How To Hear The Holy Spirit’s Still, Small Voice

I’ve been asked numerous times how I hear God. Is He audible? Do I really hear a voice that may sound like James Earl Jones? How can I tell? Let me just say no, He doesn’t sound like Darth Vader and I can just tell. My relationship with God is going on 16 years and it took a while to understand what his voice sounded like to me. It sounds like my voice in my head. It really sounds like I’m talking to myself. Kind of like when you read a book, you don’t hear the author’s voice, you hear your own.

When Jesus left, He told His disciples He was sending a helper (John 14:16). I understand this because my job with the State of Tennessee is to help. It’s not to yell, criticize, condemn, or tear down. It’s to help my clients succeed. This means there are times when I do things and He speaks to me in my own voice, “Are you sure that was the right thing to do?” He has a subtle way of convicting.

The Holy Spirit stays true to God’s word always but will convict different people in different ways. We all have our vices and we all sin. We all have those little things that in the grand scheme of things don’t matter but because God is all-knowing, and sometimes what we may think is ok is not really ok at the time. He’s working on you to mold you into someone better.

Let me explain. I don’t think it’s any secret to any of my readers I smoke a pipe. Recently, I posted a picture of me studying theology on my deck with my pipe sitting near by. To pipe smokers, they’d ask what’s the big deal. To nonsmokers, they’d ask if it was necessary. After I posted, I got to thinking. What was my main purpose? Did I want to show people that my morning consisted of knowing God more, or did I want to poke a rib and show my pipe.

After a small talk with the Holy Spirit, I realized I gained nothing from the pipe being in the picture. It wasn’t necessary. To most, they’d tell me it’s no big deal. But when the Holy Spirit wants to grow you, things that seem harmless is a BIG deal.

So let me encourage you who wonder what God sounds like, what conviction feels like, how a relationship can grow deeper. Listen to the small things because most times it’s the small things that make the big things big.