Have you ever had the profound experience of hearing the voice of God out loud? Or maybe it was more subtle. A feeling in your heart, a certainty of what you’re supposed to do next. The sensation of peace.
Does God talk to you like that? If not, you’re probably wondering, why can’t I hear God’s voice? Is something wrong with me?
What does it mean when God seems silent? Before we talk about how to hear God’s voice, let me share with you an experience.
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In This Article
Discerning the Voice of God: My Story
Two years ago, my husband received a job offer from a school several hours southwest of our current locale. We’d prayed for years for relief from the frustrations of his current position, so it might sound like a no-brainer. But we had children to consider, a newly remodeled home, and we were well-rooted in our current church family.
It was not an easy decision.
So we prayed. And we prayed some more. I prayed when I washed dishes, I prayed when I hung the clothes on the line, and I prayed when I lay in bed at night. Then it finally happened.
I heard a voice, quiet but certain, telling me exactly what we should do. “Take the job, make the move, I am with you.” That night, I saw it in a dream: my family living in a nice home on a ridge surrounded by Christmas trees. In that moment, I knew exactly what God wanted us to do and that he would be with us through it all. And I felt peace.
Hearing God’s Voice: True or False?
Now I have a challenge for you: I’m a fiction writer so can you tell me at which point this story went from fact to fiction?
I’ll help you out. The job offer was real, as was the frustration surrounding my husband’s current position. Yes, we loved our church family and knew this would be a difficult move. And, yes, we prayed like crazy every minute, including the middle of the night. The fiction began when I said I heard a voice that told me exactly what I should do. That never happened. Neither did the grand vision laying out our path.
And I felt no peace, even after we made our decision.
Does God Talk to You?
Lots of people in history have had the privilege of hearing the voice of God loud and clear. God told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree. Noah heard God’s voice when God said to him, “Make yourself an ark” in Genesis 6.
How about Moses? He heard God’s voice many times, giving him exact instructions on what to do. And I won’t even go into the stories of Saint Paul and all the other prophets and apostles. So why can’t I hear God’s voice? Does he not talk to you and me like that, or are we simply hard of hearing?
With nowhere else to turn, we must begrudgingly dig out our Bibles for answers when God seems silent.
When God Seems Silent, Pause For a Minute
The Bible contains 66 books. The NIV edition my husband uses (which is not a study Bible and has no additional commentary) has 695 pages. According to the Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance, the word “and” appears 29,600 times in the Bible and the word “the” 55,728 times. That’s a lot of words!
And every single one comes from God.
God doesn’t appear to his people today the way he did in the past but unlike the people of the past, we have his Word, bound and printed in its entirety in over 600 languages. If you lose yours, you can head over to Wal-Mart and buy another for as little as ten bucks, plus a nice zippered cover with an adjustable strap that allows you to carry it anywhere.
We can literally carry God’s Word everywhere we go, and we grumble because God doesn’t “speak” to us?
Why Can’t I Hear God’s Voice? Look in the Bible!
I won’t pretend to know why God does the things he does. He is God, I am not. But I’ll go out on a limb and suggest that maybe the reason he doesn’t talk to us with an audible voice is because he wants us to seek him in his Word.
He wants you to study his words in earnest. Plenty of other voices compete for your attention but the one you need to hear most is right in front of your eyes, shouting at you with spectacular silence. The deeper you dig into scripture and the more time you spend in earnest prayer, the better you will get at hearing the voice of God inside you. And what an awesome experience that is!
2 Chronicles 15:2
Walk By Faith, Not By Sound or Feeling
If you are someone who actually hears a voice that sounds like God, this applies to you no less because how can you know if it’s truly him if you never study your Bible? How can you know if the feeling that you should do this or that is from him if you don’t know him intimately?
Only through God’s Word.
Maybe the reason God doesn’t talk to us with an audible voice is because he wants us to seek him in his Word.
Brian and I sought him when we wrestled with our decision of whether or not to move. No, the Bible does not specifically say whether you should stay at one job or move to another. (Believe me, I looked). But we prayed for wisdom and for the Holy Spirit to guide us. We read verses in the Bible about his provision for us. We looked at the practical aspects of making such a move.
And then we went for it.
There was no immediate feeling of peace after we made our decision. Yeah, sometimes that doesn’t happen either. In fact, dread settled in. We still had a house to sell and a new place to find, boxes to pack, the headache of choosing a school for our kids… Things didn’t fall into place immediately. It wasn’t until about three months later—after we scrambled to move and ended up on a Christmas tree farm—that we finally felt God had guided our ways.
