Ever sat in church—or anywhere, really—and heard someone say, “Last night, I clearly heard from God,” and thought: “Must be nice because He surely didn’t speak to me.” Maybe you’ve convinced yourself you’re just not “spiritual” enough to hear from Him. Or worse—you’ll just be sitting there, talking to yourself, thinking it’s Him.
I get it. I’ve been there.
Growing up in a COGIC church where the pastor spoke on hellfire and brimstone quite often, we would also be reminded how the Lord wanted to communicate with us and build a deeper relationship with us. While they were all busy nodding heads and talking about how God wanted to come in and dine with us, all I could think was:
“How could the Lord knock at my door and want to sit with little ole me?”
“He’s got better things to do than hang with me.”
“Why would God knock on my door? I’m just a sinner.”
“If I open it, He’s probably gonna sit me down and read me my rights.”
Can you blame me? At a young age, I felt more fear of God than love. To me, God was holy, far-off in Heaven somewhere, and honestly… way too busy to care about my messy, insecure self– especially as I got older. And although I genuinely loved the Lord and began to develop a strong reverence for Him, I personally was too afraid to fully invite Him in my life because of the fear that He would not fully accept me if I let Him in.
So I shut Him out. Or, at least, I thought I did.
The Transitional Change
But God? He’s persistent. And He doesn’t knock like an angry landlord banging on your door for late rent. His knock is soft, steady, and patient—like a friend waiting for you to finally open up.
Which is exactly what He did for me. He waited.
So what changed? How did I go from doubting God’s voice to knowing I could hear Him? Two things: time and curiosity. Instead of running from Him, I leaned in, just a little. I decided to stop believing the lie that He couldn’t speak to me, and I started learning how to listen.
Here’s the bottom line: God’s voice isn’t reserved for the super-spiritual. It’s not just for pastors, prophets, or people who have it all together. He speaks to you, too. The question is—are you listening? If you’re tired of second-guessing yourself, here are four ways to hear from God clearly, know it’s Him (and not just your thoughts).
4 Ways to Clearly Hear from God, Know It’s Him
(And Not Your Thoughts)
1. Start with Praise and Worship
Worship flips the script. Instead of dwelling on what you lack, you focus on who God is, what He’s done for you and the divine power you have now that He lives in you. Psalm 100:4 says, Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For me, worship became a game-changer. There were times I felt so unworthy I couldn’t even pray, but turning on worship music and just whispering, “God, You’re still good,” changed the atmosphere. It shut down my shame and reminded me: God isn’t knocking because I’m perfect—He’s knocking because I’m His.
Tip: Give it a try. Take a few minutes during your day and thank God. If you have nothing to say simply play a song and sit in His presence.
2. Journal Your Heart Out
When I was first prompted by the Holy Spirit to post prophetic messages, life lessons and real life situations I‘ve experienced on My Journey to Refresh I would immediately tense up. I’d think, “What’s the point? You’re just talking to me, why do others have to know? Who’s going to read this anyway?” But then I came across Revelation 1:19: “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.”
After reading that scripture, conviction hit me and I knew I had to repent. The spirit of selfness had to flee. It was time for my gift in writing to come out of hiding and be released.
The next time I felt the urgency in my spirit to write I did just that. I grabbed my notebook, wrote down my thoughts, prayers, even doubts. Following that, I wrote questions to God, like: “What do You want me to know? What needs to be revealed?” Then I paused.
What I wrote next felt different—thoughts that brought peace, not panic. Words that aligned with Scripture. I started to realize… this wasn’t just me. God was answering me in the stillness of my pen.
Tip: Try it. Write everything out. God speaks when you give Him room on the page.
3. Have a Two-Way Conversation
Growing up, prayer felt one-sided to me—like I was leaving voicemails for God that He’d never check. But over time I’ve learned prayer is a conversation, not a monologue.
Here’s what helped me: I’d talk to God out loud, like He was sitting right there. I’d share with Him my heart, stating situations like: “ God, I’m really not feeling this situation. Here’s what I’m afraid of. What do You think?” Then I’d pause. Sometimes I’d feel a sense of serenity. Other times, a Scripture or thought would drop into my mind.
Tip: God’s voice isn’t always loud. It’s not thunder or lightning. It’s often a whisper—one that brings clarity and aligns with His Word. Pay attention to those moments and meditate on them.
4. Get Quiet (Even When It Feels Awkward)
Silence and darkness used to terrify me as a little kid. As I got older, sitting still felt unproductive, and honestly, I yearned to move. For a long time I genuinely thought I had to be in action at all times to hear from the Lord. However, quiet is where God’s voice breaks through the noise.
Moment of truth: It can still be a challenge for me to get quiet to hear from Him during the day, so He often meets me at night in my dreams.
One night, I remember laying in my bed with my phone on silent, nothing playing. My only request was for God to meet me in my sleep. Shortly after I dozing off this is what I saw:
It was the weekend of my birthday and my friends rented out a charter bus to go traveling. However the charter bus seemed to be way more than just for my birthday but it was for all millennials. Outside the bus I was very emotional because I’d left my travel bag so I had to get it. There, I connected with an old friend whose name was Imani and she was excited to see me. As I was walking, a guy pulled off my pants which were big and loose but gratefully I had on another pair. It was dark outside.
Immediately, when I woke up I wrote down all I remembered of the dream and then asked God, “ABBA, what do you want me to know? What are you telling me in regards to ministry?”
Now, I will admit, at that very moment, I did not sit long enough to hear His response when I first received the dream, but when I finally surrendered and quieted my soul, His response was breathtaking. He replied:
“Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadows of death I will fear no evil for you are with me”. Psalm 23:4
He then when into detail but I vividly remember Him sharing, “Change is here and I am equipping you for something new!”
Now talk about astonishing and clear revelation from the Father!
Tip: Sometimes, we miss God’s voice because we won’t stop talking. Get still, breathe, go to sleep and let Him fill the silence.
The Bottom Line
God wants to speak to you. He’s not holding out. He’s not waiting for you to get your act together. His voice isn’t for the perfect—it’s for the willing.
If you’ll start worshiping, journaling, talking, and getting quiet, you’ll hear Him. It might not be an audible voice, but it’ll be clear. His words bring peace, not confusion. They align with His truth, not your fears.
So, stop overthinking it. Stop disqualifying yourself. God’s already knocking. The only question left is: will you open the door?
He’s ready to sit with you. Are you ready to let Him in?