What Does God’s Voice Sound Like?

“How can I recognize God’s voice?” “How can I hear God’s voice?” and “What does God’s voice sound like?” “How do you know if it’s God’s voice?” The following are some clear and helpful keys!

When I first decided I wanted to hear God speak to me, I didn’t know how to recognize God’s voice or what God’s voice sounded like.

I bought lots of books and sermons looking for answers. The advice I got was, “You will know when you know,” or “Keep reading your Bible and you will hear Him.”

Although their advice was true, it was not helpful to me at first.

Now I know that hearing God is not just for pastors, preachers, and special spiritual people out there! I learned to hear God’s voice, and you can too!

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice.”

So, because you are a sheep, you can learn to hear God’s voice.

You can learn what God’s voice sounds like so you can recognize when He speaks to you! Below are some keys I hope will be helpful for you!

The following are characteristics of what God’s voice sounds like:

 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

John 10:27

1. Hearing God’s Voice Sounds Like Spontaneous Flowing Thoughts

One of the major ways you can hear God’s voice speak to you personally is through spontaneous flowing thoughts that come to your mind or heart. It may sometimes feel like words bubble up from the Holy Spirit inside.

Of course, God’s words to us will always line up with His Words already recorded in the Bible.

However, God’s thoughts to us will come spontaneously. Jesus, himself, lived from an inner flow of thoughts and pictures from His Father (John 5:19-20, 30).

In contrast, we can recognize that our human thoughts flow in a reasoned, logical thought progression.

For example, we look at the clock and see it is noon.

We think, “Oh I am hungry; what is there to eat; there are some cookies on the counter; no I should eat lunch not cookies; but what can I have; maybe there is some lunch meat; no we ate all the lunch meat; maybe peanut butter; do we have chips left; fruit?”

Do you see? Our human thoughts follow a pattern from one thing to the next.

When you begin to hear God’s voice to you, you may look at the clock and see it is noon.

Then He will drop a thought into your mind like, “I will take care of all your needs, just as I said I would.”

God’s thoughts flow peacefully and easily to you in the first person with “I” statements.

Then you will feel His love and care and probably tear up.

So, what this means is you must be open to little interruptions in your regular thought flow and begin to recognize spontaneous flowing thoughts that come to you.

2. We Recognize That God’s Voice is Expressed Through Our Own Thoughts Sometimes

His thoughts are expressed through your own personal style and speech, just as each of the Gospel writer’s personalities came through in their writings.

Many times, His voice will sound a lot like your thoughts, but you will know such thoughts did not come from you.

His thoughts will be wiser, more healing, more loving, and more concerned about the heart motive than your own personal thoughts.

3. We Can Recognize That God’s Voice is Gentle and Peaceful

Of course, God is God and can get our attention anyway He wants to get our attention. We are His creation.

He can shout at us if He wants to, and He can speak in an audible voice. I have heard His audible voice only a couple of times in my lifetime.

However, I have heard His gentle and peaceful, still small voice many, many times!

Many times God’s voice through the Holy Spirit sounds like thoughts inside our personal spirit that are easily cut off by stress or exertion of self-will. So, don’t get frustrated or stressed out trying too hard.

Many people find they learn to hear God more clearly when they practice being still or quiet (which I show you how step-by-step here).

The best stance is to relax and be at rest. Trust God’s goodness and provision, no matter what your circumstance.

I find it easy to hear God’s voice when I journal, which is a great way to practice hearing God’s voice. (I teach you how to do that easily here.)

4. God’s Voice Will Cause A Special Reaction Inside You

God’s thoughts will cause a special reaction inside you. They will cause excitement, conviction, faith, life, awe, joy, love, and peace.

God’s voice does not sound like negative or accusing thoughts. Those are not God!

When you embrace God’s thoughts, there is grace, strength, and joy to carry His thoughts and words out.

As you become more and more sensitive to God’s thoughts and communications with you, you train your spiritual senses to discern good and evil more effectively.

Your loving Lord begins to share more insight about day-to-day situations with you because you are His friend.

You will hear God give you divine strategies for your life and your family’s lives, and He will help you with wisdom and understanding at work.

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

Jeremiah 33:3 ESV

God has answers to all your questions. Continue your pursuit of God, because He rewards those who diligently seek Him.

See Next: How to Hear God’s Voice Clearly (with practical exercises)

“How To Hear God’s Voice Clearly” equips you with a proven, practical skill to hear God’s voice, even if you have never heard His voice before, OR you feel like you can’t hear very well.

Also See: “How to Feel God’s Presence: Tips for Spiritual Growth”

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