Hearing the Voice of God | Is it God's Voice or Just Your Thoughts?

Have you ever thought about how much God talks to us throughout the day? If you’re like me, you at times probably don’t know if God really said that or was it just your imagination. Hearing God’s voice isn’t meant to be an exhausting task. It can be very confusing at times to decipher between the voice of God and your own thoughts. So how do you know when and if God is talking to you? 

How to Know if God is Speaking to You?

The truth is God speaks to us more often than we realize. If we ever want to know if God is speaking to us, we must first spend time with Him. Spending time with God and meditating on His Word is a sure way to hear God’s voice. Everything that we need can be found in the Word of God. We must take out time to intentionally hear what God has to say to us or show us. This means showing up completely open, with undivided attention, and focused on only hearing God.

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

John 10:27, NIV

God Can Speak to You Through Other People

Another way that God can speak to you is through other people. There may come times when you’re speaking to someone and they give you the exact words you were thinking to confirm what God has been telling you.

A personal story of mine that I recently had:

A man, a total stranger to me, started a conversation with me about the state of this world. As we began to talk, our conversation led to Jesus and how many in this world do not know Him yet. We know that Jesus is sure to return soon. Toward the end of our conversation. He said, “The believers know what’s to come and that is why we do not panic.” I was practically in a state of shock and on the verge of tears because this is what I had been hearing for weeks. I knew then that had to have been God speaking through this man.

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message,

and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”

Romans 10:17, NIV

God Can Speak Through Dreams and Visions

God can also speak to us through dreams and visions. Sometimes a dream you have isn’t just a dream. Sometimes that vision that you had during the day when you’re alone isn’t just a fantasy. It could be the answer to what you’ve been asking God to reveal to you. It’s no coincidence that it showed up the way it did, just in the right time. 

God Can Speak Through Life Circumstances

God can use our everyday life circumstances to speak to us. God can change our everyday routine to show us what we’ve been needing to see. It can be the simplest thing that shifts our focus to help us see and pay attention to what God is saying to us. Life circumstances and challenges often push us closer to God. These situations aren’t meant to break us, but to help mature and grow us into the person God has called us to be. A change may be necessary for us to focus more on God and not our life’s circumstances.

If you’re ever unsure about hearing the voice of God, always refer back to His Word—The Bible—and continually engage with God in prayer.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV

Keshia Cunningham

Monthly Contributor