The notion that each Christian can receive personal revelation from the Almighty was novel in times past. Nowadays, though, listening to Christians talk about it, the experience appears to be ubiquitous. Virtually everyone seems to be "hearing from God" in some fashion these days—pastors, writers, worship leaders, even the regular folks at our weekly Bible studies—so the basic idea must be right.

But is it? Must I "hear the voice of God" in order to know what He wants from me? Is this what Jesus meant by, "My sheep hear My voice," or what Paul meant by being "led by the Spirit"?

And what if I hear nothing but silence when I listen? Does this say something about my spiritual well-being? Am I living a substandard Christian life if I don't have a hotline to God? Addressing those concerns and more like them is vitally important. And much rides on the answers.

There's only one way to address such questions. They cannot be answered by appealing to personal experiences, but only by appealing carefully to the text. What does Scripture teach? That's the question being answered in this Ambassador's Guide.