How do you know when God is speaking to you?
The subject of God speaking immediately brings up a few schools of thought. In one camp (we’ll call this Camp A), you have Christians who believe that God speaks audibly, in the same way that He literally spoke to Samuel as a child in the temple (see I Samuel 3). Sometimes, God speaks specific instructions to us that are clear and audible.
Christians in Camp B often believe that simply knowing and being obedient to God’s Word and instructions is “listening to God speak.” He has already given us everything we need to make choices that honor Him, regardless of the situation.
Camp C often believes somewhere in the middle. God gives us most of our daily instruction through His divine Word, but in some cases, God does give us specific instructions (specific to us, specific to our situation) that we need to listen to. These instructions are not necessarily audible, but rather a soul-deep message that the Holy Spirit interprets for us.
The trick that most people fall into, however, is that sometimes, when we are praying and asking and pleading about one thing for a long time, we sometimes confuse our own thoughts for directions from God. This can be dangerous for a lot of reasons, mostly because our heart is flawed (see Jeremiah 17:9), and because wisdom comes from the Lord, and the Lord alone. When we make major decisions based on our own understanding, it’s like starting a road trip and only looking at an old-school paper map. You can see what you think to be the route, but without tapping into a real-time GPS, you won’t be able to anticipate traffic, route detours, etc.
It’s fine to make decisions like this. God is not going to breathe specific instruction outside of what He has already given us in His Word into every single decision we make every day.
But it’s those big life decisions — the “prayer and petition and completely stuck at a crossroads in life” decisions — when we need to be extra cautious to not mistake our own voice for God’s.
What does God’s voice sound like?
“My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27 MSG).
We believe that God does speak in different ways during certain seasons of our lives. Sometimes, He speaks circumstantially through a close friend, similar to when He used His prophets as a mouthpiece for His instruction. In somes cases, He speaks to us directly. Most often, however, He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. This type of speaking is a soul-deep understanding of what God is calling your next move to be.
While it may seem like an easy mistake to misinterpret your own voice/thoughts as God’s, Jesus is actually pretty clear about how to tell the difference. In John 10:27 when Jesus says that His sheep will know His voice, He is saying that when He speaks, there will be no room for misinterpretation. Because we have the Holy Spirit as a mediator between us, God’s voice becomes crystal clear (whether audible or inaudible) as soon as He speaks into our souls.
God’s voice will always be in line with the character of God. He does not change and He does not contradict Himself. Jesus says in John 6:63 that His words bring life. If you have any doubts about whether what you’re hearing (or thinking) is God’s voice, pin it up against God’s words and character. Be sure to set it against actual Scripture and not just what your perception of God’s character is. It’s important to always go to the source of truth, especially when determining who God is and what His voice sounds like.
How can you hear God?
There’s no magic formula to “hear” God. He doesn’t speak on command, despite how many times we wish He would. He speaks to us when He has something specific to say to us, and He speaks in very different ways depending on who we are, how we receive information and where we are in our spiritual journey.
The one thing we can control is readying ourselves to hear God’s voice when He does decide to speak. The only way to do that is to cut out the noise from our lives and get into a rhythm of prayer and praise with our Savior. Creating space in our schedules for quiet time with God will allow us to focus on Him and His Word and enable us to listen to any instruction He gives. All the moments that I have heard God speak in my life (mine are typically soul-deep instructions, clear as day though not audible) have been in the middle of quiet prayer. Carve out time and space, and make it a priority to sit with God for a little bit each day, and just listen and speak.
It’s true that life is busy, and you may be wondering where on earth you are going to carve out some time each day in your already slammed schedule. I’d challenge you to think about how many minutes you spend a day scrolling social media. Thirty minutes? Longer? For most of us, longer. Perhaps dedicating what would have been 30 minutes of scrolling Instagram to praying instead would be a better use of your time. It’s all about priorities. If you really want God to speak to you, then you have to take the time to listen.
Imagine trying to speak to someone who is busy doing 100 other things and isn’t giving you their full attention. Imagine you had something really important to say to them — life changing, even. At some point, you’d probably say, “I’ll just wait until you’re done.” Right? Sometimes if you’ve been wondering why God isn’t speaking into a certain situation in your life, it could be that He is just waiting for you to slow down long enough to listen.
You have to slow down, and you have to get into conversation with God. That way when He does choose to speak, you will hear it and know that it is from Him.
To learn more about listening for God’s voice, check out our resources here: