God Spoke.

85 Times God Spoke To His People In The Bible

Caroline Perreault Mar 9

God is a communicator.

He’s your friend, your guide, your counselor, your parent, the lover of your soul…

Of course He’s speaking to you!

The Bible is filllllllllled with examples of God dialoguing with people. 

From Scripture, we see stories that show how He talks with us: 

He speaks, leads, corrects, prepares…whispers, prompts, redirects, closes doors, opens doors.

He directly and audibly speaks, lays out step-by-step instructions…uses nature, angelic messengers, signs and supernatural events. 

He impresses with a sense or feelings of peace or joy… fills spiritual sight with visions, dreams, and pictures. 

He speaks in analogies and metaphors… shares insight into what’s to come and brings what’s presently hiding out into the open. 

He says yes, says no, and speaks through the Holy Spirit. 

And Jesus came and spoke to all of his friends (and His not-friends) just to make sure we got the message. 

You and the Lord are in a conversation.

It’s His nature to speak to you.

It’s His design to communicate with you.

The Bible (the story He’s given us to learn from and follow) is packed with Him speaking to His people. Over and over again.

Below, I’ve listed 85 examples of times God spoke to someone in the Bible, categorized by how He did it.

Before you skim the list… pause.

This isn’t just a bunch of Bible verses.

This is proof that God talks to us. He’s a conversationalist. An instructor. A partner. It reveals His personality. It teaches us to trust that He’s actively involved in our lives.

He laid this out in story after story to show you how He is, and how He wants to interact with you.

As you look over this mountain of evidence, let it open you. 

This is an invitation. 

A calling into a deeper, trusting relationship and friendship with the Lord. 

May this be a reminder to you, that He speaks. And He’s speaking to you!

Look at Him go!

A few notes before you dive in:

  • Many verses could fit into multiple categories. I just picked one category to avoid duplicates. 
  • I’ve only listed the verse references, not the details of the events. Each is linked to Bible Gateway so you can click and read the full story in context. I highly recommend doing that. Seeing for yourself how God speaks can be a big failth-builder.
  • I encourage you to take your time with this:Look up five to ten examples each day this week. Or pick twenty that stand out to you and explore them over the next few days. Or just spend a few minutes here and there digging into the ones that catch your eye.However you approach it, I hope this list encourages you and shows you just how willing God is to connect, guide, and make Himself known.

Examples of God Speaking To People Through Scripture

  1. Jesus declares He is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (Luke 4:16-21)
  2. Paul quotes Hosea to show prophecy fulfillment (Romans 9:25-26)
  3. Peter’s Pentecost Sermon (Acts 2:14-36)
  4. King Josiah repents (2 Kings 22:8-20)
  5. Jesus explains the Scriptures to the disciples (Luke 24:27)
  6. God reminds Israel to obey His commands (Leviticus 26:14-15)
  7. God gives the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20)
  8. God Instructs the Israelites through the Law (Amos 5)
  9. Jeremiah reminds Israel of God’s Law (Jeremiah 6:16)

Examples Of God Speaking To people In Dreams

*Let’s classify dreams as something that happens when sleeping.

  1. Joseph’s prophetic dreams (Genesis 37)
  2. Jacob’s Ladder (Genesis 28:10-22)
  3. Pharaoh’s dream (Genesis 41)
  4. God’s warning to Abimelek (Genesis 20:1-7)
  5. God instructs Laban (Genesis 31:22-24)
  6. Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker tell Joseph their dreams (Genesis 40)
  7. God offers wisdom to Solomon (1 Kings 3:1-15)
  8. Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (Daniel 2)
  9. Daniel interprets a dream (Daniel 4)
  10. Joseph’s dream to escape Egypt with baby Jesus (Matthew 2:13-18)
  11. Joseph’s dream to go back to Jerusalem with baby Jesus (Matthew 2:19-23)
  12. The Wise Men are warned about their travel route (Matthew 1:1-12)
  13. Pilate’s wife is burdened by a dream about Jesus (Matthew 27:19)

Examples Of God Speaking To People In Visions

*Let’s classify visions as something that happens when awake.

