3 Ways Holy Spirit Speaks and 5 Ways to Clearly Hear Him

Excerpted from Holy Spirit: God Within You.

Because the Holy Spirit lives within you, for you, hearing the voice of the Lord is simply a matter of becoming familiar with His voice.

This might lead you to ask, “Well, then how do I recognize the voice of God? What does He sound like?”

How would you explain sight to a man born blind? How would you explain hearing to a man born deaf? There’s no reference or analogy you could use to effectively communicate what only the senses can fully con- vey. In the same way, when someone asks, “What does God sound like?” I can only reply by telling you that God’s voice is something you either know or don’t know.

Some might be tempted to give descriptions to God’s voice. They may tell you, “God’s voice sounds loving. God’s voice brings peace. God speaks with a stern voice. God’s voice is still and small. The sound of God’s voice is like unto the sound of many waters.” To some extent, these descriptions can be helpful, as some of these descriptions are biblical. However, giving these kinds of descriptions may not be helpful to the one still unfamiliar with God’s voice.

Think of someone close to you. This could be a spouse or a sibling or a close friend—whoever you know well. Now I want you to hear their voice in your mind. You know their voice because you know them well and hear them often. You can hear their cadence, tone, volume, and unique qualities. Now if I were to ask you to describe their voice to me, what words would you use? Perhaps you might say that their voice is deep or high-pitched, raspy or smooth, authoritative or timid. Here’s the problem: though you would be able to give me helpful descriptions of their voice, I wouldn’t be able to pick their voice out of a crowd of hundreds of people. I might be able to guess, but I wouldn’t be able to know their voice for certain.

In the same way, when we try to hear God’s voice based on the descriptions others give us, we set ourselves up for life-altering mistakes. At that point, we would be settling for guessing. Furthermore, those descriptions might give us a false sense of confidence. If someone says, “Oh, the Lord’s voice sounds like a gentle whisper,” then whenever we have a gentle thought, we might assume it is God. If someone says, “God’s voice will give you peace,” we might simply go with whatever idea makes us feel good, likely ignoring the Lord’s confrontational instructions. If someone asserts, “God’s voice sounds aggressive and authoritative,” then whenever we have an aggressive thought or feeling, we might assume it is the Lord, even if it’s just us being hard on ourselves.

So then descriptions alone cannot give to us clarity when hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit. We must become familiar with His voice. To become familiar with the voice of the Holy Spirit, we must first become familiar with the ways He speaks.

The Word

If you’re serious about hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit, you’ll be serious about reading the Bible. The Word of God is the foundation of your familiarity with the voice of the Holy Spirit.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT).

Do not say you are serious about knowing the voice of the Holy Spirit if you aren’t serious about your devotion to God’s Word. If you want to hear from God, read the Bible. Many want revelation from God spoken directly to and specifically for them. But why would the Lord entrust you with a specific word if you haven’t honored the written Word?

The more familiar you become with the written Word of God, the more familiar you will become with the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Wisdom

As you become a person of the Word, you develop wisdom. Wisdom is God’s reasoning in you. Though wisdom does not come in the form of an audible or internal voice giving you specific instructions, it can guide you in God’s will. As you commit to the written Word of God, your mind becomes renewed.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2 ESV).

A renewed mind is guided by wisdom. You can also continually pray and ask God for the gift of wisdom.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking (James 1:5 NLT).

The Word is the most reliable means by which we hear from God. Wisdom is the second most reliable. Wisdom is more of a way of thinking than it is a detailed instruction. It comes as a sense, not necessarily a sentence. The detailed instruction is what I call the “whisper.”

Whisper

Often when I have spoken about the Holy Spirit’s specific instructions spoken directly to the believer, I have been asked, “Is the Word of God not sufficient?” By the question, the questioner usually intends to imply that the sufficiency of Scripture somehow means that God no longer needs to speak. They ask, “If it’s in God’s Word, why does the Spirit need to speak it to us? If it’s not in God’s Word, why would the Spirit speak it to us?” These questions, however, fail to take into account the need for specific instructions for details of our lives not addressed in the Scriptures. For examples, where you should live, who you should marry, where you should work, and so forth. Of course, wisdom could help to guide you in answering such questions, but sometimes you do need to hear a clear instruction directly from the Holy Spirit.

One night while driving home from a church service, I stopped at an intersection with stops signs in all four directions. Just before continuing to drive, the Holy Spirit spoke directly to me, preventing me from driving through. Just then a car—with its headlights turned off—sped through the intersection. Had I driven through as I intended, that car would have crashed into mine. Whether I would have been injured, killed, or simply inconvenienced, I do not know. But I do know that the Holy Spirit spoke directly to me. That wasn’t the Word. That wasn’t wisdom. That was a specific, personal instruction from the Holy Spirit.

