August Bible Reading Plan
Welcome August!
I am happy to celebrate a new month. This month, we are focusing on Hearing God’s Voice. God is always speaking, the question is, are you listening. If you are facing challenges in really hearing God’s voice, then you are right where you need to be.
Sometimes you can walk through seasons of life where you do not hear God’s voice as clearly as you did in the last season. Then, you start to wonder, “Where are you God? Why aren’t you speaking to me? In fact, he is constantly speaking to us.
If you are facing decisions in your life—big or small—and you need to hear from God, you may be wondering how to be sure it is really His voice you are hearing.
I know many struggle with knowing how to hear and recognize God’s voice for themselves. That is why I am sharing with you these seven keys for hearing the voice of God. My prayer is these keys will help you become more confident in your ability to hear the Lord’s voice and encourage you as you grow in your relationship with Him.
God speaks to us through the Bible, and it is the Holy Spirit that illuminates His Word, speaking to us so that we can better understand it and how it relates to our lives.
If we are wondering whether the voice, we are hearing is the voice of God, there is an easy test. God will not contradict himself. We can measure everything against his Word in the Bible.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” 2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)
Seven Ways to Hearing God’s Voice
How do you know you are hearing God’s voice? When you commit to being available for the Master’s use, hearing God’s voice empowers you to surrender your own carnal desires and plans and align yourself with God’s vision for your life.
God is speaking to you all the time. A.W. Tozer said, “It’s the nature of God to speak.” He wants to have fellowship with you, and He wants you to hear Him—all the time. That means you can learn to know exactly what the Spirit of God is saying to you about every situation. You do not have to go through life blindly making decisions or relying on your own abilities. Here are seven ways to know if you are hearing God’s voice:
1. Expect To Hear from God
“And you will seek for Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” –Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)
An important truth to always remember: God is always speaking to you—He does. In fact, He is speaking to you right now. He is always speaking to you, but He speaks in “a still small or an inward witness.” (1 Kings 19:12, NKJV).
What is an inward witness?
God does not communicate with us the way we communicate with one another. He communicates from His Spirit to your spirit, and then your spirit communicates what you hear to your mind.
That’s why the more time you spend with The LORD and the more you practice tuning in to His voice, the more it will become a voice that “thunders in marvelous ways” (Job 37:5, NIV).
2. Prayer
Prayer is simply a conversation between you and God. God often speaks to us through prayer and quiet time. The issue is, sometimes our prayer tends to be one sided. We tell God everything, but we do not leave room for him to speak back to us. I am guilty about this, to be honest. But it is so important to take a few moments to simply sit in God’s presence and hear what he is speaking from his heart to ours. Prayer is not just for us to pour out to God; it is also for us to receive from him.
3. Be Obedient with Small Things
“They know his voice” –John 10:4 (NKJV)
Obedience in the simple things is very important to God—it reveals the willingness of your heart. So, if you’re waiting for God to send you out to part the Red Sea, you may be missing what He’s saying to you right now—which might be to clean out your closet or stop watching certain television shows or spend more time with your children.
He will talk to you about the small things in your life that you need to change—adjustments you need to make. He will begin to deal with you where you are, which most often involves helping you walk in God’s best by getting rid of things that are holding you back. To reach a level of intimacy with God where we hear His voice and are launched into new places in the spirit, obedience must become a non-negotiable in our lives.
4. Learn to Discern His Voice
“My sheep hear my voice.” –John 10:27 (KJV)
When a loved one calls you, you recognize their voice because you have spent so much time with them. The same is true when it comes to our relationship with God. If you want to get to a place where you do not have to wonder whose voice you are hearing—yours, the devil’s, or God’s—you need to spend time with the LORD.
The more time you spend with Him, the more certain you will become about hearing God’s voice. It is not just time to talk to Him. We learn His voice when we listen to His voice. That’s why in Matthew 17:5 (NASB) He said, “This is My beloved Son…listen to Him!”
Hearing God’s voice is about developing a deep and personal relationship with Him, learning to recognize His unique way of communicating, and then responding in obedience.
5. Align Up with His Word—the Bible
“All Scripture is inspired by God.” –2 Timothy 3:16 (NASB)
God’s Word is His voice in written form. It is not the only way He speaks—but it is always the standard. The more time I spend in the Word, the more I begin to recognize His voice in other places too. The Scriptures become the vocabulary of heaven, the language my heart learns so I can hear Him more clearly.
And when the Holy Spirit brings a verse to mind at just the right moment, I know—that is Him. If you want to hear God more clearly, get to know the way He speaks. And the best way to do that is by spending time in His Word.
God will never tell you to do or say anything contrary to His Word. If you have a thought and you do not know if it is God or not—you can look it up in the Bible and settle it right away.
