Does God talk to you? Or more correctly, do you hear God talking to you? A close personal relationship with the godhead is learning to “know” the voice of God and understand his heartbeat.
The New Testament writings of the Apostle Paul reveals his heartbeat for God. In his letter to the Christ-followers in Philippi, he says, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death… (New International Version).
The Greek word used by the apostle is profoundly powerful. It means to know absolutely in many ways, to feel, have knowledge of, to perceive, to speak, to understand. It implies, to follow in a way not clearly expressed.
Allow me to quickly “unpervert” this. It is in no way a sexual term, with absolutely no implication of sexual desire. The apostle is saying that his desire is to understand every aspect of God. This is no 100-meter sprint request, but rather a lifetime marathon goal.
The Bible gives a clear account of Paul’s first encounter with God—God the Son—in the New Testament book of Acts. Jesus speaks to the traveling zealot, knocking him off his horse with the encounter. Paul’s first words to Jesus are, “who are you?” This highly religious person, acting on the authority of the religious organization, was clueless as to who was speaking to him. Those traveling with Paul confirmed the encounter, but not the experience.
In his confused, blinded state, Paul waits for three days in the Damascus city he was sent to, to carry out his religious plan, before a Christ-follower shows up to pray with him. Both of these men had visions (a supernatural spectacle that is gazed upon) from God the Holy Spirit, detailing to each what was about to happen. For Paul, it was that a man would come to pray for him and his sight would return, for the other, that he was to go pray for a blind man. This time, Paul did not have to ask, who are you, he knew.
The visions these men had are but one way that God speaks to Christ-followers. Notice that it is supernatural, someone only God can accomplish. It is beyond something the human mind can conjure up.
This was the beginning of Paul’s unexpected journey to a close personal relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. It does not mean that all unexpected journeys will happen in such a spectacular fashion, but it does mean that your unexpected journey will get your attention.
Let me point out two important observations regarding the Apostle Paul. First, he is a highly religious man knowing the Old Testament books of his religion. His zeal for obeying the letter of the law caught the attention of the religious leaders. His tenacity to do whatever it took to complete the task, qualified him to travel to Damascus to root out any and all Christ-followers.
The point being, Paul was a very religious man.
The second observation is that this religious man was clueless as to who Christ was. Jesus appeared to him, speaking to him, and Paul had absolutely no idea. It could not be the one called Jesus, because he had been crucified and placed in a tomb. Even though the reports of his resurrection from the dead, his being the messiah filled the meeting places, the religious leaders rejected the notion; thus, Paul rejected the notion.
The point being, to be a religious person does not guarantee hearing God speak.
So, the answer to the question, does God talk to you, is yes. The answer to the question, do you hear God talk to you, will depend on your unexpected encounter with him. The desire to “know” him is the gate to the path of the unexpected journey of a close personal relationship with the godhead.