7 Ways to Listen to God’s Voice in Every Circumstance

The Bible makes clear that God is immanent. He is near us, sustaining the universe, a part of every aspect of our lives. Therefore, it makes sense that we have a desire for God to speak to us. But this desire often gets lost in the busyness of our lives.

Personally, I’ve felt as if God was further away the busier I got. That there are some seasons where God would rather ignore me than speak to me. And God has had to remind me through His Spirit that there are ways to listen to God in every circumstance–the good and the bad, the busyness and the slowness.

So, now I want to remind you, and myself again, of the ways that we can listen to God’s voice in every circumstance. Because God is near, near to the broken hearted and near to the righteous. Near to me. And near to you.

Draw Near to God

First, if we are going to hear from God in every circumstance, then we need to draw near to God. The main way that we draw near to God is through prayer. Prayer is actively communicating with God, based on a relationship where we acknowledge our dependence on Him and His ability to meet our needs.

A consistent and vibrant prayer life will deepen your relationship with God. Why? Because you are spending time communing with the Creator of all life. Doing so, acknowledges God’s sovereignty and your dependence on Him. Often times, you’ll leave your prayer time with a sense of peace.

 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded

James 4:8

So, how can we foster this vibrant and consistent prayer life? Honestly, prayer is a skill. So, it will take time, commitment, and practice to develop a healthy prayer life. That’s something I’m still working on. But here are some practical tips that I’ve found helpful,

• Set a Schedule: Designate specific times for prayer each day. Whether it’s in the morning, at lunch, or before bed, having a regular schedule helps establish a habit of prayer.
• Find a Quiet Place: Seek a quiet and peaceful environment for your prayer time. It can be in your room, a park, or any place where you can minimize distractions.
• Be Honest and Open: In your prayers, be open and honest with God about your thoughts, feelings, and concerns. Authenticity is key to developing a genuine relationship.
• Use a Prayer Journal: Consider maintaining a prayer journal to record your prayers, thoughts, and any insights or responses you receive during prayer. This helps track your spiritual journey.
• Include Praise and Thanksgiving: While it’s essential to present your requests, remember to include praise and thanksgiving in your prayers. Express gratitude for God’s blessings and acknowledge His greatness. Learn more about prayers of thanksgiving here. Or check out these other types of prayers.
• Use Prayer Aids: If you struggle with finding the right words or topics, consider using prayer aids such as devotional books, prayer guides, or the Psalms for inspiration. Learn how to pray the Psalms with this great article.
• Stay Persistent: There may be times when you don’t “feel” God’s presence during prayer. Stay persistent and committed, understanding that God hears and responds in His own way and time.

Another central aspect of drawing near to God is learning to listen in prayer. Prayer is communicating with God, established by a relationship with Him. Just like we need to listen to our friends when we are spending time with them, we need to listen to God as well. This brings us to the second point.

Know God’s Voice

The second way that we can listen to God’s voice in every circumstance is to know His voice. The more familiar we are with God’s voice, the more likely we will recognize it when He speaks to us. John writes in his gospel that Jesus once taught that He was a good Shepherd. Jesus goes on to say,

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me”

One of the best ways that we can know God’s voice today is through His word, the Bible. God revealed Himself through Scripture. We can know God, what He is like and how He works in the world through the Bible. This is why consistent Bible reading is essential to listening to God’s voice.

 In its 2022 State Of The Bible, the American Bible Society reported the largest decline in “Bible users” among American adults that the study has ever recorded—a 10 percent drop, from 49 to 39 percent. They define “Bible users” as someone who uses their Bible at least 4 times a year outside of a church service.

That’s a low bar, and an even lower percentage. America is growing away from the Bible. Our Bible knowledge is declining rapidly as a society.

For example, the Barna Research Group reported in recent years that only,

• 60% of American adults can name even five of the 10 Commandments;
• 12% believe Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife; and
• 50% believe Sodom and Gomorrah were married.

That can be a part of the reason why people who desire to hear God’s voice struggle to hear Him speak. They don’t know His voice, they don’t know what He sounds like. Why? Because they are not consistently reading God’s word.

Consistent Bible reading, study, and meditation can help us discern God’s voice and apply His teachings to our everyday circumstances, no matter what they are. That’s why I started this blog. I want to help people build a consistent habit of reading, studying, and meditating on the Bible.

I want to help people experience the Bible in a way that they encounter God, hear His voice, and learn to live Biblically.

