I'm Still Waiting to Hear God's Voice

“Follow God's instructions and everything will work out.” Cool. Great. Love that for me. What instructions, though? Where's the manual? Is there a customer service line?

I'm an overthinker. Not a cute personality quirk, an actual problem. So, when someone tells me to just listen to the Holy Ghost, my brain wants a step-by-step guide, memo. Bullet points. Maybe a follow up text confirming what we discussed. Instead, I get quiet, or a feeling, or something that might be God and might just be me really wanting to skip this task all together.

Somewhere along the way I decided this was supposed to work like a  story in the old testament a voice booming down out of the clouds. Deep, echoey, a little wind involved for effect. “LEON. DO NOT DO THAT.” I was fully prepared for weather to get involved. (This still has not happened. But I’m not ruling it completely out either.) If it does, you will hear absolutely hear about it so keep an eye out for these blogs because, it will be in all caps, with several exclamation points.

But since up to this point the sky has stayed quiet, I have had to try something else. Building an actual relationship with God, instead of standing around waiting for him to yell at me from a distance like I am late for dinner.

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Funny enough it turns out I am not the first person with this problem

Look at Samuel. 1 Samuel 3. This kid basically grew up living at the temple, and God still had to call his name three separate times before he figured out what was going on. Samuel kept running to Eli like, “you called?” and Eli kept sending him back to bed, until the third lap around the room when Eli finally put it together and told Samuel to lie down again and told him to say to the Lord speak your servant is listening. A kid raised inside the building (tent) could not identify the voice of God on the first try. So, if you are sitting there thinking something is wrong with you because you can’t either, relax. You are in decent company.

1 Samuel 3:9 – So he said to Samuel, “ Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say ‘Speak, LORD, your servant is listening.’”

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By now you guys know I like clear steps. Give me a checklist and I am a genuinely happy man. (Ask Jovi about my trips to Publix with no list only half of what she asks for makes it to the house). While I can’t promise any of these will work the exact same way for you, everyone is wired a little differently, but these four things have actually moved the needle for me. No formula, no guarantee, just what has worked.

1. Open the Word

It’s surprising how intimidating it can feel to simply pick up your Bible, but you do not need a seminary degree to start. You also do not need ten hours of YouTube sermons, as tempting as that rabbit hole can be. Dust off the Bible sitting in your drawer. One tip: if you were not raised reading the King James Version, do not make this harder than it needs to be. Try the ESV or NLT instead. Reading Scripture should not feel like translating a legal document. Honestly, getting started is the hardest part, and I do not think there is one perfect way to begin. If I can make a recommendation, start with the New Testament, then work your way back to the Old Testament. It makes the stories much more meaningful. And per John’s recommendation, read Revelation with someone who is mature in both faith and biblical knowledge.

2. Get quiet

When God called Samuel, he was lying down in a quiet room at night, away from the noise of the day. Not scrolling. Not half listening to a podcast. Just quiet. Go for a walk with no headphones. Sit by the ocean or a fireplace with your phone in another room. The location does not matter. The silence does. I can emphasize this enough we live during a time where there is so much noise, so much going on, I believe most of us are addicted to stimulation, a great test for this is what is the first thing you do when you first wake up? Do you grab your phone before you go to the bathroom? I know silence sounds boring. But do me a favor and try it anyway.

3. Find someone who already recognizes God’s voice

Samuel needed Eli, and you need someone like that too: someone who has been walking with God longer than you have and will not simply tell you what you want to hear. For me, that person has been my wife. For you, it might be a friend, a pastor, or even better, a group you can process these things with. One of my favorite parts of the podcast is the conversations we have off air. The four of us come from different upbringings, backgrounds, and spiritual journeys. Scripture says that where two or three gather in his name, he shows up. That is a promise, not a suggestion, so take advantage of it.

4. Fasting

After Eli’s guidance, Samuel finally answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” That was more than a sentence he memorized; it was a posture. And I want to be clear: fasting does not mean skipping a couple of meals so God will give you what you want. It means placing God at the center above everything else. Fasting has shaped that posture in me more than almost anything else. It humbles you in a way that snacking your way through the day never will. Start with 24 hours. Dedicate it to God. Invite someone to join you, so when hunger hits, you can both pause and pray. Remember, where two or three gather in his name, he shows up; that promise is not limited to being in the same room. One final note: if you have a medical reason not to fast from food, do not do it. God is not asking you to pass out in order to hear him. Instead, fast from something else. If social media is consuming you, log out for 24 hours and dedicate that time to God.

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Progress over Perfection

This reminder is for me as much as it is for you. I know I have encountered God’s voice, but I still struggle to recognize it consistently. And for anyone wondering, no, I still have not heard a voice from the sky. No wind, no echo, no dramatic movie moment. Most days, I am still guessing, second-guessing, and texting my wife to ask whether what I am feeling sounds like God or just sounds like me wanting my own way. But the guessing feels less intimidating now. Not because I found a formula, but because I know him better than I did a year ago. The longer you sit with someone, the better you become at recognizing their voice.

If you are waiting for a sign before you begin, stop waiting. Start with the Bible on your shelf, ten quiet minutes, one honest conversation with God, and someone who knows him better than you do. I am working through this right alongside you. Let’s keep going.