Why You Aren’t Hearing God's Voice; and How to Start Again

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

There was a time I prayed with all my heart but couldn’t seem to hear God. I waited, fasted, listened and yet all I felt was silence. I began to wonder if something was wrong with me, or if God had gone quiet.

But the truth is, God doesn’t stop speaking. Sometimes, our hearts just become too crowded to notice His voice.

He still speaks through His Word, His peace, and His Spirit but life gets noisy. Our minds fill up, our emotions overflow, and our spirit becomes too restless to receive what He’s been saying all along.

Here are a few quiet blockers that often stand between us and His voice, and how to open the line again.

1. Sin and Misalignment

Sin doesn’t make God love us less, but it makes us less sensitive to His presence. It clouds our discernment and dulls our awareness of Him.

Isaiah 59:2 says, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you.”

When I realized that disobedience makes hearing harder, I stopped asking “Why can’t I hear God?” and started asking “Where did I stop obeying?”

Repentance isn’t about shame; it’s more about returning home. When your heart turns back, His voice becomes clear again.

2. Busyness and Noise

In a time that glorifies constant motion, I mean scrolling, planning, and rushing from one task to another, it’s pretty easy to confuse activity with connection. But God’s voice rarely shouts; it whispers most of the time, more like a gentle nudge.

Elijah didn’t find Him in the fire, earthquake, or ways that seemed loud, but in a still small voice (1 Kings 19:12).

If your days have no silence, your soul will have no space. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is stop, sit in the quiet, and let your spirit breathe again.

3. Emotional Overload

When fear, anxiety, or bitterness take over, they drown out the peace that helps you recognize God’s presence.

I’ve learned that I hear Him most clearly when I’m still inside, when I zero in and I’m not striving for answers, just resting in trust.

Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

His peace often comes before His words. When you feel that peace return, know that His presence has already arrived.

4. Neglecting His Word

Sometimes we want a new word, but we haven’t sat with the written one.

The more we read Scripture, the more familiar His tone becomes in our spirit. His Word is the tuning fork for every other way He speaks.

Make Room

If you’ve been struggling to hear God, don’t assume He’s far. He’s closer than your thoughts and even nearer than your next breath.

Make room for stillness, put the noise away, and open His Word again.

You’ll find that He never stopped speaking, He’s just been waiting for your heart to pay attention or quiet down enough to listen.

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