The Five Ways by Pastor Stéphane Chauvette, front cover

The five ways God speaks to His people

In short: Pastor Stéphane Chauvette's The Five Ways identifies five channels through which the Lord speaks to His people: the written Word, the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, circumstances, other believers, and creation. The book, which grew out of the television program A Word For Today, shows what each channel sounds like and how to test it against Scripture.

Why the question matters

Almost every believer has asked it: how do I know when God is speaking to me? Answer it badly and you get either silence, a God who never seems to speak, or noise, where every impulse is treated as divine guidance. Pastor Chauvette's book is an attempt to answer it carefully, from the Bible, after four decades of pastoral ministry in Montréal.

1. The written Word

The first and governing way is Scripture. Everything else is measured against it. God does not contradict in private what He has said in public, so a believer who wants to hear God begins by reading what He has already said. The Five Ways spends the most time here because the other four are tested by this one.

2. The inner witness of the Holy Spirit

Romans 8:16 says the Spirit bears witness with our spirit. The book describes this as the quiet, settled knowing that accompanies a right decision, as distinct from emotion or wishful thinking, and gives biblical examples of people led by the Spirit's inward prompting.

3. Circumstances

Open and closed doors, timing, provision and obstruction. The book is careful here: circumstances confirm, they do not initiate. A closed door is not automatically God's no, and an open one is not automatically His yes, which is why this channel is read alongside the first two.

4. Other believers

God speaks through pastors, friends, counsellors and the gathered church. Proverbs says there is safety in a multitude of counsellors. The chapter covers how to weigh a word from another believer, including a word that claims to be prophetic.

5. Creation

Psalm 19 opens with the heavens declaring the glory of God, and Romans 1 says His attributes are clearly seen in what He has made. This is the most general of the five, but the book argues it is a real voice: creation speaks of God's power, order and care, and believers are meant to listen.

Testing what you hear

The last part of the book gives the tests that run across all five channels. Does it agree with Scripture? Does it exalt Christ? Does it produce peace rather than confusion? Is it confirmed by more than one channel over time? Pastor Chauvette's point is that God wants to be heard, and that He has given His people enough ways to hear Him that no one has to guess.

Where to read it

The Five Ways is a 560-page paperback published in 2023, available in yellow, blue or green cover, and as a souvenir DVD box set of the original television teaching. Moriah Publications is the official publisher.

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Frequently asked

What are the five ways God speaks?

According to The Five Ways: through the written Word, the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, circumstances, other believers, and creation.

Which of the five is most important?

The written Word. The book treats Scripture as the standard against which the other four are tested.

Is The Five Ways related to the TV program A Word For Today?

Yes. The book was written from Pastor Chauvette's teaching on the program, and the DVD box set contains the original broadcasts.

Where can I buy The Five Ways?

New copies come from Moriah Publications, the official publisher, and ship from Canada. It is also listed on Amazon.ca.

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