“How is it that everyone else hears Your voice clearly, God, when I can’t?” I asked in frustration as I sat in my prayer room. My body ached as I leaned against my closet wall, expecting… well, to hear His voice.
I had just read Exodus 12 where God gave the Israelites very specific instructions for the Passover. He told them what day to celebrate, what kind of lamb to choose, how to prepare it, what to eat alongside it, and what to do with any leftovers. He even told them exactly how to dress and how quickly to eat. God was very detailed.
In a world where we are bombarded with people who say they hear God daily, share a new prophetic warning every week, or confidently say, “God told me” and “I heard God say,” I wondered what was wrong with me.
There have been moments in my life when I desperately needed direction from God. Not general encouragement, but step-by-step instructions like in Exodus. I wanted to know exactly what to do, how to do it, and when to move.
Hearing God’s Voice
The answer came to me days after I asked God that question. I was reading Psalm 23, one of my favorite Psalms, and as always, verse 1 captured me: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.” On that day, it was as if a light dawned within me. This verse sounded familiar. Excited, I searched the concordance for the words “shepherd” and “sheep” and found exactly what I was looking for.
Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
That was it. Sheep only answer to the voice of their shepherd. The shepherd is responsible for their protection, shelter, provision, and guidance. But here is the key. These sheep trust their shepherd so much that they will not follow another voice.
That was what I was missing. I needed to trust God.
Three Ways to Hear God’s Voice Clearly
There are three things God has walked me through to help me hear His voice more clearly.
- Trust God and fix your eyes on Him
Hebrews 12:2 tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. If we want to hear God’s voice clearly, we must stay close to Jesus. The closer we are to Him, the clearer His instructions will be.
- Remove distractions
We live in a noisy world. Social media, podcasts, television, radio, influencers, and brands are constantly competing for our attention. The Holy Spirit taught me who and what to cut out so I could better hear the voice of God.
Luke 5:16 tells us that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” If Jesus Himself stepped away from the crowd to be alone with the Father, how much more do we need to quiet the noise so we can hear His voice?
- Learn truth
I had to know the truth in order to recognize what was from God and what was not. Even your pastor can get it wrong. You will never know that unless you know the Bible for yourself.
John 8:31–32 says, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The more we know God’s Word, the quicker we can discern His voice from all others.
God’s guidance is not always about dramatic visions or sudden revelations. Often it is about daily obedience and consistent time in His presence so that when He speaks, you recognize His voice immediately.
I live this out by spending time in God’s presence daily. I set aside time each day to worship, pray, and read the Word of God. I connect with the Holy Spirit for guidance, bring my decisions before God, and ask for clear steps just as He gave to the Israelites. Most importantly, I have learned the importance of obeying quickly. When God gives direction, follow it without delay.
My Prayer for You
King of Glory, Jesus our Shepherd, everything I need is found in You. I praise You and enter Your presence with worship and reverence. Thank You for Your promises. Thank You for Your grace. Yahweh, may each person reading this desire You. May they long to hear Your voice and surrender to Your will. With so many demands, temptations, lies, and the corruption of the Word, we cannot afford to get this wrong. Christians are not hearing You, Lord, because we have either forgotten Your truth or have not studied it. Help Your people, God. Open their eyes to truth. We can all hear from You if we accept You as our Shepherd, trust in You, and obey. Lord, may they taste and see how great You are. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.
My friend, God is still speaking. Your role is to listen and follow. Be a blessing and be blessed today.