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 (John 14:26 ESV).

The Holy Spirit doesn’t just remind us of what Christ has taught—He reveals. He reminds us of what we have received and helps us to receive beyond that.

I believe the Word of God is sufficient, which is precisely why I believe the Holy Spirit still speaks today. In its sufficiency, the Word describes a God who lives and speaks. In its sufficiency, the Bible tells of a Heavenly Father who actively interacts with His children. In its sufficiency, the Word effectively dismantles the idea of a distant God. God is not an idol. He’s not made of stone, or wood, or gold. He is neither mute nor deaf. The Word of God is sufficient in that it reveals the whole truth and connects you with a living, involved God who still speaks and acts. I am in relationship with Him, and I know His voice. Those who don’t believe God still speaks today owe an explanation as to why they do not believe the Scripture was sufficient enough to point us toward an active relationship with a living God who still speaks.

The Word is the most reliable way in which we hear God. Wisdom, cultivated by the Word, acts as a guide. The one who is grounded in the Word and wisdom can be entrusted with the whisper. Those grounded by wisdom and the Word are given a safety net. Because they know the Word and walk in wisdom, they aren’t carried away by every whim, thought, or emotion. Again, this doesn’t mean they’ve “earned” God’s voice. He speaks to all His children. Rather, they have removed distractions, leaving fewer opportunities for confusion. The problem isn’t that God can’t get through to us; the problem is that we often confuse our own thoughts and emotions for God’s voice. So the Word and wisdom help you to diminish distractions, as you listen for the whispers of the Holy Spirit to you.

Wonders

God also speaks through wonders.

Wonders include prophecy:

Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 NLT).

Dreams and visions:

“In the last days,” God says, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike—and they will prophesy” (Acts 2:17-18 NLT).

Demonstrations of the wondrous and the miraculous:

And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs (Mark 16:20 NLT).

God often communicates with us through the prophetic, a vision, a dream, or an unusual demonstration of His power. Encounters in the presence of the Holy Spirit can transform and inform you.

Here’s the issue: many believers want to reverse the order of priority of ways the Holy Spirit speaks. Rather than base their lives on the Word and wisdom while supplementing with the whisper and wonders, some Christians live their lives based on wonders and whispers, while only superficially grounding themselves in the Word and wisdom. This is backwards. The problem with living on signs is that any demonstration of power could impress you into waywardness.

When a house is built, it is built in phases. You can’t install decor if you haven’t yet laid the foundation. If your relationship with the Holy Spirit were a house, the foundation would be the Word. It is the most important. Wisdom is the structure—the wood framing. The framing is built upon and grounded in the Word. The walls, insulation, paint, and flooring would be the whispers. And the decor would be the wonders. All come together to build the home, but they must be in their proper places. The Word, wisdom, whispers, and then wonders. These are the four ways the Holy Spirit speaks.

Keys to Recognizing the Holy Spirit

Categorically, there are four voices that speak to you: the Spirit, the satanic, the secular, and self. Every message or idea you will ever hear will fall under one of these four categories. The Spirit always agrees with the Word. The other three voices deny the Word, distort the Word, and distract from the Word.

The Spirit speaks through the written Word, sound teaching, divine signs and wonders, and other means that align with Scripture. The satanic speaks through demonic suggestions, outright lies, and the twisting of truth. The secular distracts from the Spirit’s voice through ungodly entertainment, antichrist philosophies, and loud propaganda. Self can be even more distracting. We internalize these exterior forms of distraction and then develop inner chaos that manifests in the forms of anxiety, intrusive thoughts, depression, lust, laziness, and the like.

So what measures can be taken to eliminate distracting voices?

Silence

First, you must practice silence. This is the removal of distraction. This is practical. Turn off the TV. Put away your phone. Inform your loved ones that you aren’t to be disturbed. All believers should make a practice of having moments of silence before the Lord.

But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you (Matthew 6:6 NLT).

Silence is the easy part. It’s a simple matter of proper planning and practical action. But how do you remove the inner chaos? How do you quiet the inner emotional and mental noise?

Stillness

Silence is the putting away of outer distraction, but stillness is the quieting of the soul. Silence removes distraction from your physical hearing. Stillness removes distraction from your spiritual hearing. Silence removes material volume. Stillness lowers emotional and mental volume. But in a practical sense, how is this done?

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee (Isaiah 26:3 KJV).

What do you do when the mind becomes cluttered with fear, doubt, shame, sorrow, or lust? When you don’t know what to pray, when you’re struggling to find that inner calm, just wait.

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him (Psalm 62:5 KJV).

You don’t need to have the words. You don’t need to know what you’re doing. None of this depends upon you anyway. Your weakness is a vacuum only God’s power can fill. Give up. Yield. Surrender. Stop striving. You’ll only become entangled in your emotions and thoughts. Though the thoughts move about the mind, though your emotions swell like waves in a storm, when you are stuck in the whirlpool of inner chaos, just wait. Wait and worship.