God always agrees with His written Word, and His Word always agrees with Him. In fact, Psalm 138:2 (NKJV) says He has magnified His Word even above His Name. That means God has put His Name on His written Word the way we would put our name at the bottom of a contract. He has given us His Word as a covenant and signed it in the Name of Jesus, by the blood of Jesus.
Since God cannot lie, there is no way He will ever do or say anything contrary to that Word; He has absolutely joined Himself to it forever.
When you expect to hear God’s voice, purpose to be obedient in the small things He tells you to do, learn to discern His voice, and line up what you are hearing with His Word – hearing God’s voice won’t be an occasional event, but a lifestyle.
And when someone asks you: “what is the Spirit of God telling you today?” you will not hesitate for a moment. You will know exactly what to say.
6. Listen to His Voice
This one sounds like a repeat, but it is more than just “hearing”—it is about tuning in. Listening is a spiritual attentiveness that says, “Lord, I’m listening—whenever You want to speak.”
Some days that might look like silence in the car instead of filling the space with noise. Other days, it is walking around your home whispering, “Speak, Lord. Your daughter is listening.”
It is not always about long, quiet mornings (though those are wonderful, too). Sometimes it is in the laundry, in the chaos, in the in-between moments of motherhood that we hear Him whisper to our heart—and we know He is there.
7. Getting Silent Before God
Yes, God speaks through silence. I have heard God’s voice the loudest as I sat with him in silence. As I emptied myself of all the noise around me, I felt his presence more than ever before. Sometimes we look for God in the loud and powerful, but God wants to pull us away from all of that and speak to us in the silence. It is easy to miss God in the hype when crowds of people surround you, but it is much more difficult to miss him in the silence when it is just you and him.
A.B. Tozer said, “Could there be anything more important than sitting before God in silence every day?”
Zechariah 2:13 “Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!” — When we cease our activity, it ignites divine activity.
Habakkuk 2:20 “The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” The Lord silences, quiets, and stills everything when He is present.
Zephaniah 1:7 “Be silent in the presence of the Lord God; For the day of the Lord is at hand.” Silence prepares our heart for the day of His return. It is a foretaste of His coming. On that day, He will have all our attention. But we can give Him our attention now.
Download Your Free Monthly Bible Reading Plan
Click the link below to download the reading plan. Each month has a different theme to help you study different topics in the Bible.
As you dive deeper in scripture, meditate on the incredible opportunity you have to talk things over with God. Ask him to provide the directions you need. Pay attention to the leading of the Holy Spirit as he whispers to your heart as you listen for God’s voice and allow his word—as revealed in the pages of Scripture—to shape your perspective and show you what to do next.
When we tune our hearts to listen—above the noise of fear, doubt, or distraction—we often discover that God has been speaking all along, inviting us to draw closer. Whether through whispers in prayer, wisdom from His Word, or confirmations in our spirit, His voice is life-giving. May we keep our ears open, our hearts tender, and our steps obedient to the One who speaks peace.
Reflection Questions
- When have I sensed God’s voice most clearly, and what circumstances seemed to heighten my spiritual awareness?
Reflect on moments of clarity—stillness, worship, Scripture, nature, or even hardship. - What internal or external noise often drowns out God’s voice in my life, and how can I create space for silence and listening?
Consider distractions, fears, or constant busyness that compete with God’s whisper. - How do I discern between my own thoughts, emotions, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit?
Explore patterns, confirmations through Scripture, peace, or wise counsel. - In what ways has obedience to God’s voice led to growth, transformation, or deeper intimacy with Him?
Recall times you followed His prompting and the spiritual fruit that came from it. - Is there a current situation where God might be speaking, and what steps of faith or surrender is He inviting me to take?
Invite the Lord to speak into today’s decisions, challenges, or relationships.
Download your reading plan here! Along with the study scriptures, devotional, notes & and blank worksheets (shown below)
Prayer of Hearing God’s Voice
Father, in the Name of Jesus, I thank You that You desire to speak to me every day—guiding me in spirit and in truth to obey Your Word and enjoy an abundant life. I thank You that You have called me Your friend and that I may come boldly to the throne of grace to find help whenever I have a need in my life. Lord, Your Word says that when we draw near to You, you will draw near to us. So, I draw near to You today. I seek Your face, Your truth, and Your word for my life. I want to know You more, hear You more and obey You more. Your Word says Your sheep know Your voice and we will not follow the voice of a stranger. Help me to know Your voice and not be deceived by any other voice. Help me to guard my heart from the influences of this world and the people around me. Help me not to be deceived by the devil and his lies, but to view all thoughts and decisions through the lens of righteousness. As I seek to hear You today for instruction, correction, and guidance, help me to confirm Your voice through Your Word. You said if I ask for wisdom, You will give it to me liberally, so I am asking for wisdom in the Name of Jesus to hear You clearly and consistently today and every day. Help me to feel confident in knowing that I hear Your voice. I praise You and thank You for it, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.