Discovering Common Ways to Hear From God (Part 2)

You're now ready to discover the specific ways to hear from God that will transform your spiritual journey from uncertainty to confident connection with your heavenly Father, building on the foundation we established in "How to Hear God Clearly."

In this second part of our series, we'll explore the 12 most common communication channels God uses, ensuring you'll never again wonder if that gentle prompting, meaningful coincidence, or sudden insight was really Him speaking.

12 Ways to Hear From God Clearly: Keys to Divine Connection

Part 2 of 2 by Don Bell | ⏱️ 16 minute read

Job observed, "For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it" (Job 33:14). This ancient wisdom rings true today — God constantly communicates with His children, but we often miss His voice simply because we don't recognize how He speaks.

Whether through Scripture, circumstances, other people, or supernatural encounters, God desires an ongoing conversation with you. While there are many ways to hear from God, a practical understanding of these twelve will sharpen your spiritual hearing and deepen your relationship with Him.

Scripture: God's Primary Voice Through His Written Word

Scripture serves as both God's primary voice and the lens or filter through which we test all other communication. The written Word reveals God's character, promises, and will — He will never contradict what He's already revealed.

I was never good at memorization, yet the Holy Spirit regularly brings specific verses to mind at the exact moment I need them. This "rhema" word — a timely, Holy Spirit-highlighted message — transforms familiar passages into personal guidance.

---

• Recognition Pattern: When a verse suddenly "lights up" with specific meaning for your situation
• Common Misunderstanding: Thinking God only speaks through random Bible verses
• Growth Marker: Moving from needing dramatic confirmation to resting on biblical principles

Through Others: When God Speaks Through People

God often confirms His personal words through fellow believers and at times even strangers. These messages arrive through unexpected sources — casual conversations, emails, sermons, even constructive criticism that sharpens us — "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend" (Proverbs 27:17).

The key is to pay special attention when you receive the same message from multiple sources, particularly when it confirms what you're already sensing in your spirit. The apostle Paul recognized this principle: "This will be the third time I am coming to you. 'By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established'" (1 Corinthians 13:1).

---

• Recognition Pattern: Two or more people delivering similar messages, especially unprompted
• Common Misunderstanding: Accepting every human opinion as God's word
• Growth Marker: Discerning between human wisdom and divine messages through others

Circumstances: The Language of Open and Closed Doors

Circumstances is one of the common ways to hear from God. They speak loudest when they align with Scripture, confirm inner witness, and bring God's peace — "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

I've had doors slam shut only to discover God was protecting me from a path that looked good but wasn't His best. Conversely, impossible doors have swung open through divine intervention.

Be aware that unexpected obstacles might be tests of perseverance, not God closing a door: "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience" (James 1:2–3). Such moments often become opportunities for God to demonstrate His faithfulness and love.

---

• Recognition Pattern: Unusual timing or alignment of events that rise above coincidence
• Common Misunderstanding: Interpreting every difficulty as God saying "no"
• Growth Marker: Seeing both open and closed doors as divine guidance

Inner Knowing: Recognizing His Gentle Whisper

Have you ever had a quiet thought pop into your mind that you knew wasn't your own? This gentle, internal voice is maybe God's most common communication method. God's inner voice brings peace even when calling us to difficult obedience.

While relaxing at home, a thought came to call a friend I hadn't spoken with in months. I discovered he was going through a difficult situation and needed encouragement. This wasn't coincidence — it was God's gentle whisper directing my steps.

The key is learning to distinguish God's voice from our own thoughts through practice and deepening our relationship with Him: "'My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me'" (John 10:27).

---

• Recognition Pattern: Persistent, peaceful thoughts that align with God's character.
• Common Misunderstanding: Confusing anxiety-driven thoughts with God's voice.
• Growth Marker: Distinguishing between soul (emotions/mind) and the Holy Spirit's inspired thoughts.

Creation: God's Universal Language Through Nature

God speaks through His creation in ways that overshadow all language and cultural barriers. His eternal power and divine nature are recognized through what He has made, leaving humankind without an excuse.

When God wanted to illustrate His promise of offspring to Abraham, He didn't give a lengthy explanation — He simply led him outside and said, "Count the stars… so shall your descendants be" (Genesis 15:5).

God often uses creation to restore our perspective. Looking to the hills shifts our focus from human limitations to divine power (Psalm 121:1–2); a fresh snowfall reminds of our deliverance from the consequences of sin and disobedience (Isaiah 1:18).

---

• Recognition Pattern: God speaks to specific situations or promises though natural features He's created
• Common Misunderstanding: Idolizing creation rather than seeing it as God's voice
• Growth Marker: Moving from needing signs to simply enjoying God's presence in nature

Mental Images: When God Paints Pictures in Your Mind

Another of the most common ways to hear from God is through mental pictures or images that suddenly appear in our mind's eye. I've often experienced this while praying, when a clear picture forms that brings understanding or direction for a situation.

These images differ from visions in their simplicity and briefness — they're like divine snapshots instead of movies. They often accompany the revelation gifts: word of knowledge, word of wisdom, and discernment of spirits. God shows us an image, then provides its meaning to interpret the gift.

For instance, when praying for someone, God might show me a golden door slowly opening to reveal a brightly lit pathway. The word of knowledge that comes to mind reveals what God has in store — a new opportunity He's preparing. The image itself is simple, but its meaning brings great encouragement.

In this Old Testament example, Jeremiah 1:11–14, God dialogs with His prophet Jeremiah showing him two mental images with explanations:

• First: Jeremiah sees an almond tree branch. God confirms this picture, saying that He is ready to fulfill His word
• Second: Jeremiah sees a boiling pot facing away from the north. God explains this means calamity will come from the north upon all inhabitants of the land

These mental pictures can be:

• Symbolic: A broken chain representing freedom from bondage
• Literal: A specific place or person needing prayer
• Metaphorical: A garden representing someone's spiritual growth

Key Insight: God personalizes these images to the receiver. What speaks clearly to you might be meaningless to another, which is why you need His interpretation and not the interpretation of others.

---

• Recognition Pattern: Spontaneous pictures that appear in your mind's eye with spiritual significane
• Common Misunderstanding: Dismissing these images as mere imagination
• Growth Marker: Quickly recognizing and interpreting divine mental pictures

Dreams and Visions: Divine Revelation During Sleep and While Awake

Unlike mental images, visions and dreams tend to be more detailed and vivid, similar to watching a movie. They carry a spiritual significance that separates them from ordinary daydreams and dreams and often come when we're most quiet and receptive.

Dreams: God's Night Language

Inspired dreams are divine communications that occur in the subconscious during sleep, where God speaks through symbolic imagery and narratives that most often require spiritual interpretation. These dreams feel different — they linger in your memory with unusual clarity and carry a sense of importance.

Revelatory dreams often use symbols, like Joseph's dreams of sheaves bowing (Genesis 37:5–7). The dreamer remains passive, receiving revelation that becomes clear through prayer and at times a supernatural word of knowledge. God adapts the symbolic imagery specifically for each dreamer.

Important Note:

"Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.' So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace'" (Genesis 41:15–16 emphasis added). Joseph explained that he didn't have the interpretation, but God did, and he exercised the gift of a word of knowledge to give its interpretation to Pharaoh.

When God gives you a dream, He will provide its interpretation since it's meant for you. Avoid generic dream dictionaries and asking others for an interpretation; instead, ask Him directly for meaning.

Visions: Revelation While Awake

Visions come in two distinct forms:

1. Mind's Eye Visions: Detailed scenes that unfold in your imagination while you're fully conscious. It may consist of a detailed still image where you're drawn to its various parts or a movie-like scene with movement and sound.

When our church's mission team had arrived in Peru, I was led to pray and in my mind's eye received a vision of a golden key that transformed into Peru's flag colors — red and white bands with hints of green. The Holy Spirit gave its meaning: God had given them spiritual authority over Peru. I emailed this encouragement, knowing doors would open for them in the spiritual realm.

2. Open Visions: These less-common experiences involve seeing with your physical eyes open, either as an overlay on your surroundings (like a pilot's heads-up display) or as a complete replacement of your physical environment, as your mind and spirit are drawn deeply into the divine message.

Paul described such an experience: "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago — whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows — such a one was caught up to the third heaven" (2 Corinthians 12:2).

