How to Hear the Voice of the Holy Spirit In Your Life

Is it possible to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit? Jesus told His disciples, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13).

The Holy Spirit is available to those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ. He speaks to our hearts and leads us in the right direction when we learn to listen. The Holy Spirit has been described as wind (John 3:8), a dove (Mark 1:10), and a gift (Acts 2:38). The Spirit of God can be grieved and quenched by disobedient believers. However, it is possible to hear the voice of the Spirit when believers humble themselves to:

Be Quiet

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31).

We are sometimes too busy to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. He is gentle and patiently waits for us to hunger for His presence in our lives. Being quiet before the Lord is more than just not talking. It’s quieting your anxious thoughts and meditating on His word as you wait to hear from the Holy Spirit. We need to find a good place where we can sit before God uninterrupted by other distractions.

The voice of the Holy Spirit is gentle and quiet—very difficult for us to hear when we don’t pay close attention.

Be Prepared

“Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him” (Mark 1:3).

We must take the time to reflect on our words, actions, and thoughts if we want to hear from God. Our sins keep us from hearing the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit. By confessing and repenting of our sins—we allow the Spirit of God to come into our hearts that has been cleansed by the Lord. The more we grow in our relationship with God, the more sensitive we become to the presence of sin.

Be Aware

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32).

It’s difficult to hear from the Holy Spirit when we don’t know the Bible. We are most familiar with the word of God through the hearing and teaching of it. Also through personal memorization, meditation, and personal study—believers can know the truths of God’s word. Everything the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts will line up perfectly with Scripture. Through consistent exposure of the Bible, we will gain greater confidence in hearing the voice of the Spirit.

Be Open

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

Faith is the foundation of our walk with God. We believe in Him even though we can’t see or touch the Holy Spirit. Our faith is demonstrated by our solid trust that God will lead us in the right direction even in times of the unknown. There needs to be an openness coupled with courage to stepping out in faith when following the direction of the Holy Spirit. The opportunity of faith emboldens us to grow up spiritually and become more acquainted with the voice of the Spirit.

Be Ready

“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone” (Titus 3:1-2).

Our faith in the Holy Spirit is evident when we are ready to obey even when it’s inconvenient. The readiness to follow in obedience gives us the assurance that we are moving in the right direction. The Holy Spirit empowers the obedient with great strength and peace in the midst of difficulty. Believers who hear from God make it a practice of their lives to obey His word.

Be Patient

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12).

Hearing from the Holy Spirit requires us to be patient and wait. The Holy Spirit can’t be rushed into our life situations. He knows the whole story from beginning to end and will move in the appointed time. We need to seek His peace and learn to wait on the Lord with an attitude of expectancy, not complacency.

Are you Listening?

The voice of the Holy Spirit is gentle and quiet—very difficult for us to hear when we don’t pay close attention. We are connected to the Lord through the Holy Spirit allowing the sweetest communion. By choosing to humble ourselves in being quiet, prepared, aware, open, ready, and patient—we will hear His voice more clearly and we will trust Him more freely. The Holy Spirit is a gift of God’s grace to His people—open your gift wisely and be blessed in His presence.

Read this helpful article: How Do I Meditate on the Word of God?

Tagged as: Christian Tips, Holy Spirit, Voice of Holy Spirit, Walking in the Spirit