John 14:15-21 

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—  the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

 

One of the most amazing experiences in Christian life is when you know that you have heard the Holy Spirit’s voice. On the other hand, one of the most frustrating and disappointing feelings is when you are fervently seeking his voice and feel like you hear nothing. Some people seem to hear his voice so easily – they pray, they listen, they hear his voice. They read the Bible, they listen, they hear his voice. They drive down the highway and see a billboard and BOOM! They hear his voice. And then you think, “Why is this so hard for me?! Why can’t I hear his voice?” 

There can be seasons when hearing his voice comes so easily you feel like you’re not even trying, while there are other seasons when no matter how much you fast, pray, sit in silence, or study your Bible, you feel as though you hear nothing. Ebbs and flows of the Spirit’s voice are normal and expected. But if you find yourself in a dry season, or if you’ve never had a season of “hearing,” then find encouragement in these tips:

  • You do hear the Holy Spirit, it may just not be in the way you expect. Sometimes you are listening for a voice, even just a voice in your mind, but that is not how God is speaking to you in that moment or season. 
  • God’s voice can always be found in his Word. Lean into reading your Bible, and pray for the Holy Spirit to speak to you and teach you before you read. Then, make time afterward to contemplate, reread the passage again, see what stood out to you, and pray again. Gordon Fee said, “Theology that does not begin and end in worship is not biblical at all, but is rather the product of Western philosophy.” You must engage Scripture with your mind, your spirit, and the Holy Spirit, as an act of worship which flows from the process of learning more about the one who is worthy of all glory and honor and praise.
  • Change up the way you pray. If you find yourself in a “prayer rut,” praying the same words in the same order in the same time and place each day, switch up your prayer routine. This could look like downloading the Lectio 365 app and using that as a launchpad for morning and evening prayers, setting a timer for one minute to sit in silence before or after you pray to wait for his voice, spending time in worship (whether that is music, art, praising God as you are out in nature, etc.). Be intentional with your prayers. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you, and also to give you ears to hear his voice.
  • Make sure you have trusted Christians that you are close with who can speak into your life. The Holy Spirit lives in all believers, and he will use us to speak to each other. Sometimes when you are waiting for the voice of God, he speaks to you through a person. This is also important so you can test what you think you heard from God by sharing it with others and having them help you discern if it was God’s voice or your own thoughts. Being part of a community of believers is essential. Do not skip this part!
  • Remember that the sensational ways that God speaks in the Bible are recorded in Scripture because they were out of the ordinary. Did Moses see God in a burning bush every day? No, that’s why he wrote it down!

Listening Prayer: 

Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you, and leave room for him to speak.

Prayer: 

Lord, I thank you for your Word. I thank you, Holy Spirit, for living in me. Thank you for guiding me, teaching me, comforting me, and never leaving me. During this time of fasting and praying, I want to hear your voice. Please help me to discern your voice, and teach me to receive it in whatever way you choose to speak to me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Resource: Bible Verses on Hearing the Holy Spirit

 

John 16:12-15

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” 

 

John 14:26

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

 

1 Kings 19:9-12

“And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. “ 

Book Recommendation: How to Hear God: A Simple Guide for Normal People, by Pete Greig