---

• Recognition Pattern: Vivid, detailed experiences that feel more real than ordinary daydreams or dreams
• Common Misunderstanding: Trying to interpret every imagining or dream as divine communication
• Growth Marker: Recognizing vision types and allowing God to accurately interpret symbolic language

Inspired Utterances: Words of Knowledge, Wisdom, and Prophecy

One of the most effective ways to hear from God is through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. For instance, the revelatory gifts of prophecy, word of knowledge, and word of wisdom allow us to receive God's specific message to us at specific times.

I've found myself sharing insights I hadn't planned, only to have someone say, "That's exactly what I needed to hear — how did you know?" I didn't know; God knew!

Those hearing God's message are encouraged, realizing the insights could only have come from God; they have their faith increased to accept and act on what God is saying.

The need for believers to exercise the nine gifts of the Spirit cannot be over emphasized. These aren't learned skills but supernatural abilities that operate through us as the Holy Spirit wills. Not only do we need to hear God's inspired messages as they're delivered to us, we need to deliver inspired messages to others for their benefit as God leads.

Paul stressed the importance: "For you can ALL prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged" (1 Corinthians 14:31, emphasis added).

---

• Recognition Pattern: Inspired words that exceed natural knowledge
• Common Misunderstanding: Confusing personal opinion with prophetic insight
• Growth Marker: Consistently exercising gifts of the Holy Spirit that edify and prove accurate

Spiritual Senses: Physical Sensations of Supernatural Realities

Just as we have five natural senses — touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste, we possess corresponding spiritual senses that help us discern God's supernatural Kingdom.

Have you ever felt God's presence so powerfully that it seemed almost tangible? Or experienced a profound peace that defied your circumstances? These moments awaken something deeper within us — our spiritual senses that perceive beyond what our natural senses and understanding can grasp.

Jesus often referenced spiritual senses: "'He who has ears to hear, let him hear!'" (Matthew 11:15). He wasn't addressing physical hearing or deafness but spiritual perception.

Jesus once said, "'Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me'" (Luke 8:46). I sometimes experience something similar when praying for others — God's anointing manifests as a surge of energy through my body or a tingling sensation in my hands, like a gentle electrical current.

Some believers have smelled sweet fragrances during worship (2 Corinthians 2:15), or felt atmospheric changes in their surroundings when the Holy Spirit descends. On one occasion, many of us experienced the sensation of raindrops falling during a service focused on the Latter Rain and Jesus' return (James 5:7–8), despite the fact we were in a conference hall and the drops weren't wet.

Learning to recognize and trust our spiritual senses takes practice, much like developing our natural senses. The Holy Spirit often uses these subtle promptings to guide us, warn us, comfort us, and encourage us in ways that words alone cannot express.

---

• Recognition Pattern: Physical sensations with spiritual significance
• Common Misunderstanding: Seeking experiences rather than seeking God
• Growth Marker: Operating in spiritual senses without depending on them

Signs and Wonders: God's Miraculous Confirmations

Throughout my Christian life, I've witnessed God speak through miraculous signs and supernatural confirmations that leave no doubt about His message. These aren't random miracles but precisely timed divine interventions that confirm His Word or direction.

When my wife and I flew to Russia to finalize our daughters' adoption, it was a huge step of faith, and God in His mercy gave us a last-minute sign that we were in His will.

Upon landing in St. Petersburg, we were handed an English copy of the St. Petersburgh Times newspaper featuring a full-page article about my 4th-great uncle, Sir James Wylie who had been physician to the Tsar's household. What are the odds? This wasn't coincidence but divine confirmation that we were in God's will, and it gave us unexpected favor with Russian officials.

Signs and wonders are simply part and parcel of the believer's walk. Jesus promised, "'And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues… they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover'" (Mark 16:17–18).

Scripture goes on to say, "So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen" (Mark 16:19–20).

Signs and wonders serve a specific purpose: they confirm God's Word when natural faith needs a supernatural boost. Jesus explained, "'Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe'" (John 4:48). They're not spiritual entertainment but divine communication tools.

---

• Recognition Pattern: Supernatural events with precise timing that directly relate to your prayers or decisions
• Common Misunderstanding: Demanding signs as proof rather than receiving them as grace
• Growth Marker: Receiving signs with gratitude while not depending on them

Angelic Encounters: When Heaven's Messengers Appear

Angels represent one of the more dramatic ways to hear from God, reserved for times of significant spiritual importance or urgent need. These supernatural encounters leave a lasting influence on those who experience them.

