Ask the God Pod: "How do I know if I’m hearing God’s voice or just my own thoughts?"

Have you ever wondered if the voice in your head is God speaking—or just your own thoughts, emotions, or fears? If so, you’re not alone. In this episode of Ask The God Pod, Leanne tackles a powerful listener question: How do I know if I’m really hearing God? She breaks down why this can be so tricky, how to discern between God’s voice and our own internal noise, and the key steps to confidently recognizing His guidance.

You’ll learn how to test what you’re hearing against Scripture, recognize the difference between divine peace and anxious urgency, and why waiting in prayer can bring clarity. Plus, Leanne shares practical steps—like seeking wise counsel and paying attention to what draws you closer to God—so you can trust His leading with confidence. If you’ve ever second-guessed yourself when making a decision, this episode will help you navigate those moments with faith, wisdom, and a whole lot of grace.

HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @leanneellington 

To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com, and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com.

Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:08):
If you want to go on a journey. If you're skeptical,
don't worry. Now here to preach. I'm gonna keep it
clean and talk to me and recall where faith needs,
files of nature and get in touch with your creator
with a baking love and jew She even speaks Hebrew.
What's that, Gonzato? What's that? This well sabosation? You should

(00:39):
talking transformation? What's that? Gonzato? Hey? Hey, and welcome back
to What's God got to do with it? And today
we're diving into another powerful question from one of our listeners,
and they asked, how do I know if I'm hearing
God's voice or just my own thoughts? Sometimes I feel
like God is guiding me. But then I said, I

(01:00):
can guess myself and think that maybe it's just my
own voice. How can I be sure it's really him?
And so, first off, yes, yes, and yes, this is
a real struggle for so many of us, myself included.
And I'm still on that journey of deciphering. To be honest,
and I think we all want clarity, and we all
want to know that we're making the right decisions. But

(01:22):
let's be honest, sometimes it's really hard to tell if
it's God's speaking or just our own thoughts or emotions
or even fears. And so today we're going to unpack
what scripture says about hearing God, how to recognize when
it's God's speaking versus your own voice, and then practical
ways to discern his guidance from our own distractions and

(01:46):
desires and anxiety. So grab your coffee, get comfy, and
let's dive on in. Now. Before we even get into
the how to hear God part of this, let's acknowledge
why this is so tricky in the first place. And so,
first off, our own thoughts are really loud, right Like,
we have a million thoughts a day. Some are rooted

(02:07):
in faith, some in fear, some in emotions. So when
we feel something strongly, it can be hard to tell
if it's God leading us or just our own desires
and anxieties or instincts talking. But also God's voice isn't
always obvious, and so sometimes we expect a loud, you know,
booming voice or a dramatic sign in the sky, but

(02:29):
more often God speaks in a still, small whisper like
he talks about in First Kings nineteen twelve. But we
also want certainty, right, Like, let's be real, we don't
want to just hear God. We want absolute confirmation that
we're on the right path. But faith isn't about certainty,
it's about trusting Him even when we're unsure. So let's

(02:52):
break this down, like, how do you actually discern if
it's God's speaking or just your own mind making noise?
And well, step one is to check it against scripture.
God will never contradict himself, and so if you feel
like you're hearing from God, the first step is to
check it against his word. And so two Timothy three

(03:12):
sixteen says all scripture is God breathed and is useful
for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. So God
will never tell you to do something that goes against
his word period, right. And so if you feel led
to forgive someone, that actually aligns with scripture, and if

(03:32):
you feel led to lie or manipulate or take revenge,
well that's definitely not God and does not align with scripture.
So when in doubt, the Bible is your filter, okay,
And so ask yourself, does this align with God's truth
or is it based on my own emotions, fears or desires.

(03:53):
Step two is to ask does it bring me peace?
Or does this bring me anxiety? And so God's boy
is not chaotic or fear driven, and he doesn't lead
through panic and confusion or pressure. That's just not his nature, right,
And so Philippians four seven says, and the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your

(04:16):
minds in Christ Jesus. And so when God speaks, his
direction brings peace, even if it's challenging. And so this
doesn't mean that it won't be scary, and this doesn't
mean that it won't require faith. But God's voice does
not come with panic or guilt or a sense of
being rushed. And so if you're feeling a sense of

(04:38):
urgency that breeds anxiety, just ask yourself, am I feeling
pressure because this is truly God? Or am I just
reacting emotionally? Okay? Step three is to ask does it
call you closer to God or pull you further away
from him? And so God's voice always draws us closer

(04:58):
to Him, not further away. And John ten twenty seven
even says, my sheep listen to my voice. I know them,
and they follow me. And so if something draws you
into deeper faith and obedience and trust in God, it's
more likely his voice. But on the flip side, if
something pulls you into sin or fear or self centeredness,

