I’ve been reading How to Hear God by Pete Greig, and one section hit me harder than I expected.
It described three ways people quietly lose confidence that God speaks in any real way: psychological, theological, and experiential.
And I sat there thinking… yeah. That’s not just “some people”. That’s me. And if I’m honest, it’s probably a lot of us.
1) The psychological block: “Why would God speak to me?”
This one often looks like humility, but it can hide something else: shame.
If you carry an underlying belief that you’re not worthy of special attention from God, you start to expect silence. You pray, but you brace yourself for nothing. Over time, you stop listening properly because you’ve already decided the answer.
It’s painful because it feels logical. If God is holy and I’m not, then surely he wouldn’t bother with me.
But that logic doesn’t fit the story of Jesus. The whole point of grace is that God moves towards people who don’t have it together.
2) The theological block: “God doesn’t speak anymore”
This is the one I keep seeing in different forms.
Some of us have absorbed the idea that God’s voice basically stopped once the New Testament was completed. Almost like God finished speaking, handed us the Bible, and then went quiet until Jesus returns on the Day of Judgement.
Now, let me be clear: I’m not talking about new Scripture. I’m talking about the day-to-day reality of a relationship with God. Comfort. Guidance. Correction. Encouragement. That “nudge” towards love. The quiet conviction to apologise. The sense of peace that doesn’t match the chaos.
A lot of people don’t reject God. They just assume he’s not the kind of God who speaks now.
And if you believe that, you’ll live like it.
3) The experiential block: “I don’t recognise his voice”
This one is simple. If you’ve never learned how to listen, you won’t feel confident you’re hearing anything.
For many of us, the only “voice” we trust is our conscience and, honestly, that conscience can feel like God is saying “No” all the time.
No. Stop. Don’t. Not good enough. Try harder.
If that’s your experience, it makes sense that you’d avoid listening. Because who wants a relationship that feels like constant disapproval?
But God isn’t only a warning sign. He is also a Father. A shepherd. A comforter. A guide.
Where discouragement sneaks in
Discouragement doesn’t always show up as doubt. Sometimes it shows up as resignation.
You still believe. You still read your Bible. You still pray.
But deep down you’ve stopped expecting God to be present and personal. You’ve lowered your expectations so you don’t get disappointed.
And that’s the quiet tragedy: we protect ourselves from pain, and in the process, we starve our relationship with God.
A simple starting point
Pete Greig suggests being honest with God about where discouragement has crept in. That sounds basic, but it’s actually brave. Because honesty means you stop performing.
So here’s a prayer I’m learning to pray:
Prayer:
“God, I’m struggling to believe you speak to me. Part of me thinks you’ve gone quiet. Part of me thinks I’m not worthy. And part of me doesn’t trust what I’m hearing. If you want a relationship with me, teach me how to listen. In Jesus name, Amen!”
That’s it. No hype. No pretending.
Just openness.
If you feel like God is silent
If you’ve ever thought, God doesn’t speak anymore… maybe not until the end of time, I get it. You’re not crazy. You’re not a bad Christian. You might just be discouraged and tired, and you might have picked up beliefs that make silence feel normal.
But what if the silence isn’t God’s distance?
What if it’s our expectation?
And what if the next step isn’t chasing dramatic experiences, but simply learning to listen again?
Omuntu is about the Art of Being Human. And part of being human is admitting when our faith feels complicated, when prayer feels quiet, and when we’re not sure what to do with that. Maybe the beginning of hearing God again is simply showing up honestly, one small moment at a time.