  1. Ezekial’s vision of the glory of the Lord (Ezekiel 1)
  2. The Lord’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15)
  3. Nathan’s vision for David (2 Samuel 7:1-17)
  4. Isaiah’s Commission (Isaiah 6)
  5. The Valley of Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37)
  6. Daniel’s vision of future kingdoms (Daniel 7-12)
  7. Peter’s vision of the sheet (Acts 10:9-23)
  8. Ananias’ vision to visit Paul (Acts 9:10-16)
  9. Cornelius’ vision of an angel (Acts 10:1-7)
  10. John’s Revelation (All of Revelation)
  11. Jeremiah talks with God (Jeremiah 1)

Examples of God Speaking Directly to People 

*Let’s include personal encounters, speaking audibly, and other events that are unmistakably God or His voice.

  1. Moses and the burning bush (Exodus 3)
  2. God speaks to Samuel for the first time (1 Samuel 3)
  3. God’s instructions to Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:15-17)
  4. Saul’s conversion (Acts 9:1-19)
  5. God banishes Cain (Genesis 4:1-15)
  6. God tells Moses the people are worshiping other gods (Exodus 32)
  7. God defends Moses to Aaron and Miriam (Numbers 12:1-9)
  8. Joshua is called to lead (Joshua 1:1-19)
  9. David dialogues with God (2 Samuel 2:1)
  10. Jesus is baptized (Matthew 3:16-17)
  11. The Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36)
  12. Jesus has conversations with people after His crucifixion (Throughout The Gospels) 
  13. Moses parts the Red Sea (Exodus 14)
  14. Moses puts the bronze snake on a pole (Numbers 21:4-9)
  15. Ezekiel’s call to be a prophet (Ezekiel 2)
  16. God speaks to Job (Job 38)

Examples of God Speaking To People Through The Holy Spirit

  1. Paul and the man from Macedonia (Acts 16:6-10)
  2. Simeon is led to Jesus (Luke 2:25-27)
  3. Philip and the Ethiopian official (Acts 8:29)
  4. Barnabas and Saul are called (Acts 13:1-3)
  5. Paul is warned of hardship (Acts 20:22-24)
  6. Bezalel, the Artisan (Exodus 31:1-11)
  7. David’s last words (2 Samuel 23:1-7)
  8. The three men and Peter (Acts 10:19-20)
  9. Nehemiah senses a stirring to rebuild Jerusalem’s wall (Nehemiah 2)

Examples of God Speaking Through Angelic Messengers

  1. An angel speaks strength to Gideon (Judges 6:11-24)
  2. An angel comes to Mary (Luke 1:26-38)
  3. Jacob wrestles with an angel (Genesis 32:22-32)
  4. Hagar meets an angel (Genesis 16:7-12)
  5. An angel stops Abraham from sacrificing Isaac (Genesis 22)
  6. Samson’s birth is announced (Judges 13)
  7. An angel ministers to Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-18)
  8. Jesus’ birth is announced to shepherds (Luke 2:8-14)

Examples of God Speaking Through Prophets, Words of Knowledge, and Wise Counsel

  1. God sends Nathan to speak to David (2 Samuel 12:1-14)
  2. Moses leads and teaches the people of Israel (Exodus-Deuteronomy)
  3. Elijah and Elisha deliver powerful messages from the Lord (1 Kings 17- 2 Kings 13)
  4. Samuel speaks God’s judgment to Saul (1 Samuel 15)
  5. Elijah announces a great drought (1 King 17:1)
  6. Elisha reveals the plans of the enemy (2 Kings 6:12)
  7. Jeremiah warns of exile (Jeremiah 25)
  8. Jonah’s warning to Nineveh (Jonah 3)
  9. John The Baptist declares Jesus as the Messiah (John 1:29-31)
  10. Agabus prophesies a famine throughout Rome (Acts 11:27-30)

Examples of God Speaking To People Through Nature, Signs, Wonders, and The Supernatural 

  1. A cloud and fire to guide the Israelites (Exodus 13:21-22)
  2. Daniel deciphers the writing on the wall (Daniel 5)
  3. God whispers to Elijah (1 Kings 19:11-13)
  4. Balaam’s donkey speaks (Numbers 22:21-41)
  5. Gideon’s fleece (Judges 6:36-40)
  6. Jonah is swallowed by a whale (Jonah 1-2)
  7. God speaks through thunder, lightening, and a trumpet blast (Exodus 19:16-25)
  8. The rainbow covenant (Genesis 9:1-17)
  9. The earth shook after Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 27:51)
  10. God speaks Creation into being (Genesis 1)