Discovering How God Speaks: A Practical Guide

Have you ever wished God would simply speak to you in an audible voice and tell you exactly what to do? I believe we’ve all been there. We’ve all wished we could hear God speak just like that. In many of our minds, the very concept of hearing God’s voice conjures mental images of a deep, booming voice giving out orders.

And yet… it simply isn’t like that. At least, not the vast majority of the time. Which is why learning the different ways God speaks is essential for us as believers.

Here’s the thing, we all can hear God’s voice. We were all designed to hear him and know him. If you believe God doesn’t speak to you, I want to suggest it’s because you haven’t learned to listen to his voice, not because he has nothing to say to you.

Let’s establish some biblical truths before we get into practical ways to hear God’s voice.

1. First off, we can all hear God’s voice.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” – John 10:27, NKJV

As his children (or sheep) we were created to know and recognize our Shepherd. You can hear God’s voice!

2. Second, God is still speaking!

How do we know? Well, he promised to send His Spirit who would teach us all things and who would enable us to hear what God was saying.

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” – John 16:13, NKJV

As believers, we have the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we are equipped with all we need to hear from God. He is still speaking, and his Spirit living in us is the proof that he longs to live in communion and communication with us.

3. Finally, God answers when we call.

God promises, time and time again throughout the Bible, that when we call on him he will answer. If he didn’t speak, why would he promise to answer when we call on him? His heart for us is communion with him. And not only that, but he promises to be present in trouble and to answer whenever we cry out to him.

“He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.” – Psalm 91:15, NKJV

Now that we’ve established that, let’s talk about practical ways that God speaks to us.

Through his Word

The foundation of our faith and our training in hearing God’s voice is His Word. Any time we wonder if we heard from Him, but we’re not sure, we can come back to the Word. The Bible is the sounding board of our relationship with God and the different voices that speak into our lives. If it doesn’t agree with the Bible, then we should know something is off.

But foundationally, the Word of God is the most common way He speaks to us. The Bible is active, living and breathing. Every time we read it, it breathes life into us and transforms us. So how do we know when God is speaking to us through the Bible?

• Something is highlighted to us
• A word jumps off the page and seems to glare at us
• We read a passage, and suddenly situations in our life “click into place”
• We read a verse, and it seems like it’s tailor-made to our current life situation
• We read it, and feel peace, joy, hope
• We read it and get direction and wisdom
• You are in a specific situation, and get reminded of the perfect Bible verse

These are just a few ways the Word can come alive for us. But I challenge you to read the Word alongside the Holy Spirit. If you have a hard time understanding it, or if you find yourself confused, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and “reveal” the Word to you. He is kind and faithful and you can hear His voice through the Bible!

Through our mind

This one may feel trickier for you, but the thing is God can speak to you through your mind. As children of God, we believe we have the mind of Christ. Therefore, He has saved and redeemed our thoughts as well as our imagination. Sure, we may still struggle, but now our default setting, in a way, is redeemed.

How can God speak to you through your mind?

• Through His still, small voice (not audible, but as a thought in your mind)
• Through a phrase or word that pops into your head when asking God for Him to speak to you
• As an idea
• As a mental image, a picture, or even a “video” that goes through your head

You may be thinking, how do I know it’s God and not me, or heaven forbid, the enemy? Well, that’s why point one is essential. Does what’s going on through your head align with the Word of God and His values? If so, then you are most probably hearing accurately. If not, then discard the thought.

This is why it is essential to learn the Word and to learn to hear God through it. But the prospect that you may get it wrong doesn’t mean you shouldn’t close yourself to this avenue of hearing His voice.

Some simple exercises you can do to practice this:

• Ask God to speak to you by giving you one word. Then ask Him what it means.
• Ask God to give you a mental image of how He sees you. Remember, His thoughts towards you are good!

If you ever feel fear, hopelessness, rejection, anxiety, sadness, despair, etc. then you are not hearing from God. When He speaks, He does so to give us life and hope.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10, NKJV

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11, NKJV

Through other people

God also loves speaking through other people. He loves to use us as a community (thus the reason we have churches). How does this look?

• A word of encouragement from someone
• A prophetic word
• A prayer from a friend
• A conversation

There are so many ways this could look! Again, how do you know if it’s God or simply that person speaking? Use the same guidelines as before. First, make sure it aligns with the Word of God. Second, ask yourself: does it bring me peace? Does it encourage and lift me up, or does it tear me down? These questions will give you your answer. God will not lead you somewhere where His peace and goodness can’t be found.

Through our daily life

And finally, God speaks to us through our daily life. Here’s the thing: God speaks your language! He knows what makes you tick. He knows what you understand, what you like, and how you see the world. He knows you! Therefore, don’t limit the ways he can speak to you. He may speak to you through music, nature, books, colors, smells, your imagination, other people, etc. The thing is, he knows how best to get to you.

As with the other points, just remember that whatever way he speaks to you he will never go against what he teaches in the Bible. He will never contradict his nature or Word. He will also never harm you. He may correct you (which is never fun), but he will do so in love and with true conviction. He won’t just tear you down for the fun of it. The best thing is you can trust him to speak, and you can trust him to do so truthfully.

Final challenge

This week, go on a discovery journey and try to identify ways God speaks to you. You may already have some ideas based on this post, but go on an adventure with him.

For me, God usually speaks through the Bible and my imagination. When I read the Bible, something will suddenly jump at me, or I won’t be able to get past it, and I know it’s the Holy Spirit drawing my attention to it. I’ve also noticed that when God wants to speak to me, He will repeat himself. I will see the same verse time and time again in different places. Someone will mention it in casual conversation, it will be the verse of the day, etc. I think God knows I like confirmation, because when He wants to be clear, He always repeats a concept or idea in my daily life.

Another way He speaks to me is through my imagination. I will be praying, and He will give me a mental image of what He wants to say to me. For example, I will ask Him what He is speaking or what’s in His heart and I will suddenly imagine Him draping a big blanket around me and handing me a cup of hot chocolate. I’ll ask Him what it means, and He will imprint an idea or phrase in my head saying that He keeps me safe. He loves me and I’m always perfectly cared for and looked after with Him.

How do I know it’s him? Because it produces peace in me. It showcases God’s goodness. But above all, it echoes what the Bible says.

“Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7, TPT

That’s the way He speaks to me personally, because He knows the language I speak. But there are a million ways He could speak to you! Go on an adventure. Don’t be afraid to ask to hear God’s voice. Feel free to come to Him with your thoughts and questions. Like Psalms says, you will call and He will answer.

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