How to Hear God & Know It’s Him Speaking

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Real ways to recognize God’s voice in your life

Co-authored by Olivia Woodford and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: December 1, 2023 Fact Checked

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• Ways to Hear God
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• How to Know You’re Hearing God
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• Helpful Bible Verses
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• Video
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• Expert Interview

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Being a Christian is about having a personal relationship with God, and an important part of that is being able to hear God’s voice in your daily life. Thankfully, hearing God’s voice is as simple as making intentional efforts to be with God and follow His Word. We’ve spoken with Olivia Woodford, the founder of Bible Women Speak, to learn everything there is to know about hearing God’s voice, so you can deepen your relationship with Him.

Things You Should Know

• Make intentional time for God each day to become closer to Him and hear His voice.
• Study and meditate on the Bible to hear what God is trying to tell you.
• Appeal to God for help when you pray rather than demanding something specific.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Ways to Hear God

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1. 
   1. Set aside time for God each day. Take a small, 15-minute chunk of time to commune with God through prayer and scripture. Choose a time that works best for you, like right after you wake up or right before you go to bed.
   
   Tip: Treat this special time with God as a high-priority part of your day, rather than an optional meeting.
   
   2. Trust in the Holy Spirit. Once you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you invite the Holy Spirit to live inside of you and guide you. Trust that the Holy Spirit is there to help and support you, and follow where it nudges you.
   
   Tip: Not sure if you’re hearing from the Holy Spirit? Dive into God’s Word to discern if you’re being led in a holy and God-fearing direction.
   
   3. Take time to study the Bible. The Bible is God’s Word to us, and reading it is one of the best ways to understand His will and plans for you. As you read, see if any verses really speak to you and your current life circumstances.
   
   Tip: Following a daily devotional can be a great way to study the Bible in bite-sized chunks.
   
   4. Appeal to God in prayer rather than making demands. Spiritual leader Olivia Woodford says to “not have a design on what the result should look like.” Instead, she advises saying something like “I put myself at Your feet, or I put myself at Your Mercy or Your Grace because I need Your Help.”
   
   Tip: If you don’t know how to start your prayer, Woodford suggests “to first express gratitude,” since “there’s so much that we all take for granted.”
   
   5. Go to church regularly. Worshipping in a community can be a great way to hear God’s voice—plus, it’s a great way to set aside intentional time to meditate on the Bible and spend quality time with God.
   
   6. Meet with other believers. God most definitely speaks through and among multiple believers. If you’re struggling to hear the Lord, spend some time with fellow members of your church family and see if you can hear God’s voice through them.
   
   Tip: It helps to meditate on Jesus’s words in Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” (NLT)
   
   7. Follow God’s instructions. Sin creates a barrier between us and God, like when we intentionally disobey his guidance and commandments. With this in mind, taking time to obey God is a great way to better hear Him and be closer to Him.
   
   8. Focus on God with a breathing exercise. As you breathe out, focus on acknowledging and repenting your wrongdoings to God. Then, as you breathe in, envision yourself handing over your life to God.This exercise, known as spiritual breathing, can be a great way to grow closer to God and focus on Him, which, in turn, can help you to hear His voice.
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Section 2 of 3:

How do you know if you’re hearing God’s voice?

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1. 
   Trust in the way that you feel. Spiritual leader Olivia Woodford explains that “the moment that God speaks to you, it’s no longer a question—you just know it.” In other words, God’s voice comes with a sense of certainty. If He’s speaking to you, you’ll be able to say confidently that you’re hearing His voice.

Section 3 of 3:

Helpful Bible Verses

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1. 
   • “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” - Romans 10:17
     
     
   • “And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live.” - John 5:25
     
     
   • “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they know me.” - John 10:27
     
     
   • “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches.” - Revelation 3:22
     
     
   • “Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” - Jeremiah 33:3
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