A guest on The Jesus People podcast has a direct word for anyone who says it often.

Be careful with “God told me”

The guest points out a pattern. Some people say God tells them things all the time, yet their lives stay in turmoil. They leave a church the minute someone looks at them wrong and call it obedience.

The guest’s point isn’t that God never speaks. It’s that we need to be careful about attaching His name to our impressions.

Test every word

According to the guest, every prophetic word should be submitted to wise counsel. Scripture talks about matters being established by two or three witnesses (2 Corinthians 13:1). Above all, a word should be tested against the Bible.

Peter calls Scripture “a more sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV). Any impression that contradicts it isn’t from God.

The Word is how He speaks

The guest goes back to John 1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word became flesh in Jesus. God’s Word is not a lesser way of hearing Him. It’s the clearest way.

So instead of chasing prophecies, the guest says, read the Bible. God has already given you a long love letter. If you haven’t finished it, that is the place to start.

How it sounds in real life

The guest shares how this works for them. They’re thinking about something, worried about something, and while reading the Bible a verse comes alive. “Wow, this is the solution.”

That is hearing God’s voice. It may not be dramatic. But it’s dependable, and it never contradicts itself.

A simple practice

If you want to hear God more clearly, build the habit before you need it. Read a little every day. Bring your worries to the page. Run your strong impressions past people you trust. Over time you’ll learn to recognize His voice because you know His Word.

The prayer and the answer

The guest had prayed a simple, practical prayer about local leadership: show me who the next mayor will be, and I’ll support them.

They expected a name. What they say they heard instead was: you are the next mayor. They also sensed God telling them, “I actually brought you here because you’re going to be the next mayor.”

Was it audible? Yes, the guest said.

“I’ve never heard audibly”

What makes this clip worth watching is the honesty of the host. They said plainly that they’ve never heard God audibly, and that they weren’t doubting the guest. They just wanted to know: what does this voice sound like?

That’s a fair question. A lot of people pray for years without anything like that happening, and they wonder if they’re missing something.

Peaceful, stern, very loving

The guest’s answer starts with a picture most parents will recognize. Parents show up a little differently with different kids. In the same way, the guest said, God can show Himself differently to different people.

For them, the voice of the Lord, their Father, is “peaceful, stern, but very loving.”

The host pushed a little further. Is it deep? Calm? The guest’s answer: “It’s not like James Earl Jones for me.” It’s not spooky either. It’s “just a voice that carries so much love and certainty.”

They called it very distinct, even startling. “It’ll make you just stop.”

What we can take from it

Not everyone will hear God the way this guest describes, and the guest’s own words leave room for that. A good parent shows up differently with each child.

But the qualities they named are worth holding onto. Peace. Firmness. Love. Certainty. Whatever way God speaks to you, it will carry His character.

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). The promise isn’t that every voice sounds the same. It’s that His sheep can know it.

A question for your own prayers

This guest asked God to show them someone else to support, and the answer pointed back at them. That’s worth thinking about. Sometimes the prayer for someone to step up gets answered with an invitation to step up yourself.