Hearing From God: 7 Keys to Discerning God’s Voice
A few weeks ago, I met with a younger friend who was trying to decide what to do after graduating from college. “Why is hearing from God so hard?” she asked in frustration. “I’m so confused. At times, I sense that God is giving me signs about what to do next, but the next day, I wonder if maybe it’s actually the devil trying to confuse me. How can I be so messed up that I can’t tell if it’s the devil or God speaking to me?”
My heart went out to my friend because I’ve been in her place.
It can be hard to tell whether we’re hearing from God, Satan, or our own desires.
Hearing From God
This happens to most believers, and when it happens, we don’t need to be discouraged. Many forces are constantly moving in the spiritual realm, and these forces can influence our decisions.
When I’m not sure what God wants me to do, I begin by returning to the Bible. I remind myself that God will always lead me to the decision that most enables me to love him and love others (Mark 12:30-31).
I remember that God’s direction is full of wisdom, uses common sense, stands the test of time, and aligns with God’s character in Scripture. Additionally, I talk to older, more mature believers and seek their advice. I also ask Jesus to help me hear his voice.
Jesus directly states that his children will know his voice (John 10:27). If you’re having trouble hearing Jesus’ voice, ask him to help you hear him more clearly. He is waiting to speak to you and guide you.
Here are seven practical insights on hearing from God.
7 Insights on Hearing From God
1. God speaks through his written Word.
Most reliably, God speaks through his written Word.
Has a Bible verse ever jumped off the page as if it were written just for you? Have you ever felt like God was chasing you down with a certain passage of Scripture as it appeared in multiple places over a short time?
Maybe a Bible verse came to mind at just the right time and brought peace and refreshment.
God wants to speak to us through his written Word. The Bible is his love letter to us. Scripture is living and active.
Our role in hearing from God through his Word is to spend time reading it consistently. God’s Word changes us. It nourishes us. We hide it in our hearts, and God uses it to direct us, encourage us, and speak to us.
2. God speaks through other people.
God also speaks through other people.
He uses others to encourage us, guide us in wisdom, and help us discern his direction in our lives. For this reason, it’s important to have some older, wiser believers who can speak Truth into our lives.
When I receive a thought from God’s Spirit, I always test it by sharing it with another believer and making sure it aligns with the Word of God.
Meanwhile, God is not limited to speaking through Christians only. He has used people of different faiths to comfort me, encourage me, and even offer direction that aligned with his will. We should always be open to the wisdom God imparts through others.
3. God speaks through impressions from the Holy Spirit.
God can also speak through gentle impressions from his Holy Spirit. These impressions often come as gentle and life-giving thoughts. They are always full of peace, refreshment, and love.
We need to be careful to test these impressions and make sure they align with the written Word of God. It is also wise to test them with other believers. However, we don’t need to be afraid of “getting it wrong.”
While we should be cautious, we can trust that God does want to guide us through his Holy Spirit. When you need guidance from God, ask him directly. Then, pay attention to the thoughts you receive.
When these thoughts are life-giving, wise, and aligned with good counsel from others, they are often from God. I’ve learned that God speaks through the voice of wisdom, a deep sense of knowing, and even common sense.
4. God speaks through circumstances.
God also speaks through circumstances. He opens and closes doors in our lives. He invites us into opportunities we could not create for ourselves.
Do you sense that God is calling you to step out in faith in some area of your life?
Test the doors of opportunity surrounding this step of faith. Are any doors opening? Are they remaining closed?
Ask God to open the right doors and close those not of him. He wants to guide you and direct you.
Ask God to open the right doors and close those not of him. He wants to guide you and direct you. #followingGod #faith #trust Share on X
Cautions About Hearing From God
The following three points are insights into hearing God’s voice that are more like warnings. These are cautions about being led astray.
5. Be wary of strong emotions.
I’ve been mentoring younger women for years. The most common cause of missing God’s voice generally occurs in emotionally packed situations.
When we’re passionate about situations, we need to proceed with extreme caution when we sense whispers from the Holy Spirit.
Many people get this wrong in romantic relationships.
This is how it typically unfolds in the lives of the women I mentor: A friend sits on my couch or calls me on the phone and tells me about some of the red flags in her current dating relationship. I can see the man is not right for her, and I gently convey my perspective. My friend proceeds to tell me that she believes God told her to stay with him, and she’s decided to keep trying to make it work.
Typically, these relationships fall apart.
Sadly, it’s often after making a lifelong commitment under the covenant of marriage.
In these cases, the woman I am mentoring is often confused. She believed God told her to marry this man. Sometimes, the man declared he’d heard from God about their future together.
If God told him, he will also tell you.
We need to be very cautious of “God said” declarations from others. If God is telling this man you are going to marry him, pause and carefully discern whether God is telling you the same thing.
Whether it is a romantic relationship, a cause over which you are extremely passionate, or some specific dream that you deeply desire, be cautious about what you believe God is saying in these situations. Our emotions can be easily perceived as God’s quiet whisper.
Take your concern to a handful of older, wiser, trusted individuals who have been following Christ for a long time.
Sit with them while they help you sort through your emotions and ponder how God’s Word might lead you to make a decision that honors him.
6. Be wary of rushing.
Most of us are eager to rush into big decisions when we feel passionate and excited.
I have a three-month rule for making major decisions. Before I commit to a major decision (whenever possible), I wait three months to see if my passion has dwindled. Often, after three months, I am able to clearly discern the best direction.
When it’s not possible to wait three months, consider waiting even a few days. Hearing from God cannot be rushed.
When my husband and I were looking to buy the home in which we would raise our children, a realtor showed us a small house surrounded by wooded land that seemed like a good fit. He also told us he needed a decision within 24 hours.
We really liked the house but did see a few potential issues, so we took some time to individually pray about where God was leading. After praying, we came together and decided that we both felt too rushed. We decided not to buy it.
We’re now thankful that we didn’t buy the house. God led us to a home that is much more suitable for our family and our needs.
Do you feel rushed?
If at all possible, give yourself time to seek God and make this decision.
7. Be wary of running a mile when God asked for just one step.
I’ve mistaken the voice of God many times in this area.
It’s easy to sense a nudge from God and then take it to an extreme, turn it into a money-making scheme, or dump your life savings into it when God simply wanted you to take one small step.
There is a time to pursue a dream, take a risk, and dive in with both feet. In these situations, we need to be wise and stay in step with God’s timing. The three-month rule has been a helpful tool for me in this area as well.
Before you sell the business, quit the job, or put the house on the market, give it three months, if at all possible. Seek wise counsel, dig deeply into the Word, pray, and use those three months to test what you sense God is leading you to do. At the end of three months, your plan might be very different.
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If these insights on hearing from God were helpful, I invite you to explore our family devotionals and library of free devotionals and eBooks. May you grow closer to God as you continue learning to hear his voice and walk in his wisdom.
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Connect With God and Continue Hearing From God
God is a good Father, and he wants us to experience his healing, deliverance, and replenishment. Most of us have learned that we cannot heal, deliver, or refresh ourselves; we need God to do this work within us. I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. Find it for free here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
