God Sounds Like You: Why His Voice Isn't What We Expected

God Sounds Like You: Why His Voice Isn't What We Expected 

"I just don't hear God like other people do." 

I can't tell you how many times I've heard this heartbroken confession from sincere believers. They've read all the books, attended the conferences, tried every method imaginable—and still feel like they're missing out on some special spiritual frequency that others seem to tune into effortlessly. 

What if I told you that you've been hearing God all along, but you've been looking for the wrong thing? 

What if I told you that when God speaks to you internally, He sounds exactly like you? 

The Game-Changing Truth 

"What do you mean God sounds like me?" This was my exact question when I first heard this concept. It seemed too simple, too ordinary. Shouldn't God sound more... God-like? 

But then I looked at Scripture with fresh eyes and everything changed. 

When Paul wrote the book of Ephesians, it sounds like Paul—his personality, his passion, his way of expressing himself. When John wrote his gospel, it sounds like John—very different from Paul's style. Matthew sounds like Matthew. Luke sounds like Luke. 

When God spoke through people for His written Word, it sounded like them. It wasn't God giving them dictation in His own unique voice. God was speaking through individuals using their personality, their experience, their unique way of communicating. 

And He's going to do the same with you. 

Why This Changes Everything 

This understanding was a complete game-changer for me. Some of those thoughts I was having weren't my own! It helped me stop and begin to partner with Him, asking, "Oh, is that You, Lord?" 

Before I understood this, I was unintentionally ignoring God because I didn't know that He would often sound like me or feel like my own thoughts. If something just popped into my mind that I wasn't already thinking about, or if I suddenly found myself drawn to something, instead of dismissing it and moving on, I started paying attention. 

"Is that You, Lord?" became one of my most frequent prayers. 

The Beautiful Intimacy 

Think about this: God doesn't have to lean down and speak in your ear anymore. He lives on the inside of you. He's closer than your skin. This is the miracle of life after the resurrection—Holy Spirit dwelling within us. 

He doesn't even have to lean in to hear you like Psalm 139 describes. He's with you all the time. He can actually hear your thoughts and the intents of your heart. He knows before you know sometimes. 

And I love the fact that He limits Himself to have genuine relationship with us because He loves us that much. He's that good, and He's that big that He can have an individual relationship with every single one of us as if we're the only one. 

Learning to Recognize His Voice 

So how do you learn to tell the difference? Random thoughts that aren't on your current mental track—pay attention to those. Thoughts that draw you toward kindness or goodness (the devil's not going to tempt you to spontaneously do something kind). Wisdom that seems beyond your current understanding. 

God's going to communicate to you in a way you can understand and personally relate to. He's not going to talk to me about ox carts and chariots because those don't mean anything to me. But if He talks to me about cars or airplanes, that makes sense for my world. 

Don't Miss the Whisper 

Because God's internal voice can sound like a random thought, it can be easily missed—especially if we're anxious or distracted. In our noisy, hurried world, we can completely miss His gentle communication. We're so busy looking for the dramatic that we miss the intimate. 

The Invitation 

If you've been frustrated because you feel like you don't hear God like others do, maybe it's time to stop looking for the extraordinary and start paying attention to the ordinary ways He's been communicating with you all along. 

Start asking, "Is that You, Lord?" when thoughts pop up that encourage you toward love, kindness, and wisdom. Start a conversation. Thank Him for speaking. 

You don't need to develop some special spiritual sensitivity that you're currently lacking. You just need to realize that the God of the universe has been speaking to you in the most intimate way possible—through thoughts that sound like your own, delivered in love directly to your heart. 

There's so much more to explore about recognizing God's voice—I actually teach about this in my course "Honoring God's Voice"—but honestly, just starting to ask "Is that You, Lord?" when random thoughts of kindness or wisdom pop into your mind will begin to transform your relationship with Him. 

Blessings, 
Susan Dewbrew