Childhood #5 – Learning to Listen to God
Do you remember learning to listen as a child?
Most of us don’t.
And yet, it is one of the most important skills we ever develop. Listening is not automatic. It is not the same as hearing.
Hearing is physical.
Listening is intentional.
It requires focus. It requires thought. It requires engagement. True listening asks the question: What is really being said here?
So, what does it mean to listen to God?
Learning to hear God’s voice is one of the most important aspects of spiritual childhood. And yet, for many young believers, it feels uncertain and unfamiliar.
How do I know it is God speaking?
What does His voice sound like?
What about my own thoughts, biases, and desires?
Can I really hear Him clearly?
These are real and important questions.
The apostle Paul the Apostle warns in 2 Timothy 4:3 that there will be times when people gather voices around them that “tickle their ears” — voices that simply affirm what they want to hear.
But learning to listen to God requires something deeper.
It requires discernment.
Years ago, a friend who worked as a bank manager shared a powerful insight. She explained that when training people to detect counterfeit banknotes, they are not taught to study the fakes. There are too many variations — it would only create confusion.
Instead, they study the genuine notes.
They become so familiar with the real thing that when a counterfeit passes through their hands, they immediately recognise that something is not right. The difference is felt.
The same principle applies to listening to God. If we want to recognise His voice, we must become familiar with Him. And the primary way we do this is through His Word.
The Bible reveals the character, the ways, and the voice of God. As we read it — across its breadth and depth, in both its simplicity and its magnificence — we begin to recognise how God speaks, what concerns Him, what is on His heart.
When we do not understand, we ask.
We seek guidance from trusted leaders — pastors, mature believers, those who have walked further in their faith. We read wisely. (Remember not everything online is helpful or true.) We resist the temptation to only listen to what we want to hear, and instead remain open to what God is actually saying.
And here is something deeply reassuring:
God is far more committed to speaking to us than we are to listening. He is for us, not against us. When we genuinely seek Him, when we ask Him to speak, and when we are willing to respond in obedience, we can trust that He will speak to us.
Jesus says in Gospel of John 10:27, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.”
Notice the connection. They listen. And they follow.
Listening to God is not just about recognition. It is about response. The prophet Jeremiah echoes this truth in Jeremiah 29:13 — that when we seek God with all our heart, we will find Him – when we are wholehearted.
Spiritual childhood is where we begin to develop this sensitivity — learning to recognise the voice of the Father, and learning to respond to it with trust and obedience.
Reflection Questions
Do I take time to intentionally listen to God, or do I simply expect to hear Him without focus?
How familiar am I with God’s Word, and how does it shape my ability to discern His voice?
Are there voices in my life that “tickle my ears” rather than challenge me with truth?
When I sense God speaking, am I willing to respond in obedience?
Closing Prayer
Father,
Thank You that You are a God who speaks.
Thank You that You desire relationship and communication with Your children.
Teach me to listen.
Quiet my distractions.
Help me to recognise Your voice through Your Word and Your Spirit.
Give me discernment to know what is from You, and courage to respond in obedience when You speak.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Call to Action
This week, set aside intentional time to listen to God.
Read a portion of Scripture slowly.
Pause. Reflect. Ask: What is God saying to me here?
Write down what you sense, and test it against Scripture.
As you disciple someone, ask them: “How do you recognise when God is speaking to you?”
Listening grows with practice, and spiritual childhood matures as we learn not only to hear the Father — but to follow Him.
This blog was written by Richard Botta.
