Can You Hear Me Now? Learning to Listen for God's Voice

In many ways, learning to listen for God’s voice is like trying to get a good phone signal. Again and again, God reaches out to us asking patiently, “Can you hear me now?”

Our response might be a robust “Yes, Lord! Your servant is listening.” Or there may be no response at all because we’ve become deaf to His voice.

But no matter our response, God doesn’t give up. He continues asking us, “Can you hear me now?”   

Learning to hear and recognize God’s voice may seem impossible when we’ve forgotten how. But it’s never too late to learn (or relearn) what God’s voice sounds like. 

Tune into the Source and Summit 

One way to improve your ability to hear God’s voice is by going to the Source: God’s Word in Scripture. By spending time reading His Word and praying with it, you’ll grow in your ability to recognize His voice. If it’s been a while since you’ve read Scripture, start by reading the Daily Gospel Readings to remind yourself what His voice sounds like. You can even reflect on the meaning of the Gospel with the help of our Catholic Mom Daily Gospel Reflections to help guide your thoughts in prayer. The more you read the Gospels, the easier it will be for you to recognize God’s voice in and around you as you go about your day.  

Another way to grow in your ability to listen to God’s voice is by spending time praying before the Blessed Sacrament, the Source and Summit of our faith. Time praying in front of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist will help you enter the silence of your heart where Jesus wants to encounter you. Gradually, you’ll find that your ability to hear Him will improve when you prioritize silent time in His Presence.  

Bad Reception? 

Sometimes our ability to hear, recognize, and understand God’s voice is impaired by bad reception. It’s almost as if something is blocking the signal God is sending us and preventing us from hearing and understanding His Word. Two of the biggest causes of bad reception are our sins and the hurt we have that was caused by other people’s sin.  

Be Forgiven and Forgive 

To improve your “reception” of God’s voice, be forgiven and forgive others. Go to confession and ask God to forgive you for the times you’ve walked away from Him and His love and mercy. By receiving forgiveness, God’s light is able to penetrate our minds and hearts to help us hear and respond to His voice.  

Then, consider who has hurt you. Have you forgiven them? Can you forgive them? If so, make an active choice to forgive them and release the pain they’ve caused you. If you’re struggling to forgive and let go of the pain the other person has caused you, ask God to help you forgive. He can heal your wound if you invite Him in. He’s just waiting for the invitation.  

You CAN Hear Him Now! 

By making an effort to remove the obstacles of sin and the hurt that sin causes, we can remove any blockages that keep us from receiving God’s voice. And, by learning the sound of His voice through Scripture and silent prayer in Eucharistic Adoration, we can become more attuned to hear and recognize His voice in our prayer and in our daily lives. Through forgiveness and prayer, we’ll be able to answer with a joyous “YES!” when God asks us, “Can you hear me now?”