Heart of God’s Voice: Understanding, Listening, Discerning

There will come a time in your life, if you are consistently reading the Bible, that you will desire to encounter God just like the people in His word. You’ll crave that intimate desire and connection to God. And let me tell you, it’s possible.

God speaks today. His voice echoes through the corridors of time and space.

The Bible is clear that not only does God speak, but we are called to listen and obey His voice. God’s voice reflects His divine character and nature. It is through prayer, reading, silence, and meditation that we can hear God’s voice. Discerning God’s voice is a skill that can be developed.

So, let’s dive into the heart of God’s voice and discover how God speaks and how we should respond. Then we can encounter God like never before.

What The Bible Says About Listening to God’s Voice

The Bible is God’s Word. As such, it has much to say on the topic of God’s voice and how we should respond. The Bible affirms not only the reality that God speaks, but challenges us to obey His voice as well. Check out some of these verses that discuss what the Bible says about God’s voice.

1. Psalm 95:7-8 (NIV) “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness.”
2. John 10:27 (NIV) “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
3. Isaiah 30:21 (NIV) “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.'”
4. Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV) “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
5. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
6. Matthew 4:4 (NIV) “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”‘
7. 1 Kings 19:12 (NIV) “After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”
8. Hebrews 3:15 (NIV) “As has just been said: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.'”
9. 1 Samuel 3:10 (NIV) “The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.'”
10. John 8:47 (NIV) “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

These verses make two things abundantly clear:

One, God speaks to people. And,

Two, God expects us to obey and listen to Him.

A relationship with God is built on the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. But that relationship is sustained through the Holy Spirit and our continual seeking and obeying of God’s word.

The seeking and obeying of God’s voice in our lives serves as a testament to our faith in His saving work. It demonstrates our surrender to the Lordship of Christ and our desire to become more like Him. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that we learn to understand, listen, and discern God’s voice.

Characteristics of God’s Voice

The primary characteristic of God’s voice is that it reflects the nature and character of God Himself. As such, God’s voice is authoritative, self-glorifying, holy, and wise. The things He says are scriptural, truthful, and helpful.

God’s voice is different than our voice. The way He speaks is different than the way we speak. That’s why it is so important that we learn to discern God’s voice from our own thoughts. The Bible plays a key role in that discernment.

But first, let’s explore some more of the characteristics of God’s voice.

Truth and Clarity

God will always speak the truth. His word is truth (John 17:17). Truth is one of the three transcendental virtues. It defines our reality. Because God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, He speaks truth. He cannot lie.

When God speaks the truth, it brings clarity to our confusion. Today, people want to make truth relative and let everyone have their own. This can make knowing what is really true a challenge. You hear one side of the story and it sounds true, until you hear the other side (which also sounds true).

But when God speaks the truth is made clear. John 8:32 reads, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” God’s voice imparts truth and clarity that align with His nature and principles and leads to us living a life full of freedom.

Consistency with Scripture

God’s voice is also consistent with Scripture. God reveals Himself through His word, and it’s often through the Bible that God speaks to us today. Since, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:18), what He speaks today will be consistent with the Bible.

If we feel like God is telling us something, and we search the Scriptures and it doesn’t align with the Bible, then it is not from God. God cannot contradict His already revealed Word. As such, the Bible serves a baseline and ultimate source of God’s voice. What is true of the Bible is true of God’s voice.

Paul writes to Timothy,

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Since this is true of the Bible, it is also true of God’s voice. His voice teaches us, rebukes us, corrects us, trains us, and equips us to live for Him each and every day.

Peace and Assurance

Another common characteristic of God’s voice is that it provides peace and assurance. God’s voice can remind us of His presence and His promises. This often brings feelings of peace and assurance into our lives.

God’s voice can remind us of His providence. It’s a reminder that God has all things under control. This can bring peace to the chaotic storms of our lives. When the Prince of Peace speaks, he says, “Peace. Be still. God’s voice often has a calming effect on our lives.

