How to Discern God’s Voice: A Comprehensive Guide

Have you ever wondered how to discern God’s voice amidst the noise of daily life and your own thoughts? You are not alone.

When I learned how to hear His voice in 2009, it was as if I had been living in black and white and all of a sudden, the world was in color. It was a game-changer for me!

Since then, I have continued to grow as God refines the way He speaks to me, expanding my ability to hear Him in new ways. He has become my closest friend and most faithful companion on this journey of life.

Hearing His voice has also been instrumental in my path to becoming a Spiritual Director. Because I can discern His guidance, I am able to ask the questions my clients need to recognize His work in their lives.

Understanding this distinction is fundamental for the Christian walk. Jesus said that He only did what He saw His Father doing. I believe that’s what we were created to do—but how can we follow His example if we can’t discern His voice?

I don’t believe He is always telling us what to do. As we mature in our relationship with Him, He invites us to make choices. Paul uses the language of maturity in his letters, explaining that when he was a child, he thought and acted like a child, but as he grew, he thought and acted like a man.

This is important for us as well. Unfortunately, I think many believers are still stuck in the “milk” phase, much like in his letter to the Corinthians.

In this article, we will look at how God speaks, my favorite ways of discerning His voice, and some practical tips for cultivating ears to hear and a heart to discern.

Let’s dive in.

The Foundation of Recognizing God’s Voice

The key to discerning God’s voice begins with understanding its biblical foundation. Guidance and comfort from scripture ensure we build on solid ground.

Jesus describes His followers in John 10:2-6 as recognizing His voice, a testament to the personal and intimate relationship He desires with us.

Similarly, Hebrews 4:12 emphasizes the power of God’s Word to discern thoughts and intentions, helping us distinguish His voice from others. Sometimes, this can be really difficult.

God explained it to me like this: When you start a new relationship, you have to learn how to communicate with each other—personalities, preferences, and such. In the same way, we learn to hear God differently over time. And because He already knows us intimately, He speaks to us in ways we need at the moment.

The accounts in scripture are not just historical records—they are blueprints for us today. Recognizing God’s voice is not a mystical skill reserved for a few but a learnable discipline grounded in scripture.

By immersing ourselves in the Bible, we can tune our hearts to better distinguish God’s guidance from the noise of life.

Clarifying the Role of Scripture and Personal Revelation

While personal revelation is an essential part of our relationship with God, it’s crucial to understand that it does not replace or contradict the authority of Scripture. The Bible remains our ultimate standard of truth, as it is God-breathed and useful for guiding, teaching, and correcting us (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Personal revelation, whether through impressions, dreams, or visions, should always align with the character and message of Scripture and we will discuss this at length later in the article. God’s voice will never contradict His written Word.

Why is Hearing His Voice Important?

Yeshua said He only did what He saw His Father doing. If Yeshua did it, then I want to do it. We cannot truly partner with the Lord if we don’t know what He is doing. But is He still speaking?

He promises He will speak in verses like:

• Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
• 1 Corinthians 14:1 – “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”
• Amos 3:7 – “For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.”
• 1 Corinthians 14:31 – “For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged.”
• Job 33:14-17 – “For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices. In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds, He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings to turn a man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride.”

God has always spoken to His people. In the Old Testament, He spoke through the prophets when His Spirit came upon them. Now, His Spirit dwells in us, and we have full access to Him as His children.

As His friends, we learn to recognize His voice just as we do with any close relationship. Over time, we discern His ways, His tone, and how He communicates uniquely with us.

Hearing His voice transforms our relationship with Him. It instructs, encourages, comforts, imparts wisdom, corrects us, gives direction, and helps us love others well. His voice is foundational for a deep and meaningful walk with Him.

