What do you mean "God talks to you"

[OccamsRazor]

I have seen a number of people say that God speaks to them. What do they mean?

As I see it this can be:
1) God actually speaks (in their chosen language) as a voice in their head.
2) They see some spectacle of natural magnificence (such as a sunset or a rare wild bird) and interprets this as a form of communication from God.
3) They experience a feeling of elation or happiness and interpret this as some message from God.

In cases 2 & 3 is there not a more justifiable explanation than the voice of God?

Are there any other conduits for the voice of God?

So the question here is: What do people mean when they say that God "talks" to them?

[Edited: corrected spelling mistakes - then realised that I should have used the handy 'spellcheck' button ]

[adlemi]

You have my permission to ask your God to speak audibly and unambiguously to me. I'll let you know if something happens.

May I know what exactly do you mean by these statements above?

[Sleepy]

May I know what exactly do you mean by these statements above?

I have offered to pray for McCulloch in the past, this is just a progression of that offer in the context of the personal examples of two people I know, who incedently both drew the conclusion that the voices were either God or messages from God.

I'm not going to get into an argument over what my friends and family did or did not hear, I have already said this is subjective content and hence limited to personal testimony. It is sufficient given context to say merely that they thought they were messages either directly or indirectly from God.

What both of them must had done was to ask who that voice was?

They promptly became Christians, or was that not obvious to you I appologise if this was unclear.

[McCulloch]

You have my permission to ask your God to speak audibly and unambiguously to me. I'll let you know if something happens.

May I know what exactly do you mean by these statements above?

I think that the meaning is clear from the context of the thread.
You - Sleepy
have my permission - Sleepy wrote, "I ask people if I can pray for them - I believe it works"
to ask your God - by whatever means he communicates to God
to speak audibly - I don't like ESP. I would prefer God to speak to me out loud.
and unambiguously - So that I can know that it is a communication from this God and not attribute it to something else, a dream, a hallucination.
to me. - Not someone else.
I'll let you know if something happens. If God speaks to me unambiguously, I will if I am able, post here. I would also change some of my group memberships.

You want to ask God to speak to me as well?

[adlemi]

What both of them must had done was to ask who that voice was?

They promptly became Christians, or was that not obvious to you I appologise if this was unclear.

This is not to argue with you but just to emphasize the importance of asking too many for the clarification of anything in our life. In the first place, with whose perception that they promptly became Christians, with God himself? or with men only? Even from the bible we can read that Samuel was told to respond to next time to the voice calling His name, so why not ask who that voice was so that if it was God who talked to them, God may affirmed it and further revealed Himself to them. What an opportunity that was lost with them during that time!

[adlemi]

You have my permission to ask your God to speak audibly and unambiguously to me. I'll let you know if something happens.

May I know what exactly do you mean by these statements above?

I think that the meaning is clear from the context of the thread.
You - Sleepy
have my permission - Sleepy wrote, "I ask people if I can pray for them - I believe it works"
to ask your God - by whatever means he communicates to God
to speak audibly - I don't like ESP. I would prefer God to speak to me out loud.
and unambiguously - So that I can know that it is a communication from this God and not attribute it to something else, a dream, a hallucination.
to me. - Not someone else.
I'll let you know if something happens. If God speaks to me unambiguously, I will if I am able, post here. I would also change some of my group memberships.

Thank you very much and it is a very nice answer from you becasue I am fully assured now of what you really meanst with your statements.

Now this is for all, if all of us will just do the same thing with God regarding what we read from the bible, God will surely get back to us in a clear and vivid way of answering like what the author of this post did to my question to him. Thanks again bro.

You want to ask God to speak to me as well?

I want God to speak in the manner that we are experiencing it now not only to you but to many people also.

[Sleepy]

What both of them must had done was to ask who that voice was?

They promptly became Christians, or was that not obvious to you I appologise if this was unclear.

This is not to argue with you but just to emphasize the importance of asking too many for the clarification of anything in our life. In the first place, with whose perception that they promptly became Christians, with God himself? or with men only? Even from the bible we can read that Samuel was told to respond to next time to the voice calling His name, so why not ask who that voice was so that if it was God who talked to them, God may affirmed it and further revealed Himself to them. What an opportunity that was lost with them during that time!

Not quite sure what you mean by opportunity lost, it took Eli a few goes before he realised what was happening to Samuel . You could argue it took God more than one go to get his attention. Being that in both cases I illustrated, neither were in a position of prior faith I think the appropriate opportunity was not so much lost as given and taken.