Love and Encouragement

God is love (1 John 4:7-8). True love is rooted in a God’s nature. As such, love is an expression of God’s compassion toward another. God’s voice will speak not only the truth, but love as well. Everything God says and does is motivated by His love.

God speaks to and disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6). When God speaks it is out of love that He does so. And often times it is to encourage us to continue in faithfulness to Him.

The Holy Spirit is our comforter and encourager (John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit speaks encouragement into our lives. He is there to remind us of God’s promises and love. It’s in those hard times that the Holy Spirit can remind us of Romans 8:38-39,

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Holiness and Righteousness

God’s voice also reflects His holiness and righteousness. Holiness is something set apart due to it being special. God is holy. He is different than anyone and anything, perfect in all His ways. Righteousness is the characteristic and the ability to do what is right.

God’s voice reflects His holiness and righteousness, because it makes clear His divine glory and exposes our sinful nature. As such, God’s voice is authoritative and powerful. It draws a clear line distinguishing what is of God and what is not.

By speaking God calls all to witness His divine glory and power, and His ability to provide truth, love, and justice in the world. But it also does something else quite profound. It calls us, as Christians, to do the same. We are to be holy as He is holy. We are to love like He loves. To be righteous as He is.

This makes everything we do that is in line with God’s word an act of worship. In essence, we join with the angels in crying holy, holy, holy. We fall to our knees and shout hallelujah as we confess Jesus as our Lord.

Discernment and Wisdom

The last characteristic of God’s voice that we are going to look at is the fact that it imparts discernment and wisdom. James writes,

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him”

God’s word is a source of wisdom and guidance in life. He speaks truth, offers encouragement, and provides guidance. God cares about us and our future. His wisdom is like the fountain of youth. It’s a source of life and hope.

When God speaks, He discerns between right and wrong, good and bad. At the end of creation, He spoke and declared all things good. But our sinfulness messed that up. So, now God continues to speak in wisdom restoring what we broke.

Overall, God’s voice reflects His divine nature and power. When we listen to God speak, we get a clearer understanding of who He is and what He is like. But the question remains, can we hear God’s voice?

Do People Hear God’s Voice?

People do hear God’s voice. God may speak audibly, through dreams, His word, or others. Often, hearing God’s voice causes one to feel a sense of overwhelm. We can listen for God’s voice through, Bible study, prayer, silence, and more.

Ways God Speaks to Us

The Bible tells the stories of numerous people who have had supernatural encounters with God. These stories enumerate the many ways that God can speak to us. These can include:

• Scripture: God can communicate through the Bible. The Bible is God’s revealed and chosen revelation to humanity. As such, it is the primary way that God speaks today.
• Prayer: Prayer is communicating with God. So, it’s important to not only talk to Him, but listen for His voice as well. At Pentecost, the disciples had a spiritual encounter with God in a moment of intense prayer.
• Dreams and Visions: Many stories in the Bible tell of God speaking to people through dreams and visions. People like Abraham, Isaiah, Moses, and Paul. Some people say that God still speaks through dreams and visions. Today, countless Muslims are turning to Christ because of dreams.
• Inner Impressions and Convictions: God can also communicate by inner prompting of the spirit. For example, in Acts 8:29, the Spirit prompts Philip to approach the chariot of the Ethiopian.
• Community and Wise Counsel: Another common way that God speaks today is through others. Whether it is a point in a sermon or a simple text of encouragement from a friend, God can speak to us through others. As such, it is wise to consider the advice of others.
• Worship and Music: God’s voice can also be heard through worship and music. I count count how many times a song has reminded me of God’s promises and provision. Often times, God will use a song to lead me to recall a verse from Scripture. Music can be a way that God speaks.
• Silence and Stillness: God’s voice can be heard in the silence. For example, in the Bible, Elijah only heard God speak in a gentle whisper and not in an earthquake or fire. And so we see that God can speak in the silence and stillness.

