On Hearing God’s Voice Clearly

If you’re anything like me you’re always questioning if something is from God or wondering how to hear His voice clearly. If so, you’re in luck because today we will find some answers.

But first I do have to state the obvious, if you haven’t been getting in your Bible and spending time with God in prayer then that’s the place to start. You won’t know what He sounds like until you spend time with Him. He’s like any friend the more time you spend with Him the better you will know His voice.

Now we’ve got that covered let’s dive into uncovering what we can do to hear God’s voice clearly. But first, we will discover how God speaks to us.

HOW GOD SPEAKS

God is always speaking, the problem is we aren’t always tuned in or we choose to ignore Him because we think our way is better (it is not). He can speak to us in different ways. Sometimes it is by miracles or angels (like the angel Gabriel telling Mary she would give birth to Jesus), and sometimes it is through dreams. We have to recognise that God can use just about anything or anyone to make sure His voice is heard.

God often confirms what we think we’ve heard from Him through people or even something we read as it says in Proverbs 15:22.

“Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers, they succeed.”
Proverbs 15:22

The insight of others can keep us on the right path and provide much-needed support, although the wrong counsel will lead you astray.

If God does speak vocally it will be a gentle whisper, a still small voice like it says in 1 Kings.

“After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper.”
1 Kings 19:12

We can also mistake His voice for our thoughts. He speaks to our spirit and the spirit speaks to us, nudging us to do something. It may come across in our minds that we feel like we ought to do something, not necessarily that we feel God is telling us to do something.

“God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
John 4:24

He may speak to us by taking away a desire for something we were once excited for, or give us desire for something we would not typically desire.

God mostly speaks to us through His Word, the Bible. The Bible contains answers to the majority of the questions we ask or shares experiences similar to what we may go through which help us endure.

If we are looking for confirmation for something, God does sometimes use the Bible or other methods to give us that confirmation. But another way He can give us that confirmation is through peace.

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts.”
Colossians 3:15

When we have peace we can move forward with confidence knowing that it is what God intended. If we do not have peace, we should allow God to redirect us to where He wants us to go or what He wants us to do.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgement.”
2 Timothy 1:7

Now we know how God usually speaks to us, we are better able to discern whether it’s His voice we hear or not. But just because we think it’s Him doesn’t mean it’s always Him. The devil is a good liar and imitator. So we need to test what we hear.

TESTING WHAT WE HEAR

Testing is confirming what we hear is true and I’ve already mentioned that briefly. We can hear it through others, and have a sense of peace. We may be hearing the same thing over and over which is usually a good sign. But the best confirmation is through the Bible.

If it’s from God it will never go against scripture.

PRAY

But always regardless of if you test it or if you already know it’s God. Whatever the case, it’s good practice to pray about it. If you struggle with discernment, ask God to give you discernment, if you want to be wiser pray for the wisdom to be able to understand. Ask to be sensitive to the spirit, and pray for clarity. If you still struggle to hear Him, pray to be able to hear Him better and louder. God will always speak if you ask.

“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God – who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly – and it will be given to him.”
James 1:5

TEST YOUR MOTIVATION

It’s good to consider what the motivation is behind you’re wanting to hear God. Are you trying to prove He exists? Do you just want to hear Him for the sake of hearing Him? Are you trying to grow a relationship with Him? Are you attempting to grow spiritually?

If your motives are selfish then you will likely find it harder to hear God. You should make sure your motives are pure and that you are seeking Him intending to grow spiritually and grow your relationship with Him.

SIT IN SILENCE WITH GOD

How often do you rush through the time you spend with God because you have so many other things to do? How often do you pray to hear Him but not make time to listen?

If you want to hear God you need to make time to listen, to sit with Him in silence so you can hear Him better (or at least Lofi music on in the background that won’t distract you).

“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Psalm 46:10

Come to Him with a humble heart, don’t expect Him to speak to you but be present and let Him know that you are willing to hear what He has to say and to act on it. Don’t try and force God to say something or make up what you think He might say.

When you are intentional in making time for Him in this way you will be less distracted, and if it helps you can set a timer so you can stay focused better.

Just know that if God does speak to you don’t expect specific details, sometimes all He will give is a general sense of direction that is up to you to act on.

I hope this post has helped you understand how to hear God’s voice clearly. Let me know if it has in the comments.