God still speaks.

Sometimes it’s through His Word. Sometimes through prayer. Sometimes through the quiet prompting of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes through a godly friend, wise counsel, a sermon, or a simple text that arrives at just the right moment. Sometimes He redirects us through circumstances, opening one door and closing another. And yes, there are seasons when God uses difficult and painful circumstances to get our attention. Throughout Scripture, He used wildernesses, storms, waiting, and even suffering to draw His people back to Him. Not because He delights in our pain, but because He delights in our hearts. He cares more about our holiness than our comfort.

The problem in 2026 isn’t that God has stopped speaking.

The problem is that we’ve become so accustomed to noise that we’ve forgotten how to listen.

I was recently fitted with hearing aids, and they’ve made me notice something I hadn’t thought much about before. There are sounds I’ve been missing for years—the rustling of leaves, birds singing, even little everyday noises I didn’t realize had faded into the background. Those sounds were always there.

I just wasn’t hearing them.

That has caused me to ask a deeper question:

I wonder if God has been speaking, and I’ve simply not been listening.

Spiritually, I wonder how often that’s true of us.

We fill every quiet moment with something. Worship music. Podcasts. Audiobooks. News. Social media. Endless scrolling. Even good Christian content can keep us constantly consuming instead of quietly communing with God.

I’ve actually grown to love my commute because of this. Many mornings I drive in complete silence. No radio. No podcast. No playlist. Just me and the Lord. Those quiet miles have become some of the sweetest conversations of my day. Sometimes I pray. Sometimes I worship. Sometimes I simply sit quietly before Him. I don’t always leave with some dramatic revelation, but I’ve learned that His presence isn’t something I have to manufacture; it’s something I have to make room for.

God promises,

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” (Psalm 32:8)

Jesus promised,

“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth… and He will declare to you the things that are to come.” (John 16:13)

Think about that.

The Holy Spirit knows every fact when I only know part of the story. He knows truth from error. He knows what only appears good and what truly is God’s best. He knows the Father’s will for my life. He knows the consequences of every decision because He already sees what lies ahead while I can only see what’s directly in front of me.

Why would I want any other voice leading my life more than His?

But here’s the question that has convicted me:

How can God guide me if I’m constantly distracted?

His guidance is of little value to me if I’m unwilling to listen.

No one else can listen for me.

Someone can give me wise counsel. A pastor can faithfully preach God’s Word. A friend can encourage me. God often uses people in our lives, and I’m grateful He does. But no one else can cultivate my relationship with God for me. No one else can spend time in His Word for me. No one else can quiet my heart and listen to the Holy Spirit on my behalf.

Throughout Scripture, God spoke to people who were willing to listen. He spoke to Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, the prophets, the apostles, and Paul. Today, every believer has something they did not—we have the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, living within us.

Jesus repeatedly emphasized the importance of listening.

“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear… Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and more will be added to you.” (Mark 4:23–24)

And again,

“Listen to Me, all of you, and understand.” (Mark 7:14)

Jesus wasn’t simply telling people to hear sounds. He was calling them to listen with hearts that were ready to receive, believe, and obey.

Whatever has our attention eventually shapes our direction.

If we’re constantly tuned in to the voices of the world, we’ll slowly begin to think like the world. But if we’re intentionally listening to God’s Word and yielding to the Holy Spirit, He will guide us into truth, help us discern truth from error, and faithfully lead us in the way we should go.

That also changes the way I think about prayer.

How much of my prayer time is spent talking…

…and how much is spent listening?

Sometimes I rush into God’s presence with a list of requests and then hurry away. But relationships aren’t built on one person doing all the talking.

What if I lingered?

What if I opened His Word, prayed, and then simply sat quietly before Him, asking, “Lord, what do You want to teach me today? Holy Spirit, guide me into all truth.”

When Elijah stood on the mountain, the Lord was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. After all the noise came a gentle whisper, and Elijah recognized the voice of God (1 Kings 19:11–13).

Maybe that’s our problem.

We’ve become so surrounded by noise that we’ve stopped making room for the whisper.

God isn’t competing with our noise.

He’s inviting us to quiet our hearts.

Maybe your act of worship this week isn’t adding another sermon, another podcast, or another worship playlist.

Maybe it’s one silent commute.

One shower without music.

One walk without headphones.

One morning with an open Bible, an open heart, and a simple prayer:

“Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening. Holy Spirit, guide me into all truth.”

Listening Check

What do you need to turn off this week so you can finally hear the One who has promised:

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.”

Because the Shepherd is still speaking.

The question isn’t whether He has a voice.

The question is whether we’ve made room to hear it.