How God Speaks Throughout Scripture

You may be wondering: How does He speak? How do I know He’s speaking? While this is not an exhaustive list, here are some of the ways we see God speak in scripture:

1. Understanding when reading the Word – Scripture is alive and the Spirit brings revelation as we read it
2. Dreams – So many times throughout scripture God spoke through dreams to His people both literally and symbolically.
3. Spiritual seeing – Think of Elijah’s mantel passing to Elisha seen by sons of the prophets
4. The natural world – God used fires, winds, earthquakes, and more to speak and convey a message to His people.
5. Impressions, mental or spiritual – In Acts 14:9 Paul perceived that a man who was crippled from birth had faith for healing.  There are more instances as well.
6. Impressions in our bodies –  Some receive words of knowledge for healing through their bodies.  
7. Impressions in our emotions – God allows us to feel in our own soul what someone else is experiencing.  Or we will feel what the Lord feels for the person. (I started experiencing this more when I moved abroad)
8. Spiritual intuition – That deep “knowing” in our spirit. There are times in scripture that it says Yeshua just “knew” something.
9. Still small voice – Like Moses who saw the wind and the earthquake and fire, but it was in the still small voice that God spoke.
10. Pictures or images – This often looks like an image pops to mind while praying or talking with someone.

God speaks in many ways, and He delights in revealing Himself uniquely to each of us. As you read scripture, make your own list of how He speaks!

You will also see how He speaks with you change over time. When I first started hearing Him, I often only heard bible verses. It was quite frustrating cause I wanted the “cool” stuff like pictures and dreams. As I grew confident in my hearing and grew in intimacy with Him, He began to speak to me in new ways. As He will with you.

4 Filters for Discerning

When learning to hear God’s voice, it’s crucial to discern whether what you’re hearing is:

1. Your own voice
2. God’s voice
3. The world’s voice
4. The enemy’s voice

This discernment is not automatic—it develops through intentional practice, deepening your relationship with God, and immersing yourself in Scripture. The Bible provides clear guidance on how to distinguish His voice from others.

Relationship with Him

John 8:47 says, “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.” This verse highlights that recognizing God’s voice is a natural result of a relationship with Him. It also implies that those who do not belong to Him may struggle to hear Him clearly.

That doesn’t mean God never speaks to those who don’t yet know Him—He often does! But for those who are His, hearing Him is part of the inheritance we receive as His children. The question is not whether He is speaking but whether we are listening.

God’s voice will always align with His character and His Word. Galatians 5:22-23 describes the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If a voice contradicts these attributes, it is not from Him.

However, that doesn’t mean His voice will always make sense to us. Sometimes, it may seem like He is contradicting Himself, but in reality, He is challenging our preconceived notions.

For example, I once felt God leading me to do something that seemed completely irresponsible. My immediate reaction was, “But that feels so irresponsible.” I could sense His loving smile as He replied, “I didn’t ask you to be responsible; I asked you to be obedient.” Whoa.

To be clear, I’m not advocating irresponsibility—unless, of course, God is inviting you into something that seems irresponsible by human standards. Sometimes, He dismantles our worldly mindsets so He can shape us more into the image of Yeshua.

Yeshua offended many because He called people out of religious systems and into direct relationship with Him. Walking with Him requires faith, trust, and often going against cultural norms.

Spirit of Love and Peace

God’s voice is always marked by truth and love. Even when He convicts us, it is done with the intention of drawing us closer, not pushing us away. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” His voice will always be in harmony with Yeshua’s teachings and character.

If you feel shame or condemnation, that is not God speaking. The enemy is known as the accuser (Revelation 12:10), and his voice leads to despair and self-hatred.

On the other hand, conviction from God brings awareness of sin but is wrapped in love, leading us toward repentance and transformation. If you feel both correction and an overwhelming sense of love, that is the Father’s heart for you.

Verifying Against Scripture

God will never contradict His written Word. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.”

If you believe you have heard from God but it contradicts Scripture, then it is not from Him. This is why knowing the Bible is so important—it acts as a safeguard against deception.

However, be careful not to twist Scripture to fit personal desires. Context matters. This is why regular Bible study, prayer, and seeking wise counsel are essential. They help ensure that what you hear aligns with God’s truth, not just personal interpretation.

Discern in Community

Here’s the reality: we’re human, and we don’t always get it right. Even with the purest intentions, we can misinterpret what God is saying.

But God is not angry when we make mistakes—He sees our desire to follow Him and lovingly guides us. That’s why He designed us to be part of a community. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”

At the same time, be mindful: While wise counsel is valuable, never give away your personal responsibility to hear from God. No one else can replace your direct relationship with Him.

The Holy Spirit lives inside you. You have the mind of Yeshua. Others can offer guidance, but at the end of the day, the decision is yours.

There will be moments when even trusted voices disagree with you. When that happens, remember this: at the end of your life, you will stand before God and give an account for your choices. God will not ask, “Why did you disobey them?” He will ask, “Why did you disobey Me?”