How to Hear God’s Voice: 4 Sound Practices
We live in a time of unparalleled noise. Buzzing devices, television, video games, radios, podcasts, tweets, texts, news feeds where you can scroll for days—all these contribute to the “noise” in our lives. It’s like being at a rock concert, when you lean over to ask your friend if he wants a soda, and he shouts, “Huh? I can’t hear you!”
That’s like God trying to talk in your ear above the noise of life.
Don’t let the “noise” prevent you from hearing the one input you truly need. Let’s look at some lifestyle practices that will help you turn down the volume on life so you can hear God’s voice more clearly.
1) Back Off on Social Media
Would you pay a thousand bucks for a bottle of Mountain Dew? It’s the concept of cost vs. worth. Even a good thing can carry a ridiculous price tag, and social media is one of those things. (See my post 8 Signs That You Are Addicted to Social Media.) As Paul said:
“‘I have the right to do anything’—but not everything is constructive.”
1 Corinthians 10:23
When it comes to social media, limits are crucial. Don’t reach for your phone every time you’re standing in line at Starbucks. Save your perusing for a designated time and place. If you plan your social media fix to happen right before a set event in your day (like catching a bus that won’t wait for you), you have the benefit of a safety net that forces you to stay within your allotted time.
Articles to Help You Turn Down the Volume on Social Media:
Worried you’ll miss something important if you reduce the time on your Instagram account? That’s what friends are for (your living, breathing, in-the-flesh friends, not your online followers). Let your friends curate the important stuff. Everyone loves to be the first to share a morsel of new information so I guarantee they will, without being asked, effectively sift through the tsunami of information and cue you in on the most pertinent matters.
(Of course, if you can convince your friends to cut the noise in their own lives, go for it!)
2) Put Your Device to Bed at Night
Did you get to choose your bedtime when you were little? Me neither. The time for that nightly event was likely chosen by your parents—and it probably arrived earlier than you wanted. Do yourself a favor and “parent” your phone. Choose a regular time to put it to bed. Turn it off and tuck it into its designated place—somewhere far enough from your own bed that its very presence cannot be a distraction. (Give it its own blanket and pillow if that makes you feel better.)
Night, night, phone!
3) Give Yourself the Silent Treatment
Bring moments of silence into everyday life:
- Music is a great motivator during exercise but silence is more effective for deep concentration. Occasionally leave your phone and headphones behind when you go for a jog or a workout.
- Forgo the loud music when you need to concentrate on a term paper or other big project. Live in a noisy house? Take your work to the public library. (Just don’t fall asleep in one of their comfy reading nooks.)
- Take time to regularly sit in silence. Watch the snow fall, the sun rise, the wind move the tree branches. So much peace can be found in simply stopping everything for a few minutes.
Practicing silence will help you realize you won’t implode under it.
Afraid of Silence? Why Christian Teens Don’t Need to Be
4) Make your Bible Reading Time Truly Quiet. No, Really.
If you want to hear God’s voice, this one is non-negotiable. No devices, no radio—just you, your Bible, and God. Seriously, reading scripture from a physical Bible instead of off your phone is so much more satisfying. And when you’re finished, pause to reflect on what you’ve read.
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Psalm 46:10
Give God the opportunity to whisper to you in that sliver of silence. Even Jesus spent time in solitude (Luke 5:16).
Get Good At Hearing the Voice of God
Dedicate yourself to seeking God in prayer and following his Word in earnest. Trust that the Holy Spirit is guiding every moment of your life. And if you do hear a voice, go to the Bible to check it against his Word. He won’t be offended if you do.
“Indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”
Proverbs 2:3-5
I promise you, God truly does speak to those who listen. Turn down the volume so you can hear him!
More Resources to Help Teens Draw Closer to God
You don’t have to have all the answers.
But, hey, why not?
Bring me your questions about faith, life, God, the Bible… and I’ll help you find the answers.
Seek the Lord, and he will be found by you! Check out 10+ Bible Passages for When God Seems Distant and Aloof.
Other helpful posts to help you hear God’s voice and discern his will:
- Seeking Jesus: Where is He Now?
- How to Have a Richer Prayer Life By Friday
- 10+ Bible Passages for When God Seems Distant and Aloof
- Why You Need to Read the Bible Before You Pray
- Life After High School: Just Pick Something And Do It!
- Faith Through the Blues: Know That God is Always There
Just thinking of you, Lauren; and then, I heard and saw your blog come in on my phone! Great topic! I used to think multitasking was good….Until I discovered, it really wasn’t! Sometimes, it can’t be helped. However, those quiet times of just God and his Word are such a blessing, having His peace and comfort as we focus on Him alone. I find it a healing time to renew strength and refuge in our Lord as he helps us navigate through all the many “noises” of life here which can distract. Enjoy your blogs so much, thank you!!
Marcia always says it best. ☺️ Great article, Lauren. Thank you both for your insight.
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