Throughout the pages of the Bible, God reveals His intense desire to speak to His children. Let’s examine some of the goals God may have in mind when He communicates with us.

Information. When we seek the Lord and expect Him to speak to our hearts, He answers by giving us revelation from heaven. He might give us a command, a principle, a warning, or a word of encouragement. The apostle Paul wrote: "[For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him." (Ephesians 1:17 AMP) The Lord wants to impart divine revelation to His children so that they might truly know Him and His ways. He is eager to provide us with the wisdom and knowledge we need in every situation so that we may perform His will, and gain the victory. James wrote that whenever we are in a place of uncertainty, we should turn to the Lord in prayer and ask Him in faith for His wisdom. (James 1:5-6) And God told the prophet Jeremiah, "Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3 NIV) As we read the Scriptures, it’s clear that the Lord is eager to impart His wisdom to us in ways that can change our lives and circumstances, and enable us to make an impact on the world for Christ. God’s wisdom is not the wisdom of the world. And it can’t be received apart from having a right relationship with Him. As Proverbs says: "[The Lord] hides away sound and godly wisdom and stores it for the righteous." (Proverbs 2:7 AMP)

Application. Since God’s primary means of communicating with us is His Word, it’s absolutely essential that we spend regular, consistent time in the Scriptures. God’s Word has the power to re-program our minds so that our thoughts are more in tune with God’s, and we truly have "the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:16) As we read the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit sheds light on them, so that we can understand them, and know how to apply them to our lives and circumstances. Then, the Spirit of God enables and empowers us to put these truths and principles into practice. And that’s how we gain God’s best in our situation. The apostle James stressed the importance of being "doers" of the Word. He said: "Don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. If you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." (James 1:22, 25 NLT) We don’t reap rewards when we hear from God, and then ignore what He tells us. We reap them when we are doers of His message. Jesus expressed this same principle when He told His disciples, "You know these things--now do them! That is the path of blessing." (John 13:17 NLT)

Communication. When God speaks to us, He often does it, not only for our own benefit, but also for the benefit of others. For that reason, He expects us to share His messages with certain people we come in contact with. Colossians 3:16 (NLT) says: "Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom [God] gives." Much of the supernatural wisdom that the Lord shares with us has the potential to change lives. That’s why I regularly pray: "Lord, give me revelation from heaven, and help me to apply it to my own life, and to share it with others, in life-changing ways." Every time I receive a message from God, I first consider how it applies to me, and then I think about how it might be of use to others. I believe that one reason why the Lord enables me to reach thousands of people on a regular basis is because I’ve made it a habit to share His messages with others. And what should be our goal in all this? Colossians 1:28 (NLT) tells us: "We tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ." The Lord is eager to speak to you today. Are you ready to hear and heed Him?

Prayer: Lord, help me to seek You and Your wisdom with all my heart, so that I may know You in a deep and intimate way. Teach me how to rely on Your Spirit’s power to apply and practice the principles You impart to me. Thank You that as I follow Your lead in sharing Your wisdom with others, You will make me a world-changer for Your glory!