Is it insane to claim a person can talk to God?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible presents many examples of sane, intelligent people talking with God: Noah (Genesis 6:13), Abraham (Genesis 12:1), Moses (Exodus 3:4), Elijah (1 Kings 19:9–10), David (1 Samuel 23:2), Samuel (1 Samuel 3:10), Jesus (Matthew 3:17; John 14:16), and the apostles (Acts 1:8). Though Scripture shows that God spoke audibly to certain figures in the Bible, that sort of communication is non-normative today since He has given us His written word and His living Word, Jesus (Hebrews 1:1–2). Rather, the Bible teaches that prayer is a key way believers talk to the Lord. The New Testament instructs Christians to pray and gives many examples of that (Acts 2:42; Colossians 1:3, 9; 4:2–4; James 5:13–18; 1 Peter 4:7; 3 John 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18). Jesus's prayer in John 17 is particularly noteworthy. He also taught His disciples how to pray (Luke 11:2–4; Matthew 6:9–13). Scripture speaks of its own authority as the final arbiter when someone claims to have heard from God (Acts 17:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:21). Believers have the privilege of talking to the Lord and knowing He hears us.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Exodus 3:4 shows God speaking directly with Moses: “When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’” The Bible presents Moses as sane, an exemplary servant of God, and one who talked with God.
• Similarly, Samuel, a wise and discerning prophet, spoke with God, as seen in 1 Samuel 3:10: “And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant hears.’”

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Romans 8:26 indicates that the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, indwells and communicates with believers: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
• Philippians 4:6, like many other scriptures, exhorts believers to talk to God through prayer: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
• First John 5:14 qualifies what the content of requests via prayer should be: “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us” (emphasis added). Prayer is a means for communicating with the Lord, but believers are to submit to His will in all things—including our prayer requests.
• When someone says the “Spirit has led them” to do or say something, believers should follow the example of the Bereans, who were commended in Acts 17:11: “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” Paul not only did not get offended that the Bereans tested his words against Scripture, but he praised them for it. Anyone who claims to hear something from God should not be offended if others do like the Bereans and test those claims against Scripture.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

In the age of cell phones, friends are more accessible than ever. Talking to coworkers is as convenient as going to the office coffee pot or water cooler. Talking to someone important, like the CEO of a company, is harder; we usually have to go through a management hierarchy, and even then, we may not succeed. The more important the person, the more unlikely we are to talk to him. But Christians have a direct line to the most important being, and He wants us to talk to Him. God has told us to communicate with Him through prayer. He has spoken to us through His living Word called Jesus, through His written Word called the Bible, and through the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Best of all, when we want to talk to God, we’ll never get a busy signal, be left on “read receipt,” or passed off to middle management. God knows what we want before we ask for it, but He still wants us to bring our petitions to Him. Isn’t it a privilege that we have an open invitation to talk to the Creator of the universe? Believers have the privilege of talking to the Lord and knowing He hears us.

UNDERSTAND

• The Bible shows many rational, intelligent figures talking to God, proving it's not insane.
• Prayer is the primary way believers communicate with God, guided by the Holy Spirit.
• Prayer requests should align with God's will and be tested against Scripture.

REFLECT

• How does knowing that you can communicate directly with God through prayer impact your daily life?
• Where would you like to grow in your communication with God?
• How can you ensure that your prayers align with God’s will and are in line with biblical teachings?

ENGAGE

• Although we are called to pray to God, which includes listening and sharing with Him, we should be discerning when people claim they have heard from God. How can we test claims of hearing from God?
• What is the significance that believers have the privilege of talking directly to God?
• How do you discern the difference between God’s voice, your own thoughts, and other influences when praying or seeking guidance?