The best way to do that is to develop a consistent Bible reading habit and learn to study the Bible. Reading the Bible consistently has many benefits that ultimately lead to a deeper relationship with God. And there are many different Bible study methods, here are just three,

• SOAP Bible Study: SOAP is a simple Bible study method that encourages spiritual growth by making sure you not only learn the Bible but live it as well. It is a great Bible study method for beginners and can be done with only a Study Bible or a few number of resources.
• Inductive Bible Study: Inductive Bible study is a method of Bible study that seeks meaning from the original context and applies it to life today. It is typically more academic and in-depth in structure. As such, it can require more resources.
• Lectio Divina: Lectio Divina is an ancient method of reading the Bible that seeks to bring you closer to God through a prayerful reading of Scripture. As such, Bible study resources are not required, though they can aid in deeper understanding and meditation of Scripture.

Consistent Bible reading and study results in a growing relationship with God and familiarity with His nature, character, and ways of working. In short, we know His voice and can follow Him.

Be Open to Hear From God

The third way that we can listen to God’s voice in every circumstance is by being open to hearing from God. When we are receptive to hearing from God, we are more likely to hear from Him. God speaks to us in many different ways including,

• Prayer
• Scripture
• Dreams and Visions
• Inner Impressions and Convictions
• Community and Wise Counsel
• Worship and Music
• Silence and Stillness

So, if we are open to hearing from God in this variety of ways, then we are more likely to hear Him speak. If you are curious what God’s voice sounds like check out this post that describes the characteristics of God’s voice. Or this one that will help you discern if it’s really from God.

Paul writes and encourages Christians to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25; Romans 8:14). Walking in the Holy Spirit means that we follow His lead in our life. We allow Him to influence and guide our way of life. Doing so requires that we have an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.

We can grow this relationship with the Holy Spirit by learning to recognize His promptings and how He communicates. The Holy Spirit can communicate through,

• Conviction: The Holy Spirit can use the Bible to convict us and teach us about the wrongs we’ve done, the right things Jesus has done, and the condemnation of the Devil (John 16:8-11).
• Encouragement: The Holy Spirit also encourages us by reminding us of the truth of Jesus’ work and ministry–His life, death, and resurrection. (John 15:26).
• Circumstances: The Holy Spirit can also orchestrate circumstances to guide us in life. During Paul’s missionary journeys, the Holy Spirit often used circumstances to lead Paul in specific directions where people were ready to hear the gospel (Acts 16:6).
• Inner Promptings: Lastly, the Holy Spirit can guide us through inner promptings whether that is sudden inspiration or a deep sense of peace (Romans 14:27; Philippians 4:7; John 14:27).

Being open to hear from God results not only in more likely hearing His voice, but also confidently reminding us of the assurance of our salvation and the constant presence of God’s glory and blessing in our life. Paul writes to the church in Ephesus,

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people…”

Ephesians 1:18

So, if we are open to hearing from God in every circumstance, then it is entirely possible that God can speak to us in every circumstance. We can pray that the eyes of our heart be opened and enlightened as we seek God’s voice and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Be Familiar With the Gospel

The fourth way that we can listen to God’s voice in every circumstance is by being familiar with the gospel. God has given us the Holy Spirit to lead us, guide us, encourage us, and remind us about the gospel.

The Holy Spirit leads us with the gospel, guides us to the cross, encourages us with the gospel and reminds us about the gospel. The Holy Spirit’s work is gospel focused and centered. If we want to hear God speak in any situation, then we must be familiar with the gospel.

So, what is the gospel? The gospel is the good news that our broken relationship with God and the brokenness of this world (due to our sin) can be restored. It is restored through the death of Jesus, the Son of God, who never sinned, and His resurrection from the dead.

Once we become intimately familiar with the gospel, and constantly remind ourselves of it, then we can begin to see it everywhere. We can catch glimpses of the gospel in everyday activities. We can see the themes of the gospel in any circumstance.

For example, taking a shower. A shower is a beautiful illustration of the gospel. I know it’s weird, but think about it for a minute. Taking a shower involves: getting undressed, getting under running water to get clean, and putting on clean clothes. So, how does that illustrate the gospel?

Well, I’ll show you.

Aspect of Taking a Shower	Gospel Symbolism
Getting Undressed	Illustrates being vulnerable and exposing our sin to God.
Getting Under Running Water	Illustrates Jesus as the living water (John 4:13-14), where we find cleansing and refreshment for our souls.
Putting on Clean Clothes	Symbolizes putting away the old self and putting on the new self, reflecting Christ’s righteousness and the transformation of our lives through faith in Him.

