Does the Lord Speak to Us?

Does the Lord speak to us? Does He only speak to certain people? Does He speak to different people in different ways? This passage provides answers to these questions that are satisfying in how they fit in with other New Church teachings.

The Lord speaks with every person, for whatever a person wills and thinks that is good and true, is from the Lord. There are with every person at least two evil spirits and two angels. The evil spirits excite his evils, and the angels inspire things that are good and true. Every good and true thing inspired by the angels is of the Lord; thus the Lord is continually speaking with a person, but quite differently with one person than with another. With those who suffer themselves to be led away by evil spirits, the Lord speaks as if absent, or from afar, so that it can scarcely be said that He is speaking; but with those who are being led by the Lord, He speaks as more nearly present; which may be sufficiently evident from the fact that no one can ever think anything good and true except from the Lord. ....

The presence of the Lord is first possible with a person when he loves the neighbor. The Lord is in love; and so far as a person is in love, so far the Lord is present; and so far as the Lord is present, so far He speaks with the person. (Arcana Coelestia 904:1, 3)