How to Hear God's Voice: A Beginner's Guide to Conversational Prayer
Many people who pray at all pray in one direction. We say what we need, maybe say thank you, and move on. Whether anything comes back is a question we quietly skip.
But what if prayer was never meant to be a monologue?
What is conversational prayer?
Conversational prayer is prayer that expects God might actually respond. It's built on three convictions:
You can hear from God. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27).
You can experience God's presence in everyday life. Jesus described the relationship as mutual: "Abide in me, and I in you" (John 15:4).
You can know God's fullness, not just facts about him. The apostle Paul prayed that people would "be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19).
Philosopher and author Dallas Willard put it simply: two people that close would naturally talk to each other. God isn't limited to the occasional nudge or a case of goosebumps.
Isn't this a little weird?
It can be. Some people have made listening to God strange or even manipulative, and if that's been your experience, your hesitation makes sense. But Willard argued that an ongoing conversation with God is the normal human life God intended, not a special experience for a few. He pointed to the stories of Adam and Eve walking with God in the garden, Enoch, and Moses speaking with God face to face. Any real relationship involves communication.
How do you start?
Slow down. Author John Eldredge has observed that it's nearly impossible to hear God when you're stressed, rushed, or demanding an answer right now. Listening starts with quiet.
Notice where your life is working against your prayers. If you're praying for a stronger marriage but never making time for each other, or praying about money but avoiding your finances, your life is moving opposite your prayers.
Start with questions you already know the answer to. This tunes your ear. Try:
Am I your child? (Romans 8:16)
Do you love me? (John 15:9)
Will you open my heart to your Spirit? (Luke 11:13)
Can I hear your voice? (John 10:27)
Ask the question that changes everything: Jesus, what do you want me to pray? The Bible says, "if we ask anything according to his will he hears us" (1 John 5:14). So start by asking what his will is.
How does God speak?
The Bible describes God speaking in many ways:
Through creation: "The heavens declare the glory of God… day to day pours out speech" (Psalm 19:1–2)
Through the words of Scripture
Through impressions, dreams, and visions
Through leading, as when Paul was redirected away from some places and toward Macedonia (Acts 16:6–10)
Through other people
How do you know it's really God?
Willard often quoted the 19th-century pastor F. B. Meyer, who said God's "impressions within and his word without are always corroborated by his providence around."
In plain terms, test what you sense by asking three questions:
The word within: Do I have a sense God is saying something?
The word in the text: Does it agree with the Bible?
The work in the world: Do circumstances confirm it?
When all three line up, you can have real confidence. As Nate put it, this approach will also make you less weird.
What does it look like in practice?
One tool people have used for centuries is lectio divina, Latin for "divine reading." It's a slow way of reading the Bible that becomes a starting point for prayer. It has four movements:
Read the passage slowly.
Reflect. Read it again and notice any word, phrase, image, or thought that stands out.
Respond. Pray about what came up, and ask, What do you want to show me in this?
Rest. Sit quietly and ask, What else?
At New City, we practiced this with words Jesus spoke to ancient churches in Revelation 2–3. Each of those letters ends the same way: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Revelation 2:7).
Those passages are honest. To the church in Ephesus, Jesus says, "you have abandoned the love you had at first" (Revelation 2:4). But confrontation and invitation come together. To the church in Laodicea: "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline… Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:19–20).
Confession isn't telling God something he doesn't know. It's being honest with him about what he already sees.
Life Application
This week, try one round of lectio divina with Revelation 3:19–20. Read it slowly, notice what stands out, pray about it, and then sit quietly for a few minutes.
Questions for reflection:
When you pray, how much of that time is spent listening?
Is anything in your life working against what you're praying for?
Which of the "already know the answer" questions is hardest for you to believe?
What might change if you started your prayers with Jesus, what do you want me to pray?
Is there a door you've been keeping closed?
Adapted from a guided prayer service led by Nate Bush, Lead Pastor of New City Church, closing our series He Knows Us: Seven Intimate Letters from Jesus.