How does it feel to hear God’s Voice?

Often hearing God’s voice can bring with it a sense of overwhelm.

For example, one time I was praying and, I didn’t hear God’s voice audibly, but I felt a sense of overwhelm, like a calm excitement. It’s kind of hard to explain. There was a peace and overwhelming sense of love. As if you are feeling all the good emotions all at once.

If you are curious to know more about supernatural encounters with God, then you may want to read this article. It further describes encounters with God and when they occur. Or check out this article that lists encounters with God in the Bible and what we can learn from them.

Getting Quiet to Hear God’s Voice

One of the best ways that we can hear God’s voice is to slow down, get quiet, and listen. The easiest way to do this is to have a consistent devotional or quiet time. A quiet time is a time that you set apart to spend time with God through prayer, reading of Scripture, and/or meditation or journaling.

This chart lists the steps of having a quiet time and how long they may take.

Steps for Having a Quiet Time	Description	Possible Time Frame
1. Start with Prayer	Begin by offering a prayer to invite God’s presence and guidance.	5 minutes
2. Read Scripture	Select a passage from the Bible and read it thoughtfully.	10-15 minutes
3. Meditation and Reflection	Contemplate the Passage’s message and its relevance to your life.	10-15 minutes
4. Journaling	Write down your thoughts, reflections, and insights from your time.	5-10 minutes
5. Prayer and Communication	Spend time in conversation with God, sharing thoughts and concerns.	10 minutes
6. Silent Reflection	Create space for listening and experiencing inner peace and guidance.	5-10 minutes
7. Closing Prayer	Conclude your quiet time with a closing prayer expressing gratitude.	5 minutes

These are the basic steps to having a quiet time. Some of these steps could be skipped or combined. Likewise, the timeframe could be adjusted to fit your schedule. The goal of a quiet time is to spend time with God and reflect on who He is and what He’s done.

How to hear God’s voice when you can quiet your mind?

Now, you may be thinking, “That is all well and good, but what if I can’t quiet my mind?” Well, that’s okay. God loves you just as much. He wants to spend time with you. So, if you can’t do anything else just tell Him what’s on your mind.

I did that this morning. I was feeling really down and frustrated. I tried to focus on getting ready for church, but couldn’t. I tried to pray, but couldn’t. I simply told God, how I was feeling “I need you. This is what I am feeling and this is what I need from you right now. I need you to guide, love, and speak to me.

Finding the time and learning to be still and quiet is a skill that can be learned. So, try looking for some time, even if it’s just one minute, to focus on God in the stillness. Perhaps, as you are laying down waiting to fall asleep. Or when you take a shower in the morning.

Silence and solitude can play a big role in our spiritual growth and allow us to hear from God more frequently than we thought.

Addressing Challenges and Misconceptions

Now, that we’ve looked at what the Bible says about listening to God’s voice, characteristics of God’s voice, and ways we can listen to God’s voice today, let’s address some common challenges and misconceptions when it comes to hearing God’s voice.

Challenges are things that get in the way of hearing God’s voice. They are things that we may have to confront frequently or not at all. Regardless, it is inevitable that you and I will come across challenges when trying to hear God speak.

Do these sound familiar,

• Distractions
• Rambling Thoughts
• Impatience
• Doubt
• Guilt
• Pride
• Inconsistency
• Apathy
• Unmet/Unrealistic Expectation
• Fear
• Overthinking

Honestly, some of these hit a little too close to home for me.

So, how do we overcome these challenges?

The only way I’ve found to truly deal with them is to take them to the cross give them to Jesus. Talk to God about them. Maybe He wants to talk about one of these things and help you through it.

Common Myths

Myth One: God must be loud. There is this misconception that God always speaks loudly and distinctly. While that is true sometimes, it’s not always the case. God speaks, often more powerfully, in quiet ways we may not even realize.

