013 God Speaks: Learning to Listen and Respond

God Speaks: Learning to Listen and Respond

One of the greatest lessons we can learn as believers is that God speaks. He always has, and He still does. The question isn’t if He’s speaking but are we listening?

I’ll confess something: I’ve not always been a great listener. There are times when my wife is talking to me, and I’m nodding along, looking into her eyes, but my mind is elsewhere. Maybe there’s a sports game on a TV in the background or something else catching my attention. Sometimes I hear just enough of her words to piece together a response, but I miss the heart of what she’s saying.

With God, we often do the same thing. He speaks, but our minds are distracted. Or we’ve never been taught how to truly listen for His voice.

Learning to Hear God’s Voice

There was a turning point for me when I realized I needed to hear God’s voice for myself. I knew God spoke through the Bible, and I believed He could speak through circumstances or other people, but I needed more clarity.

At the time, my wife and I were preparing to go overseas to plant churches in Europe. Yet, people in my church kept telling me, “God said you’re supposed to stay here.” I dismissed it, thinking, Of course, you want me to stay—you’re my friends.

But it rattled me enough to pray a bold, maybe even crazy, prayer:

“God, if you want me to stay here, I need to know without a doubt. I need You to make it supernatural. Send someone I’ve never met to tell me I’m supposed to stay, or drop a granite stone out of the sky with Your will etched in it.”

That prayer wasn’t perfect, but it was honest. I finished a four-day fast and went back to life as normal. Then, on Monday morning, everything changed.

A man I’d never met walked into our church. He looked like he’d come straight off a construction site—long beard, dirty hands, an old pickup truck loaded with furniture in the parking lot. The receptionist called me up to the front, and I asked, “How can I help you, sir?”

He looked me straight in the eye and said, “Sometimes we think God wants to send us far away to another country to make an impact, but really, He wants us to stay right where we are. That’s where He’ll use us.”

I nearly fell over. This stranger repeated back to me exactly what I’d been praying about. God had heard me, and He answered—clearly, directly, and supernaturally.

The Journey of Listening

That moment marked a turning point for me. I realized that God not only could speak to me, but He wanted to. If He could speak so clearly through a stranger, could I learn to hear Him for myself?

From that moment on, I committed myself to learning how to hear God’s voice. And through that journey, I’ve discovered something powerful: God speaks to our spirit first, not to our mind.

God Speaks Spirit to Spirit

We are three-part beings—body, soul, and spirit. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:23:
“May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

God is spirit (John 4:24), and He communicates with us spirit to spirit. This can be surprising at first because it often feelslike our thoughts. But as we grow in discernment, we begin to recognize His voice—whether it’s a whisper, an impression, or a vision.

Many people assume God’s voice will come as a booming audible sound, like something out of a movie. But in reality, He often speaks in a still small voice (1 Kings 19). Elijah learned this firsthand. God wasn’t in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire—He spoke in a gentle whisper.

In my own journey, I’ve realized that God’s voice can come through pictures, visions, or thoughts that seem to pop into my mind. Early on, I didn’t understand this. I thought the pictures were distractions—random and irrelevant. But they weren’t. They were visions.

Pay Attention to What You See

Throughout Scripture, God often asked prophets, “What do you see?” Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and others were instructed to pay attention to the visions God gave them and write them down.

This is a principle I now encourage others to practice: when you ask God to speak, write down everything you see, hear, or sense—no matter how random it seems.

For example, you might see a color, a crown, or a bicycle. It may feel insignificant at first, but when you share it with others or take time to reflect, God’s message often becomes clear. Sometimes, other people can help you see the connections you missed.

Discernment Is Key

As you learn to hear God’s voice, discernment is crucial. Not every thought or impression comes from Him. Some come from our own desires, while others can come from the enemy.

Test everything you hear or see against Scripture, and seek wise counsel from spiritually mature believers. Be cautious about who you share with, because not everyone will offer pure or accurate interpretations.

I’ve learned this the hard way. Early in my journey, I trusted someone who operated powerfully in the prophetic. At first, I believed everything they said. Over time, I had to learn discernment—distinguishing when their words were from God and when they were clouded by their own opinions or struggles.

God Doesn’t Always Fit Your Box

Another key lesson I’ve learned is that God rarely speaks the way we expect Him to. He doesn’t always give us a clear 5- or 10-year plan. He doesn’t always tell us what we want to hear. Instead, He gives us what we need for the moment.

Sometimes His words are simple yet profound, like “Tell them I love them.” Other times, He might challenge us to do something that stretches our faith. But whatever He says, it always comes with purpose, wisdom, and love.

Be Ready for the Surprises

God’s ways are higher than ours, and His wisdom surpasses human understanding. When He speaks, it often surprises us. But when we obey, we see Him do what only He can do.

Learning to hear God’s voice isn’t about mastering a formula—it’s about growing in relationship with Him. As you take time to listen, trust Him, and write down what He says, you’ll find that God’s voice is clearer and closer than you ever imagined.

So lean in. Be still. Pay attention.

When God speaks—and He will—listen. And then do what He says. You’ll be amazed at what happens when you trust Him