While I've sensed angelic presence often during prayer and worship, I've yet to dialog with an angel face to face though I know people who have.

My friend Wayne was awakened one night when an angel appeared standing beside his bed. "I wasn't afraid," he told me. "I knew it was an angel. He appeared as an older man with a very kind face. He communicated through my thoughts, saying, 'I serve the same Jesus whom you serve, and He asked me to check on you and make sure you're okay.'"

When Wayne questioned if the angel was still there after he had faded from view, he briefly reappeared, saying, "Yes, I'm still here, and I'll return from time to time, though you won't always see me."

This encounter illustrates key truths about angelic communication:

• Angels always point to Jesus, never themselves
• They appear in forms we can deal with, often as humans
• Their messages align with Scripture
• They come on God's assignments, not our summons

We must never pray to, attempt to command, or worship angels. They are fellow servants of God, not mediators between us and Him. Scripture teaches, "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14).

Paul's advice remains crucial: "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels" (Hebrews 13:2). Some angelic encounters are obvious; others are discovered only in hindsight.

---

• Recognition Pattern: Supernatural presence often accompanied by peace, awe, or specific messages
• Common Misunderstanding: Seeking angels rather than seeking God who sends them
• Growth Marker: Receiving angelic ministry without elevating it above God's other communication methods

God's Audible Voice: The Rarest Divine Communication

Besides the common ways to hear from God, there can be rare occasions when God speaks in an audible voice heard with our physical ears. Such experiences are very rare and manifest at critical moments in someone's life, when God needs undivided attention. The voice is clear, authoritative, and unmistakable.

Saul of Tarsus experienced this dramatic communication: "As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' And he said, 'Who are You, Lord?' Then the Lord said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting'" (Acts 9:3–5).

My own encounter came at age seven. I was having fun trying to get a toy kite airborne in our backyard. However, I'd forgotten about the overhead power lines, and it had gotten itself caught on a wire. I foolishly decided to climb the garden fence with a steel rod to free it. Balancing on the fence rail, I raised the rod and positioned it to strike the wire. Suddenly, I heard a loud shout: "Donnie, stop!"

Startled, I fell backward off the fence. Looking up at the wire, I began to shake, realizing how close I'd come to being electrocuted. I also realized I was completely alone — God had shouted the warning that saved my life!

This experience taught me several truths about God's audible voice:

• It comes at moments of extreme need or danger
• It carries unmistakable divine authority
• It often serves protective purposes
• It leaves a lasting impact on the hearer
• It's God initiated, not sought

The audible voice represents God's most dramatic communication method, reserved for pivotal moments requiring absolute clarity. This rare form of contact demonstrates God's intimate involvement in our lives.

---

• Recognition Pattern: External voice heard with physical ears, unmistakably divine in authority
• Common Misunderstanding: Feeling "less spiritual" for never hearing an audible voice
• Growth Marker: Understanding that God's communication method doesn't indicate spiritual status

Your Personal Communication Profile

God tailors His communication to your:

• Personality: Thinkers might receive more scriptural insights; feelers more inner impressions and physical sensations
• Maturity: New believers often need more dramatic confirmations; mature believers experience more inner knowing
• Circumstance: Crisis may bring extraordinary communication; daily life brings gentle guidance
• Calling: Your life purpose affects how God primarily speaks to you

Keep Your Spiritual Ears Open

Through exploring these ways to hear from God, you've discovered that God's not silent but speaking constantly through channels both ordinary and extraordinary.

From His written Word to angelic encounters, from gentle inner promptings to miraculous signs, God adapts His communication to meet you exactly where you are.

The key is developing your spiritual sensitivity to recognize His voice in all its forms. As your awareness of these ways to hear from God grows, you'll find your confidence growing in distinguishing His voice from all others.

This concludes our 2-Part series on divine communication. Your journey of hearing from God has begun — continue exploring this website for more insights on deepening your spiritual connection and walking in divine guidance.

The God who spoke the universe into existence is speaking to you today!

---

About the Author

Don Bell is the creator of the Kingdom Anointing website, and a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ. He shares insights from his spiritual journey to encourage ordinary believers to seek God's Kingdom and lead extraordinary lives in the Holy Spirit.

---

Like This Page? Please Share It

Hi, I'm Don, and my prayer is Kingdom Anointing™ will help you build faith, walk confidently in the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, and realize your full potential in the Kingdom of God.