A lot of us grow up waiting for the "lightning bolt" moment. We want the loud voice or the burning bush. But more often than not, hearing God isn't a dramatic event—it’s a quiet, internal process.
The problem for many of us is that life is loud. It is so easy to get overwhelmed by our own thoughts, our anxieties, and the noise of the day. To the point that we don't know what is us and what is Him?
That's why the question we all need to ask ourselves is: Does it bring peace, joy and clarity?
When it comes to hearing God for myself, I’ve found that I need a way to slow down. I can’t always think on the spot. I need a structure that gives me the freedom to listen without the pressure to be perfect immediately. Over time, I’ve developed a 6-step guide that took me from doubt to clarity.
Before I can hear anything, I have to set the atmosphere. This is the "Think" phase, but it’s really about prayer and meditation. It’s about quieting the mind so I can hear God.
For me, this often means changing my environment. Depending on my mood, I find myself either at my desk or going for a bus ride. Sometimes I listen to instrumental gospel, other times I prefer to sing whatever song God puts on my heart. This step ensures that God is present.
Setting the right environment is important if you want to hear God. If you want one that works for you, don't try to copy someone else. You can use them as inspiration or motivation to start, but you have to build your own and see what works.
This reminds me of the time I had to pray for an hour during a leader's meeting. As someone who feared messing up, all I could do that week to prepare was recall what others did in past prayer meetings and let the Holy Spirit flow from there. Before I knew it, the hour was done. I trusted the Holy Spirit and my training from others to guide me if I got stuck—which I didn't. That experience is what helped me fall in love with prayer for the first time!
This step comes before the answer. This is where I take the idea, the concept, or the problem I’m facing, and I turn it over in my mind. I’m not forcing an answer yet; I’m just preparing my heart to receive.
Think of it like holding a question in your hands and looking at it from different angles, asking God, "What do You think about this?"
This is the shift. I move from active thinking to spirit listening. This is when the "vision" or the "download" happens. It’s that moment when a thought drops into your spirit, which can feel different from your own internal monologue.
It's also when you start to notice God communicating to you through your spiritual senses, like a feeling, knowing, images in your mind or an inner voice prompting you to go in a specific direction or guiding the way you think.
Songs (When the lyrics of a song randomly pop into your head, or a word you heard triggers a song you haven't sung for a while—this is God downloading into your spirit; using the whole song or just the chorus to communicate something to you.)
Numbers (Every time you look, you see repeating numbers. When this happens, type 'Scripture' and the number—for example, 12:12 in Google and see which verse stands out and resonates with you, or research the biblical meaning of the number. This might be God trying to highlight something He wants to convey to you in that moment.)
Once I start receiving, I have to get it out. I prefer using analogue tools here—a real pen and paper or a mind map. There is something about writing by hand that helps me connect the dots better than typing.
The rule for this step is simple: Do not filter.
If you stop to correct yourself or wonder if it sounds right, you stop the flow. What if you just wrote down everything you hear? It might look messy, and that is okay. The goal is to capture, not perfect it.
Now that it is all on the page, I can look at it with fresh eyes. This is the step where I review the "braindump" and start highlighting the main points.
This is also where discernment comes in and where I have to ask myself: What is actually from God, and what is just my own "mental self-talk" or an editing rabbit trail? What am I trying to add or take out? Or who am I trying to imitate?
I discern God's voice when a thought aligns with both my heart and my head. My head tends to be overly logical, while my heart can be emotional—but when God is leading, there is a balance. This balance is how I distinguish His voice from my own.
If I’m ever unsure, I wait. I ask follow-up questions. Usually, God will answer by highlighting a scripture or a story in the Bible to confirm I'm going in the right direction. After going back and forth for a while, I finally feel the "green light": a deep sense of peace, confidence, and a clear call to action.
The other times, I get a check in my spirit that feels like validation! Sometimes that's all you need, or all you get—a knowing that proves you're right or a feeling of approval from God, and a reassuring sign that you're in His will.
This is when I cross out what doesn't belong, and I highlight the parts that I know I’m supposed to focus on right now.
Finally, I take a fresh piece of paper. I copy the highlighted points—the core message—, and I expand on them. When you step away, more is revealed to you, or when you notice the flaws, you start to edit what you thought was God.
This is the part I love because I can take my time. If I feel prompted to go deeper on a thought, I can. I can rewrite and refine until I feel satisfied that the message God wants to communicate matches what I wrote down.
Having a workflow like this removes the anxiety of trying to "get it right" instantly. It gives you the structure you need to focus, but also the flexibility to edit and expand the vision as you go.
Next time you feel stuck or overwhelmed by the doubt in your head, try breaking it down on paper. Don't just wait for the burning bush moment—prepare the tools you will need to capture God's voice your way.