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Have you ever wondered how to hear God’s voice? The idea of hearing from God can be a source of confusion for many people. It is certainly something that I have struggled with in the past. This is especially true as someone who struggled with psychosis, during which I believed I was hearing from God. For a long time afterward, I was afraid to listen to what God was speaking to me. I didn’t want to go down the wrong path mentally and have another episode. I would avoid scripture and avoid quiet time with God because of this fear.
These days, I’m much more mentally stable and I am able to spend time with the Lord without fear. I am thankful that I can enjoy a healthy relationship with God. I try not to take it for granted that I am able to do this.
Many people misunderstand what it means to hear from God. How does he speak to us? Why doesn’t he speak in an audible voice? Does he ever want to talk to us about specific issues we are encountering in our life? Or are we just given scripture to read?
I believe that God still uses his Holy Spirit to speak to us today. Additionally, I believe that wants to speak to us about personal things that apply specifically to us. I have never heard an audible voice (and if I did, I would probably call my doctor). However, God has spoken quietly to my heart in such beautiful moments between me and him.
Still wondering how to hear God’s voice? Here, I will share with you the ways that I often hear from God. It’s important to remember that when pursuing God’s voice, he will never say something to you that falls outside of what is already written in the Bible. Everything you hear should be held up to the standard of what the word of God says. He will never contradict himself, and he will never tell you to do something that the Bible tells you is wrong. This is why it’s so important to study the Bible and know what it says.
I would never want to limit God, and my list of ways you can hear from him is probably not comprehensive. But these are the ways I hear from him, and I hope this helps you learn how to hear God’s voice for yourself.
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” – John 14:26 NIV
For me personally, the most common way I hear from God is when I’m reading scripture. I will select a short passage and when I’m reading, it will be like the Holy Spirit just opens up my heart to receive an interpretation that brings clarity to what that passage means on a deeper level. These interpretations often result in the faith-based blog posts that I share on here.
When we read scripture, the Holy Spirit is present with us to help us understand, if we let him. When you spend time in the word, surrender that time to him and ask for his help to understand what he wants to say to you.
Another way God often speaks to me is through conviction of sin. A recent example is when I’m parenting. I’ll often feel like I hear him in my head, reminding me to be patient with my daughter when she’s acting up. I also feel convicted when I’m impatient with my husband as well. Impatience is honestly the thing I’ve been struggling with the most these days. I’m getting convicted about it often and it’s a daily struggle!
When you begin to notice or start to feel badly about something you are doing wrong, it could be God speaking to you and asking you to surrender that sin to him. The Holy Spirit can help you to overcome that sin if you allow him to work in your heart.
Sometimes, we can hear God speaking to us through a still small voice. For example, you might feel a strong impression that your friend needs some encouragement, that you need to give your sandwich to the homeless person you’ve just encountered, or that you need to pay for the food of the person behind you in line. Sometimes a friend will be heavy on my heart and when I reach out, I find out they really needed prayer.
The Holy Spirit can put something on your heart that will really help you or someone else who needs it. Let him know that you are open to hearing from him in this way and see how he uses you to be a light to others!
I think sometimes, the Holy Spirit will jog our memory as a means of speaking to our heart. Often, it comes in the form of remembering a verse of scripture that is relevant to our situation. You could also remember a line from a worship song, a sermon, or something a friend said to you. If the right piece of information randomly pops into your mind, it may be God helping you remember it.
For this specific way of hearing God to work, it’s important that we have already studied scripture and know verses that are relevant to our lives. He’s not just going to put those verses in your head by magic – it’s important that we take the time to get to know them by reading and studying.
In case you are not familiar with the language I’m using in this blog post, I wanted to explain the Holy Spirit to you. God himself came to earth in human form as Jesus. Jesus died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin. He came back to life three days later and appeared to many of his disciples before physically leaving the earth.
“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate [Holy Spirit] will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” – John 16:7 NIV (Jesus words to his disciples)
When he left, he promised to send his Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God himself, dwelling in our physical bodies with us. He offers us encouragement, speaks to our hearts, helps us understand scripture, and does all of the things mentioned in this post and more.
I believe that all believers have access to the Holy Spirit. But if we listen to him and let him work in us, I believe we will begin to experience him on a deeper level. If you have accepted Jesus but aren’t sure if you have the Holy Spirit active in you, just ask him for it! This is a prayer that he loves to answer yes to.
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