Do you want to hear from God? Here’s how

Do you really want to hear from God?

I don’t mean the kind of answer that sounds polite and religious like, “If it be Thy will, Lord…” or “I’d like to, someday.” I’m asking: do you really want to hear from God? Do you want Him to speak into your life clearly?

I discovered something life-changing — and it didn’t come from a sermon or a book. It came from a simple realization rooted in Scripture and personal experience. There’s only one missing ingredient that blocks the floodgates of Heaven’s voice.

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That missing ingredient? A surrendered will.

The willing heart is the listening ear

The problem isn’t God’s silence. The problem is our selective hearing. We say we want His will — but often, we only want it if it aligns with our plans, comforts, or dreams. We want 50% His way and 50% ours. Or maybe we’re 99% surrendered, but we secretly hold on to just 1%. That last 1% can be deadly to discernment.

I know it was for me.

For years, I wanted God’s guidance. But I subconsciously feared that if I gave Him full permission, He’d send me somewhere I didn’t want to go — or ask me to do something costly. What if He wanted me to marry someone I wasn’t attracted to? What if He asked me to give up wealth, status, or comfort? What if He led me to suffer for the Gospel?

But when I finally said with trembling sincerity, “Lord, whatever You say, that is my will,” something happened. The faucet turned on. I began hearing from God — not with vague impressions or cryptic dreams, but in clarity and power. It was as if God had been speaking all along, but my will was the static on the line.

God isn’t playing hide and seek

Jesus said, “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching…” (John 7:17, NASB 1977). That’s not poetic metaphor — it’s a divine guarantee. Willingness to obey opens the door to divine revelation. God doesn’t whisper to tease us. He speaks to lead us — but He speaks far more clearly when He knows we’re truly listening.

God isn’t like us. He doesn’t waste words on negotiations. He speaks to those who intend to obey.

King David understood this. He wrote, “I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8, NASB 1977). His delight in God’s will wasn’t conditional.
That’s why David, flawed as he was, was a man after God’s own heart. He craved divine direction, not just divine comfort.

A fire hose, not a drip

When I surrendered completely, what I received was precise, continuous guidance, like a fire hose aimed at my soul. And it didn’t feel mystical — it felt normal, almost matter-of-fact. That’s when I realized: God talks like this all the time. It’s just that most of us aren’t really listening. We want inspiration without submission. Revelation without obedience.

But God doesn’t work that way.

In Romans 12:2, Paul exhorts us: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (NASB 1977)

Notice the sequence: Transformation comes first. Only then are we able to “prove” (or discern) God’s will. We must offer up our will before He reveals His.

The challenge: No more deals with God

So, here’s the challenge. If you’re tired of guesswork in your spiritual walk — if you’re desperate to hear from God — don’t offer Him a conditional contract. Don’t say, “Tell me first, and then I’ll decide.” He’s not a consultant; He’s the King.

Instead, say, “Yes, Lord — whatever You want, even before I know what it is.”

You can even ask Him to help you mean it. He’s merciful. He knows our fears. But He’s waiting for a willing heart, not a perfect one. Once you cross that line of full surrender, you may be surprised by what you hear. Or rather, by how often you start hearing.

Because God is not reluctant to speak.

He’s simply waiting for someone who’s truly ready to listen.