Focus on His face. Then let worship spring forth. As you worship, as you wait, fears about the future, shame from the past, and doubts about God’s love may seek to ensnare you. Grab hold of Jesus. Like Peter sinking under water, grab hold of Jesus. He will lift you far above the turbulent movement of fleshly thinking and emotions.

The key to stillness is standing upon the rock. Let the winds of worry blow—just keep looking at Jesus. Then, a moment comes. When your heart is ignited and your worries fade, when the things of this material world begin to lose their place in your heart. Then, before you know it, you’re at peace. It’s that simple. Inner stillness of the soul comes through waiting and worship. Try it. Just focus on the Lord. Wait. Then let the Holy Spirit lead you in worship. You’ll notice the inner chaos fading into the background.

Obedience

Another key to recognizing the voice of the Holy Spirit is obedience. Obedience makes you familiar with His instructions. Disobedience creates in you a stubborn heart, which is so easily distracted by the things of this world. The Lord directs the steps of the godly.

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand (Psalm 37:23-24 NLT).

Walking in obedience to what you know He’s spoken, you gain greater clarity on what’s next. Often, we ask, “Lord, what’s next?” And He responds saying, “Focus on what’s now.” Paralyzed with fear, many believers stagnate when they should be acting on what God has spoken. In our stubbornness, we fail to realize that the Holy Spirit guides as we go. Consider Paul and Silas. They acted upon the basic instructions they were given—to preach the gospel. As they responded to the general call of God, they were guided by the Holy Spirit on the specific instructions. We know this because they were even prevented from traveling to certain destinations.

Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas (Acts 16:6-8 NLT).

In the same way, you and I today receive clarity concerning our futures by simply obeying, with childlike trust, the commands we have already received from God. Walking in obedience, our faith is strengthened and we gain a familiarity with the voice of the Holy Spirit that produces bold action. If you want instruction for step two, take step one.

Clarity

Summary thus far: as a born-again believer, you already hear the Holy Spirit. It’s just now a matter of recognizing His voice. To recognize His voice, you must receive the Word and wisdom. As you walk in the Word and wisdom, you can more clearly hear the Holy Spirit’s specific whispers and messages through God’s wonders (like prophecy, dreams, visions, etc.).

There are four voices speaking to you in this life—the secular, the satanic, the Spirit, and self. To more clearly hear the Spirit, simply lower the volume of the secular, the satanic, and self. To lower the volume of the other voices, practice silence, stillness, and obedience.

Silence is the muting of outer distraction, but stillness is the quieting of the soul. Silence is practical. Turn off the TV, put away the phone, and set a physical atmosphere of quiet. Stillness removes the inner emotional and mental noise. Stillness is accomplished through trust-filled waiting and Jesus-focused worship. Obedience gives you practice in responding to God’s voice and unveils the next set of divine instructions. By practicing silence, stillness, and obedience, you silence the secular, the satanic, and self. All that’s left then is the voice of the Holy Spirit. The voice of the Holy Spirit isn’t a reward for just the spiritual “pros,” and God can get through to whoever He wants. But generally speaking, there are measures we can take to be less distracted and more sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Sensitivity

Standing on a mountain in the presence of God, Elijah the prophet learned a profound truth about the nature of God’s voice.

First Kings 19 tells us that Elijah encountered a wind, an earthquake, and a fire. Yet God was not heard in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. Instead, Elijah heard the voice of God in a whisper.

And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave (1 Kings 19:12-13 NIV).

Had God revealed Himself through that mighty wind, Elijah would have been unable to prevent himself from being moved. Had God spoken through an earthquake, Elijah would have had no choice but to be shaken. Had God made Himself known in the fire, Elijah could not have prevented himself from being burned. But because God chose to speak in the whisper, Elijah was given the choice to respond.

Today, God is still speaking to you in the whisper of the Holy Spirit. If you live a life too rushed, too distracted, too busy, you’ll never move slowly enough or be quiet enough to hear His gentle leading.

This is not to say that the Holy Spirit doesn’t, at times, speak with great force and volume. This is to say that He expects us to be so attentive to Him that we learn to respond to His whispers.

We should desire to hear so clearly in the spirit that even the Holy Spirit’s whispers are as clear as shouts. To hear that clearly, we must live in an awareness of, in a sensitivity to His still small voice.

By grounding ourselves in the Word, walking in wisdom, removing the distractions of the world, experiencing stillness of the soul, and obeying when God clearly speaks, we familiarize ourselves with the Holy Spirit’s voice. We become sensitive. And remember this: sensitivity to the voice of the Holy Spirit isn’t just about how clearly you can hear Him but how quickly you respond when He speaks.