Has it ever seemed like God doesn’t speak to you like he does with other people? Do you long to hear his voice more clearly, more often?

Me too! The good news is, as Job 33:14 says, “God does speak—now one way, now another— though no one perceives it.”

Perception is the issue, not communication. God is communicating with us continually. We just need ears to hear, and eyes to see. And yes, God speaks to non-Christians, too. Jesus said his sheep listen to his voice, not that no one else hears it (John 10:27). Trust me, the world would be in far worse shape if God wasn’t communicating with people of all stripes and sizes, in various ways, all the time.

Once, a boy named Samuel heard God speaking to him but he didn’t know it (I Samuel 3). God called him by name, multiple times—audibly, in fact—and the kid still didn’t clue in until an older believer helped him connect the dots. I’d love to connect some dots for you in this post. A bunch of dots, actually!

So without further ado, here are…

 Twenty-one ways you’re already hearing God speak

1. Your salvation: If you’re a christian, it’s because he called you and you answered
2. Through scripture: When you read a passage and think, Wow, that’s for me!
3. Through people: When someone shares something and you reply, “I needed to hear that.”
4. Worship / music: When you sense God’s presence, are filled with his peace, or things become clear in your life
5. Conviction of sin: When you realize you’ve done something wrong, or haven’t done something right
6. Dreams: When your dreams seem symbolic and grip you—giving you insight, direction, or urgency for something
7. Visions: Pictures in your mind that help clarify truth for you
8. God’s provision: When God provides what you need, when you need it
9. Answered prayer: is God saying yes to your request
10. Burdens: Feeling a deep need to pray or do something specific to meet a need
11. Consequences: When your actions result in pain or trouble and you learn from it
12. Peace and joy: These are often signals that you’re on the right track
13. Imagery and art: When you’re moved by artistic expression
14. Nature: Sensing God’s presence, grandeur, and wisdom
15. Prompting: When you sense a nudge to do or say something
16. Hunches: When you gain a kind of foresight about what’s going to happen (positive or negative)
17. Light bulbs: Great ideas that ‘come to you’ for solving problems
18. Hindsight: When you gain clear insight about what already happened
19. Insight: When you understand something that’s’ happening now, or into how something works
20. What ifs: Dreaming with hope and faith about what could happen as a way of creating your future
21. Confirmation: When God says the same thing in several ways, like underlining or highlighting something you’ve already seen

How many of these can you relate to, even just once? Comment below, I’d love to hear from you!