Some people hear directly from God. It happened in the Bible (with people like Saul, for example). And it sometimes happens today. 

But more often than not, we need to discern God’s will in our lives without the benefit of an audible voice from above.

Primarily, he speaks to us through the Bible. It is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). 

But God also uses other people to speak to us. Timothy Warner says: “God often chooses to speak to us through other members of the Body [of Christ]—and they are not always those members of the Body that we would like to listen to.”*

His point is that God sometimes speaks to us through other people in the church. But since they are not God, and since they are (sometimes) people we might not even like, we are not open to their message.

You’re right: some people think they speak for God when they clearly do not! Discernment is required. But what if God is prompting someone to share a special word with you? Perhaps it is a word of encouragement that comes at just the right time. Or perhaps it is a word of correction about something happening in your life. If you have been praying about it and if their message is consistent with Scripture, that might be what is happening. 

In Ephesians 4:29 Paul tells the church to use words that are “helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” These could be words of encouragement. But they could also be words of correction. When done in love, both can build others up as we strive for unity and maturity in the faith.

God created people. He saves people. He loves people. He guides people. Turns out he works through people too. Keep your ears open. Every utterance is not divine. But God might be giving you direction in more ways than you think.

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Notes:

–*Timothy M. Warner, “Deception: Satan’s Chief Tactic” In: C. Peter Wagner, F. Douglas Pennoyer, eds., Understanding Dark Angels (Ventura: Regal Books, 1990), 105.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.