What is the key to hearing God's voice?

from the old testament

• Proverbs 9:10 tells us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” A heart that honors and reveres God is prepared to hear Him.
• God speaks to those who are willing to obey what He says (Exodus 19:5).
• Regular reflection on Scripture tunes the heart to recognize God's voice (Psalm 1:2).
• Elijah heard God not in noise, but in a gentle whisper—stillness helps us listen (1 Kings 19:12).
• Wholehearted pursuit of God opens the way to hear from Him as it says in Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
• Samuel’s humble posture as a servant made him ready to hear God’s voice (1 Samuel 3:9).
• Sin dulls spiritual hearing; repentance restores fellowship and clarity. Isaiah 59:1-2 reveals the separation that sin causes: “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save… but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God.”
• It's important to pray for discernment to distinguish God’s voice from our own or that of the enemy (Psalm 119:125; see also Philippians 1:9-10).
• We can trust that as we practice listening and spend time in His Word, we will be able to recognize His voice: "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it'" (Isaiah 30:21, NIV).

from the new testament

• We are able to hear God's voice when we are His through salvation in Jesus Christ (John 1:12).
• A relationship with Jesus is foundational to hearing God’s voice. Only those who belong to Him can truly recognize His voice (John 10:27).
• The Holy Spirit indwells believers and leads them into truth, helping them discern God's voice (John 16:13; Romans 8:9; Galatians 5:16, 25).
• The Bible is the first place we should look to hear God's voice, since the clearest and main way God speaks to us today is through His written Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; Colossians 3:16). Through Scripture, we learn God's character and how He speaks.
• First Thessalonians 5:20-21 calls us to test what we hear against Scripture and sound doctrine since not every voice is from God.
• God can also speak through other people, using their words to give counsel, encouragement, or correction that aligns with His truth (see Proverbs 11:14; Colossians 3:16; Acts 21:10-11). Hearing the voice of God from others can help us to interpret the Bible and see things that we were blind to before, including hidden areas of our own pride or self-seeking motivations.
• Prayer is another way to hear God’s voice as we still our hearts, seek Him, and listen. Jesus modeled the importance of quiet, prayerful solitude to hear from the Father (Luke 5:16).
• Hearing God’s voice requires spiritual maturity and discernment, developed through obedience and practice (Hebrews 5:14).
• A heart willing to obey God is more likely to discern His voice clearly. John 7:17 tells us: “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God…”

implications for today

Accurately hearing God's voice is something that we grow in as we mature in the faith. Such hearing of God's voice is not to be confused with claims of new revelation from God but rather refers to communing with God as we relate to Him through Christ. Also recognize that sometimes people claim to have heard the voice of God tell them to do something when perhaps it was the voice of their own mind speaking.

God most often and most clearly “speaks” to us through His Word, but we can also hear God’s voice as He speaks through others, circumstances, and prayer. Any time God speaks to us, it must be in agreement with the Word of God. When we read the Bible with a heart seeking understanding, we are actively listening to God's voice. The majority of God's will for our lives is already revealed in the Bible; our portion is to obey what God has told us in its pages.

While it can be tempting to think that we need a specific word from God in order to make any decision in our lives, that can sometimes become an excuse to remain stagnant or make unwise decisions. The claim to be "waiting on God" could just be refusing to obey what God has already commanded or are hesitating out of fear. While we certainly should pray over important decisions and may, at times, need to wait on God for His direction, many other times we've already been given the direction we need, so we simply need to move forward. God has given us many clear instructions in His Word, and these guide us in many daily decisions.