Become a Student of the Word
Welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.
—James 1:21
Sometimes God transcends the laws of nature and speaks to us through supernatural revelation. There is nothing more supernatural than the Word of God, which is given to us by divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit speaking through His prophets and disciples. The Bible has an answer for every question we might ever have. Anyone who wants to hear God's voice must be a student of the Word. Of all the other ways that God may speak to us, He will never contradict the written Word.
If we think we can hear clearly from God without spending time in the Word, we are mistaken. Listening for God's voice without being dedicated to spending time in the Word on a regular basis opens us up to hearing voices that are not from God. Knowing the written Word protects us from deception. Some people only come to God when they are in trouble and need help. But if they are not used to hearing from God, they will find it difficult to recognize His voice when they really need Him.
Even Jesus resisted Satan's lies by answering, "It is written" (See Luke 4). Any idea, or prompting, or thought that comes to us needs to be compared to the Word of God. All vain imaginations are to be cast down and ignored (See 2 Corinthians 10:5), but knowledge of the Word is of vital importance in discerning the voice of God.