(05:21):
it's likely going to be your own voice or maybe
even the enemy. Whispering in step four is to test
it through prayer and the part that people don't like,
which is waiting, right, and so sometimes we just need
to slow down and give God space to confirm what
we're hearing. And so Psalm forty six to ten says,

(05:41):
be still and know that I am God. And so
if you're not sure whether something is from God, then
pray on it and wait on it and ask Him
for clarity, because God is not afraid of your questions
and He will bring clarity in his time. But we
have to slow down long enough to listen. And I
know sometimes his timing can be frustrating and flustering and

(06:04):
we want it in our time, but that's just kind
of how it is. Like God's timing is God's timing.
And so if you're feeling uncertain, ask you know, God,
is this from you? Like, if it is from you,
confirm it in my spirit. And if it's not give
me a nudge in my spirit to take a step back,
and like literally just ask God to give you that

(06:25):
clarity and confirmation that you're looking for. And step five
is to seek wise counsel and get guidance from someone
who can guide you spiritually. And so God often speaks
through other believers, you know, mentors or pastors or friends
who are also rooted in faith. And so Proverbs eleven
fourteen it actually says where there is no guidance, a

(06:49):
people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
And so if you're struggling to discern God's voice, talk
to somebody who is spiritually great or maybe a little
bit ahead of their faith walk than you are in
yours right, And of course, like be careful who you
go to because not everyone will give you wisdom based

(07:09):
on God's truth. But a wise mentor is also going
to challenge you and not just tell you what you
want to hear. Okay, so you know, keeping it really real,
we've you know, we've done these steps, but like what
if you still don't know? Right, Like what if you're
still unsure? Like is this God or is this my voice?
Well if you're still unsure. Here's what I've learned from
my own experience. First of all, God isn't playing hide

(07:32):
and seek with you. He wants you to know his
will more than you do. And sometimes he's actually waiting
for you to take the first step in faith. Right.
I have a good friend who said shared with me
this quote, and you know, it really spoke to me.
Is are you waiting on God? Or is God waiting
on you? Right? And so sometimes He's waiting for you
to take that first step in faith. And if you're

(07:54):
genuinely seeking him, he will absolutely redirect you if you
need to be directed, Okay. Proverbs three five through six
says trust in the Lord with all your heart, and
lean not on your own understanding in all your ways.
Submit to him and he will make your paths straight.

(08:15):
And so even if you're not one hundred percent sure,
if your heart is genuinely seeking him, he will guide you. Okay,
he really really will. So wrapping up this conversation about
how to discern God's voice from your own thoughts, and
you know, just to put a nice little bow around
all of this, you want to check it again. Scripture.
God will never contradict his word. Okay, does it bring

(08:37):
you peace or does it bring you anxiety? Because God's
voice is steady, not chaotic. Does it call you closer
to him or pull you away from him or create
a distance or a separation or a barrier. Pray on
it and wait for confirmation. God isn't in a rush,
and he speaks in the stillness, and seek wise counsel.

(08:57):
Trusted believers can help you discern his leading, okay. And remember,
even if you're unsure, God can course correct you. And
so if you're genuinely seeking him, he won't let you
get lost. I promise you that, okay. So here's my
invitation for you for this week. If you're wrestling with
a big decision or if you're wondering, if you're hearing God,

(09:20):
take time to pray and ask him for clarity. And
then just listen, right, listen, and pay attention to where
he gives peace and where you feel a check or
a nudge in your spirit. And if you need wisdom,
reach out to somebody who's spiritually grounded, because you are
not meant to figure this out alone, okay. And if

(09:40):
this episode helped you, go ahead and share it with
a friend who might need clarity too, And if you
have a question that you want me to tackle on
ask the God Pod in the future, send it on
over my way by heading on over to What's God
Got to Do with It? Dot com? And until next time,
just remember God is always speaking. Okay, the question is
are we making space to listen? Are we listening for

(10:03):
him and hearing him? Are we able to receive that? Okay?
See you next week. Bye, We'll be back with more
What's God Got to Do with It? But in the meantime,
I would definitely love to hear from you, so just
tell me where you are in your story or maybe
what questions you have, like where do you feel you
need clarity or support or wisdom in your own journey.

(10:27):
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com and scroll down to the form to share your thoughts,
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(10:50):
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What's God Got to Do With It Is an iHeartRadio
podcast on the Amy Brown Podcast Network. It's written and

(11:10):
hosted by me Leanne Ellington, executive produced by Elizabeth Fozzio,
post production and editing by Houston Tilley, and original music
written by Cheryl Stark and produced by Adam Stark