e.g., the loss of a spouse, or a child), and we are not to be the ones to “handle” things. God wants us to bring everything to Him, and that includes the discernment about what is from God and what is not.
What God says always supersedes human perceptions and experiences (feelings). As you are sanctified (John 17:19; 1 Corinthians 3:18), God will lead you into all truth (Psalm 25:5), and He will enable you to understand His will (Ephesians 5:17).
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