Many Christians wonder, “how do you hear the voice of God?” Some are misled to believe they will start hearing God audibly speak to them on a regular basis. Many realize that God usually doesn’t speak audibly, but they wonder why they don’t feel anything moving in their Spirit. The response is often a feeling of guilt or unworthiness, because they aren’t hearing anything.

What does the Word say? “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” John 10:3-4

Jesus is our shepherd. All sheep in the wild need a shepherd to lead them, care for them, and protect them from danger. As people, we need leaders in our world, whether it is in business, in the church or in our communities. When they are good leaders, we listen to them and we all are blessed.

Sheep are interesting animals. They are not very smart, and they cannot take care of themselves very well, so shepherds need to protect them and guide them to places they can feed. But they learn their shepherd’s voice quickly and they respond to it strongly. They know he cares for them, so when he herds them to another pasture, they follow him. When he speaks, they listen. As our shepherd, Jesus speaks to us to show us where He wants us to go so we can flourish and avoid danger.

God’s voice to us works the same as the shepherd and the sheep, but we need to practice listening to Him. With time and our paying attention, we will hear His voice and not only feel more confident, but be more useful to Him in His Kingdom.

It starts with time dedicated to God. If you are not yet spending time every day with God, start now! The length of time isn’t crucial, but I encourage you to set aside time to be with Jesus. Pray, talk to Him, and read His Word. One important part of prayer, though, that many of us skip is to be quiet. “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10. After you are done talking, just be quiet and rest in His presence. You wouldn’t have a one-sided conversation with someone over coffee, right? God is the same. You can talk for awhile, but you will not hear His voice if you aren’t quiet and listening. Over time, you will be amazed at the thoughts and impressions God gives you when you are quiet and listening.

The second way to hear His voice is to immerse yourself in the Word. After all, the Word is God speaking to you. We will never exhaust the wisdom in the Bible! The amazing thing is that God will lead you to the right Scripture at the right time for your exact circumstance. Try reading the Word out loud and hearing it not only in your thoughts, but in your own voice. Listen to a recorded narration of the Word. It will come alive in your spirit!

Another thing you can do to hear His voice more clearly is to simply do what He shows you to do. Every time you feel led to do something, whether it is big or small, just do it! You will see Him move in wonderful ways and you will know deep inside that it truly was His voice leading you. Great rewards come when we invest time in hearing His voice.

Dedicate time every day to listening to God. You will hear Him more clearly every day and you will truly know your shepherd’s voice!