Myth Two: God Speaks Outside His Word. There is also this misconception that God speaks outside His word. There are some who claim to have a new revelation of something. But the Bible makes clear that Jesus is the last and ultimate revelation of God’s nature, because He Himself is God.

Myth Three: God’s Word Is Not Enough. There is also those who say they need a “confirmation” of something clearly expressed in the Bible. God has already said it once and that is enough. God speaking to you through His word is just as powerful and amazing as any other means He may choose.

Myth Four: God Always Says Something Positive. Often when we want God to speak to us, we ant Him to say good things. Who doesn’t? But the reality is that His guidance may also include correction, discipline, or calls to repent.

God’s Voice or Our Thoughts

How are we to discern if God is speaking to us or it’s just our thoughts? The Bible makes clear that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. But how do we distinguish between the two?

Often, I’ve found God’s voice to be like an intense out of the blue thought this is something I would never think. It’s almost like a dog with a bone that won’t let go. It’s a thought that you can’t get out of your head, and you know yourself well enough to know it wasn’t an idea you came up with.

Here are some strategies you can use to help you learn to discern between God’s voice and your thoughts:

• Deepen Your Understanding of Scripture: God’s voice will always align with Scripture. The more familiar we are with Scripture, the familiar we become with the way God speaks and how He sounds.
• Test the Message: Test the message to see if it came from you or God. Does it align with how you feel or what you want more than it does with God’s word?
• Seek Confirmation: Ask God to confirm it to you again. “Tell me one more time God.” Ask a trusted friend or Pastor, someone you feel is close to God. Ask them whether they think it is from God or you.
• Look for Fruit: Look for spiritual fruit, the fruit of the Spirit. Does it lead to more love, joy, peace, etc. in your life? For that matter, does it glorify God?

It’s important to remember that discernment takes time. It is a process. So be patient with yourself. Trust that God understands your sincere desires. And when you don’t know what to do go back to what you do: pray and read the Bible.

Steps to Grow In Hearing God’s Voice

Learning to hear God’s voice comes from having a relationship with Him. So, if we want to grow in hearing God’s voice, then we ought to do things that grow our relationship with Him. These things may include,

• Consistent Prayer: Prayer is how we talk to God. So, engage in a two way conversation with God. Tell him about your thoughts, feelings, concerns, and spend some time listening for a response.
• Consistent Scripture Reading: Scripture is how God talks to us. Through a consistent Bible reading habit you can gain a deeper understanding of who God is and what He’s like and how He works.
• Guidance from Church Community: The church is a community of Christians designed to share the good news of Jesus and love and encourage one another. So, spend quality time surrounded by others in church, then you can seek guidance from this community.
• Establishing A Quiet Time: Setting aside a specific time each day to focus on your relationship with God is a great way to grow in hearing His voice. It’s like going out to brunch with friends.
• Developing A Listening Attitude: Have on open heart with humility and patience. Be willing to surrender and obey what God has to say.
• Journaling: Journaling is a great way to keep track of your thoughts, insights, and prayers during your quiet time. Then you can look back on this and see how you’ve grown in your spiritual walk.
• Seeking God in All Areas: Lastly, look for God everywhere. Involve Him in every aspect of your life. God wants to be a part of it all. Surround yourself with reminders of God. How does the simple, mundane things of your life reflect God’s nature and character?

Key Takeaways

• The BIble affirms that God speaks and He expects us to listen and obey what He says.
• God’s voice is characterized by His nature. As such, God speaks truth, wisdom, and righteousness consistent with Scripture.
• God speaks in many different ways, including through: prayer, Scripture, dreams, and other people.
• One of the best ways to hear God’s voice is by having a devotional quiet time that consists of prayer, Bible reading, and reflection.
• There are may challenges to hearing God’s voice like doubts or fears. The best way to overcome them is to take them to God in prayer.
• You can grow in hearing God’s voice by growing and deepening your relationship with God.