A man was walking down a road in Italy when he came across a street sweeper happily singing as he brushed the waste and cleaned the street. He approached the sweeper and was amazed at how content with life he seemed to be.
"Why are you so happy?" asked the man to the street cleaner, the street cleaner stopped singing and smiled at the man. "I am a rich man with everything I desire and yet do not have a song in my heart like you do, what is your secret?" asked the man again to the street cleaner who continued to smile. The street cleaner leaned on his broom and replied with a huge grin, "Every day they give me a dirty street, and every day I go home and it is clean."

Sometimes in life it is best to look at what you do have then look back on everything you don't (glass half full, half empty). I agree God speaking directly to you is an amazing opportunity, but in either case you can not say this was an opportunity lost, both men found (or more accurately were found by) God.

[adlemi]

A man was walking down a road in Italy when he came across a street sweeper happily singing as he brushed the waste and cleaned the street. He approached the sweeper and was amazed at how content with life he seemed to be.
"Why are you so happy?" asked the man to the street cleaner, the street cleaner stopped singing and smiled at the man. "I am a rich man with everything I desire and yet do not have a song in my heart like you do, what is your secret?" asked the man again to the street cleaner who continued to smile. The street cleaner leaned on his broom and replied with a huge grin, "Every day they give me a dirty street, and every day I go home and it is clean."

This one is a good illustration of no lost opportunity because of direct conversation in a question and answer manner that took place between the rich and the street sweeper whereas in your previous example, only one way manner of speaking took place. What may happened next was maybe just a presumption from both the hearers of that voice that whom they heard was God speaking to them.

but in either case you can not say this was an opportunity lost, both men found (or more accurately were found by) God.

If you may, may we know why do say they both found God? Are you privy on how they were able to find God? This is just for a matter of sharing faith as we experience it and not as we argue about it. God bless you.

[Sleepy]

In both cases they went to a local church, my grandfather picked up a bible and started reading it but basically had decided to give his life to God on the basis of his personal experience. In the case of my atheist friend, he already had a bible and knew what to do so he just got down on his knees and prayed. He rang a Christian friend of his that he debated with and went on from there.

Some tend to neglect personal stories of changed lives on the background of only accepting objective science but although this is wise to a degree, we should be cautious that it does not end up with us rejecting all history and stories that cannot be empirically verified. Personal experiences and even observations will no longer be relevant to a discussion if we only accept science as truth.

[adlemi]

In both cases they went to a local church, my grandfather picked up a bible and started reading it but basically had decided to give his life to God on the basis of his personal experience. In the case of my atheist friend, he already had a bible and knew what to do so he just got down on his knees and prayed. He rang a Christian friend of his that he debated with and went on from there.

As I look at it, both of them become a biblical believing Christian until now, aren't they? If this is the basis in saying they both found God, why do they both landed in a bible and a church instead of landing themselves to the Lord God himself who is the only Good Pastor of the whole of mankind? Having a man pastor in a local church does not conform with the teaching of the Lord God about His Church because the Lord said:

"I Am the Pastor. I Am the Good Pastor. Keep in your mind that there are no others who will teach you except Me. If ever that you will be explaining with each other, same will only be in accordance with your will, same will be in accordance with your own thinking. Hence, keep in your mind that whosoever will act being a pastor, who will act being a leader of My Church, he is doing iniquity and snatching away My post being the Good Pastor, because you are only human beings, those of you who act as pastors, those of you who teach and standing up in front of many people, those of you who are doers of iniquities, those of you who cast out devils in My name. Keep in your mind that in My Second coming, many will call to Me saying, Lord, Lord, didn’t we do powerful works and in your name we cast out devils, we did healing. But keep in your mind, I will say to them, never at any time do I know you,

Some tend to neglect personal stories of changed lives on the background of only accepting objective science but although this is wise to a degree, we should be cautious that it does not end up with us rejecting all history and stories that cannot be empirically verified. Personal experiences and even observations will no longer be relevant to a discussion if we only accept science as truth.

Stories of any kind can only weigh that much in our spiritual and material life if same landed ourselves directly to the Lord God himself. Science of men will stop and perish in due time but stories which pertain to the works of God will stand the test of times unto eternity with the Lord God in His kingdom.

[Sleepy]

Are you teaching me? If so by your own logic.....