The Secret to Hearing God
- Kareem Flowers
- 3 minutes ago
- 4 min read
I was in conversation with a friend one day about fellowship with God when, mid-conversation, the Lord began to reveal to me a simple yet profound truth.
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”— John 10:27 (KJV)
So many in the Body of Christ confess a desire to hear God’s voice. They seek out teachers to show them how to access God in ways they believe others can. There are conferences, seminars, courses, and streams dedicated to “hearing God.” Yet Jesus declared something beautifully simple: His sheep hear His voice.
Hearing God is not a mystical skill reserved for a spiritual elite. It is the nature of His sheep.
His sheep are those who have been born of His Spirit (John 3:5–6), those in whom the Holy Ghost dwells (Romans 8:9, 11), and who have yielded themselves to obedience to His Word (John 14:21, 23). The Spirit Himself bears witness within us (Romans 8:16). Hearing God is not first a technique — it is a relationship.
Yet many believers are hesitant to approach God. They are unsure whether He will answer. They question whether they can truly discern His voice.
In prayer, the Lord impressed something deeply upon my heart:
“Many cannot hear Me because they do not know Me — My character, My nature, My ways. My thoughts are revealed in My Word. If you do not know My Word, how can you know My heart? If you neglect what I have already spoken in Scripture, how will you trust what I speak within?”
Scripture confirms this.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God…” — 2 Timothy 3:16
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” — Psalm 119:105
“The entrance of thy words giveth light…” — Psalm 119:130
God’s character is documented in Scripture. His righteousness, mercy, judgments, and love are revealed there. If we are unfamiliar with the written Word, we will struggle to discern the spoken Word.
I have come to realize that fellowship with God is not merely prayer — it is prayer and study. When we pray, we speak to God. When we study, He speaks to us.
Yes, God speaks to our hearts. But even then, Scripture teaches us to test what we hear. The Bereans were called noble because they searched the Scriptures daily to verify what was spoken to them (Acts 17:11). We are instructed to “try the spirits” (1 John 4:1). Discernment requires familiarity with truth.
If we are novices in the Word, how will we judge what we believe God has spoken?
A Personal Testimony
Over time, I began to notice something in my own walk with the Lord.
When I gave myself intentionally to the study of the Word, I began to experience something profound. As I read, He would illuminate passages, explain Scripture, connect verses across books, and even plant questions in my heart that guided my study deeper.
At first, it felt like my own thoughts. I wondered whether I was simply reasoning through the text.
But as I continued consistently in prayer and study, I began to discern that it was more. It was not random thought. It was not imagination. It was the Spirit of God guiding me into truth, just as Jesus promised:
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth…”— John 16:13 (KJV)
What He revealed always aligned with Scripture. It produced clarity, conviction, humility, and growth. The Spirit bore witness with my spirit (Romans 8:16).
As I continued, something beautiful happened.
I began to recognize that same voice — the same tone, the same nature, the same conviction — when He spoke to me in daily life and ministry. The voice I learned in Scripture became the voice I discerned in real situations.
Study had trained my ear.
I realized that God had been speaking all along — but it was in the Word that I learned to recognize Him.
Fellowship is communion — and communion requires knowing the One with whom we commune.
The more we study, meditate on, and obey His Word (Joshua 1:8; James 1:22), the more sensitive we become to His leading. His voice will never contradict His Word. He speaks consistently with His nature.
The sheep do not strain to hear — they recognize.
Call to Action
Let us not neglect fellowship with the Lord.
Commit yourself to both prayer and study. Set aside intentional time daily to read, meditate on, and obey the Scriptures. Approach the Word not merely for information, but for intimacy. Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate what you read and to guide you into truth (John 16:13).
Do not chase voices. Know the Shepherd.
Give yourself to the Word, and you will grow in discernment. As you learn His nature in Scripture, you will recognize His leading in life.
Prayer
Father,Thank You that You have not left us without guidance. Thank You that Your sheep hear Your voice. Forgive us for seeking experiences while neglecting Your Word. Create in us a hunger for Scripture. Teach us to love truth, to study diligently, and to obey faithfully.
Holy Spirit, illuminate the Word to our hearts. Sharpen our discernment. Silence every voice that is not Yours, and train our ears to recognize the Shepherd. Let our fellowship with You be rooted in truth and strengthened through obedience.
May we not only hear — but follow.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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