We are all part of the universal one, universal consciousness. What is universal consciousness? It is the interweaving thread that connects all of us, both sentient and non-sentient beings. It is an energy that we are all a part of, both as human beings and spiritual beings.
Since we are connected through the universal consciousness, we are continuously communicating with each other and spirit, at the same time that spirit is communicating with us. Some of us are very aware of this, while others are not, especially when it comes to spirit communicating with us.
We know when we are talking or praying to spirit. However, the doubt tends to come when spirit is communicating with us. We may feel that there is no communication at all. Or, we may receive the communication but question if it is truly a message from spirit. Many times we believe that maybe we just made it up. Sometimes that's because the message is one that doesn't seem to fit the scenario we have already worked out in our mind. Or, maybe, it's because we may feel that the message is "too good to be true" and we question if we are truly worthy. There are many other reasons why we may find it difficult to trust the message from spirit.
So, we may toss aside the communication. However, if spirit is communicating a message, it is a message of importance, not to be discarded because of mistrust. One way to build trust is to ask spirit for a sign to confirm the communication.
Spirit gives signs in many different ways. You may hear a song on the radio that you have listened to hundreds of times but this time, a line or two of the song really "jumps" out at you. Listen carefully, it is probably a sign / message.
Another way spirit sends signs is through the repeated appearance of objects, animals, and numbers. For example, you may have not seen a snake in a long time. Then you see a snake repeatedly in a short amount of time. Keep in mind it could be a live snake, a picture of a snake, a snake on tv, etc. You get the idea.
For it to be a sign, the occurrences usually come in threes. Anytime you see an object, no matter what it is, 3 times in a one or two day time span, pay attention. Spirit is sending you a sign.
Numbers are another form of spirit communication. You may continually see a number or series of numbers in a short amount of time. One way I know that spirit is communicating with me by numbers is through license plates. I rarely notice license plates so when my attention is drawn to one, I make a mental note of the numbers.
Once you receive these signs, how do you know what they mean? There are a number of books that you can reference. Two of my favorites are The Secret Language of Signs by Denise Linn and Angel Numbers 101 by Doreen Virtue.
Another option is to search the internet for a site that will offer the meanings of signs. Just be careful though because not all sites are legitimate. And, keep in mind that no reference book or site can be all encompassing. You may have to discern some of the meanings for yourself.