Revelation: Hearing from God in Everyday Life | Building Up the Body: Everyone Has Something to Give

"How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification."1 Corinthians 14:26 (NKJV)

Revelation is another buzzword that many Christians toss around, and I  wonder how many just heard their Pastor or another Christian using it, and just started using it too.

As I continue to study The Word of God in-depth, I try not to use certain phrases before researching them, over and over if I have to, until I better understand what I’d be talking about.

Revelation is one such word.

I believe you have used it and know what it means, but just to put the word in context of this study today: Revelation

According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, revelation is an uncovering, a bringing to light of that which had been previously wholly hidden or only obscurely seen. 

God has been pleased in various ways and at different times to make a supernatural revelation of himself and his purposes and plans, which, under the guidance of his Spirit, has been committed to writing. 

Hebrews 1:1 (KJV) says, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,” 

The Scriptures are not merely the "record" of revelation; they are the revelation itself in a written form, for the accurate preservation and propagation of the truth. Meaning: The Bible doesn’t just talk about God’s truth—it is God’s truth, written down so it can be preserved without error and shared with every generation.

In the early church, “revelation” often meant a Spirit-given word that illuminated God’s truth for a specific moment. 

For example, in Acts 13:2, while the believers in Antioch were worshiping and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” God revealed His will, and the church responded.

Back then, gatherings were smaller and more interactive. A revelation could be shared directly to guide or correct. 

Today, we often think of revelation only as grand visions, or dramatic, supernatural experiences—like vivid dreams, prophetic encounters, or apocalyptic scenes.

Romans 1:20 (NLT): “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

Yet God also reveals Himself in ways that are both extraordinary and ordinary. 

1. Through Scripture – Psalm 119:105 (NKJV) says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” So, the Spirit highlights truths we need in the moment.

2. Through Prayer – Philippians 4:6–7 reminds us that as we bring requests to God, His peace reveals His nearness and guidance.

3. Through Others – Proverbs 11:14 (KJV), notes that “in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” God often confirms His direction through trusted voices. 

4. Through Circumstances – Romans 8:28 assures us that God works in all things for our good, and sometimes His hand is revealed in the unfolding of life itself.

So even if you’re not the one to speak in a service, revelation can come quietly. Journaling a Scripture that spoke to you, writing down a dream, or noting a recurring theme in prayer can all be ways of participating in the building up of the body. 

This shows that revelation is not confined to public preaching or dramatic prophecy, but can come in personal, quiet ways. And later, those insights may encourage someone else at just the right time.

But as sure as that is, the Bible shows several things that can hinder us from receiving revelation or hearing God in everyday life.

1. Unconfessed Sin or Rebellion

Sin clouds our spiritual hearing and creates distance between us and God.Isaiah 59:2 (NKJV): “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”

2. Hardness of Heart / Unbelief

A stubborn or unbelieving heart resists God’s voice.Hebrews 3:15 (ESV): “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

3. Neglect of God’s Word

If we don’t engage Scripture, we cut off one of the main ways God reveals Himself.Psalm 119:130 (NKJV): “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”

4. Lack of Prayer or Seeking God

Revelation requires relationship—if we don’t seek Him, we may not hear Him.Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV): “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

5. Distractions & Worldly Noise

Busyness and constant noise drown out God’s still small voice.1 Kings 19:11–12 (NKJV): Elijah didn’t find God in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in “a still small voice.”

6. Pride & Self-Reliance

Pride keeps us from depending on God’s wisdom.James 4:6 (NKJV): “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

So, as I end: Let us think about how we have heard God recently — maybe a verse that wouldn’t leave our hearts, a worship lyric that spoke directly to our situations, or wise advice that came at the perfect moment. 

These are modern “revelations” — reminders that God is still speaking and still building up His people. Amen?!