Becoming familiar with the gospel helps us not only see the gospel in any area or circumstance of our life, but also helps us embrace God’s grace. It’s this embracing of God’s grace that leads to a deeper relationship with God and a stronger desire to hear Him speak in our lives.

Renew Your Mind

Fifth, we can listen for God’s voice in every circumstance when we renew our mind. To renew our mind means that we take every thought captive to God and seek to align it with His truth, grace, and thoughts. This ultimately results in a transformed mind that is like Jesus’s mind.

Paul writes to the Roman Christians,

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2

Renewing our minds gives us the ability to discern God’s will. Therefore, we are also able to listen for God’s voice.

So, how do we renew our minds? Well, we must take every thought captive to God and align it with His grace and truth. So, renewing our minds involves,

• Consistent Prayer
• Consistent Bible Reading
• Consistent Meditation/Reflection on the Gospel

Paul goes on to write to the Philippian churches to have the same mindset as Christ (Philippians 2:5-11). He describes Jesus’s mindset as humble, selfless, servant, and obedient. When we renew our mind in the way described above, then we will develop this Jesus mindset.

Jesus sought to be obedient to the will of the Father, even to the point of death on the cross. Constantly, throughout Jesus’ time on earth we see Him get alone to pray and be with the Father. Jesus actively sought to hear from the Father throughout His ministry.

When we renew our minds, we will develop the same way of thinking as Jesus. We will come to actively seek to hear from God in every circumstance we may face.

Be Willing to Surrender

Another way that we can seek to hear God’s voice in every circumstance is by being willing to surrender. God may not speak to us if we are not willing to surrender to His plan and purposes for us.

Throughout the Bible we see God call people to various tasks in different ways. All these people have different personalities, strengths, and talents. But here is the constant that we see throughout all these different stories.

God doesn’t call us when we are perfect. He doesn’t expect us to have it all together. He doesn’t ask us to be the expert on anything. What God asks of us is a willingness to do what He’s asked. That’s what God looks for when He calls people. A willingness.

So, if we want to hear God speak in every circumstance, then we must be willing to do what He says. That’s easier said than done. Especially, when we don’t know what He may ask of us. So, here are some practical tips to let go and let God:

• Acknowledge God’s Soveriegnty
• Pray
• Seek Wise Counsel
• Practice Patience
• Let Go of Fear, Doubt, and Guilt
• Detox from Control
• Surrender Daily to God Each Morning
• Grow in Gratitude
• Maintain a Surrender Journal
• Seek Community/Friend Support
• Affirm Trust in God

Surrendering to God requires trust, faith, and strength. It takes more strength to surrender to God than it does to live in sin. It takes more faith to surrender to God than it does to depend on yourself. It takes more trust to surrender to God than it does to stay in your comfort zone.

Listening to God’s voice in every circumstance requires a willingness to surrender and trust in God. Then and only then, can we grow in faith and love toward God in every situation.

Have Patience

Lastly, hearing God’s voice in every circumstance requires having patience. There are times when we want God to speak and He doesn’t. There are times when we wait for Him to do something and we’re still waiting.

Thus, patience is key. Just like we have to wait for brownies to bake in the oven, we must be patient as we wait for God’s direction and voice in our lives. But this doesn’t mean a passive waiting, but rather an active trust in God’s wisdom and timing.

Here’s the truth of the matter. We talked at the beginning of this post how God is immanent, that He is close and involved in our lives. But He is also transcendent. That means, He operates on a level that we can’t even fathom.

God can work in ways that we can’t even imagine. We may be in awe of who God is now and in the gospel. But the awe we have now for God, even though it is great, will pale in comparison to the awe we will have when we see Him face to face.

Patience allows God to work in His own ways, in ways that we may not even see. This period of waiting grows our faith and love for God and results in hope and assurance in God. Paul says it this way,

“…because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Romans 5:3-5

And so we must be patient and willing to wait for God’s timing and clear direction. Sometimes, His voice becomes more evident as we persist in seeking it.

Having patience as wait to hear from God allows us to move forward and live in faith in spite of our circumstances.

Key Takeaways

• God is near, but our desire to hear His voice gets lost in busy lives.
• To hear from God in every circumstance, draw near through prayer.
• Consistency in prayer, openness, and honesty deepens your relationship with God.
• Knowing God’s voice comes through consistent Bible reading.
• Being open to various ways of hearing from God increases the likelihood of hearing Him.
• Renewing your mind through prayer and Bible reading helps discern God’s voice.
• Patience is key when waiting for God’s direction, allowing His work to unfold in His way.