It is better to make a mistake in sincere obedience to God than to ignore His voice out of fear of what others think.

Three Parts of Hearing God

Now that you have a better understanding of how to hear God’s voice and why He speaks, the next question is: what do you do with what you receive?

When discerning God’s voice, it’s helpful to recognize that there are three distinct components:

1. Revelation – What God actually says or shows you.
2. Interpretation – What it means.
3. Application – What to do with it.

While what God reveals is always true, our interpretation and application can sometimes be mistaken. This is why humility, patience, and discernment are essential.

Thing Spoken or Revelation

The first step is identifying what God actually communicated. Once you have used discernment filters to confirm it is His voice, write it down exactly as you received it—whether it was a word, an image, a dream, or a feeling.

Because the Holy Spirit dwells within us, our personal desires and emotions can sometimes mix with what we receive. Recording the raw message before attaching meaning to it helps preserve accuracy and prevents personal biases from distorting it.

Interpretation and Understanding

Once you’ve recorded what God has spoken, the next step is seeking His understanding of it.

This is where knowing how God speaks to you becomes invaluable. The way He communicates is deeply personal, and understanding this will help you discern His voice accurately. For example, a dog might represent loyalty to one person, fear to another, and companionship to someone else.

God knows your personal experiences and how you interpret symbols, which is why He often speaks in images, metaphors, and riddles (Proverbs 25:2). These are invitations to deeper understanding—so ask yourself: What does this symbol mean to me?

However, it’s important not to turn this into a rigid formula. Just because God has used a certain symbol or phrase before doesn’t mean He will always mean the same thing by it. Always ask Him for clarity.

There will be times when you don’t immediately understand what He is saying. In those moments, He may be inviting you to sit with Him in the mystery. At other times, He may bring someone into your life who can help interpret what He has revealed.

On rare occasions, understanding may come instantly. For example, there have been times when I’ve had a dream and woke up with the interpretation immediately. While this isn’t common when it happens, I trust it—because I haven’t had time to overthink or analyze it.

Application of Things Spoken

This third step is where we must be especially careful. Just because God reveals something doesn’t mean He’s asking us to act on it in the way we assume.

There have been times when His revelation was an invitation to intercede, while other times, it was meant to lead me to a conversation, repentance, or even simply to understand His heart. Sometimes, He isn’t asking us to do anything at all—He just wants to share something with us.

Seeking His heart on how to respond is critical. Acting out of assumption can cause unnecessary harm to ourselves or others. However, don’t let fear of making a mistake keep you from stepping out in faith. God is a Redeemer, and He loves taking our imperfect attempts and turning them into something beautiful.

Think of it like learning to walk—before you can run, you must first crawl and then take shaky steps. Walk with humility, and before you know it, you’ll be having the time of your life learning to hear Him.

A Few Tips Along the Way

1. Record Everything
   Every dream, vision, impression, or word you receive—write it down. You’ll be surprised how often something will make more sense later. Recording it also ensures you can test it against Scripture and reflect on it with fresh eyes.
2. Always Seek Understanding
   Never assume you know exactly what God means. As you become more experienced, this can be a bigger temptation. You may think, “God always means XYZ when He says ABC.” But assumptions can cause you to miss His true message. Stay open and ask for fresh understanding each time.
3. Don’t Rush the Process
   Sometimes, God speaks slowly—not because He’s withholding but because He values the relationship more than the revelation. Be patient, just as you would with a close friend. Take the time to listen and process what He’s saying.
4. Be Quick to Obey
   When God prompts you to repentance, action, or obedience, respond quickly. In Luke 17, Jesus healed ten lepers as they went. Their healing came through obedience. Often, the breakthrough we seek is found in the step of faith we are hesitant to take.

By practicing these principles, you’ll grow in confidence and clarity in hearing God’s voice. He delights in speaking to His children, and as you lean into the journey, you’ll discover a richness in your relationship with Him that is beyond anything you imagined.

For More Reading

I have read many a book on this topic. I just couldn’t believe God was still talking and I had no idea until my mid 20s. So I devoured the books. Here are some of my favorites:

• Friendship with God by Kimberly (me)
• Becoming the Friend of God by Marc Dupont
• Hearing God by Dallas Willard
• You May All Prophesy by Steve Thompson

Discerning God’s Voice FAQs