Many believers have asked the same question at one point or another: Is God trying to tell me something?
The good news is that our heavenly Father is not distant, silent or unwilling to guide His children. Jesus said His sheep know His voice. The challenge is not that God has stopped speaking. The challenge is that we do not always recognize the ways He prepares our hearts to hear Him.
In a recent teaching, evangelist David Diga Hernandez shared seven signs that often appear before God gives direction, instruction or fresh revelation. While every believer’s experience is unique, these biblical principles offer encouragement for those seeking to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit more clearly.
1. A Holy Restlessness
One of the first signs Hernandez points to is a growing dissatisfaction with the things of this world.
“There’s something more. There’s something else. This isn’t it. That’s really the repeating thought. That this isn’t it. This can’t be it. There has to be more.”
This is not the same as unhappiness or discouragement. Rather, it is a spiritual stirring that creates a sense that God is preparing something new. The things that once seemed satisfying begin to lose their grip. Familiar routines no longer feel sufficient.
Hernandez said this holy disruption often occurs when God is preparing to give direction.
“That holy disruption, that holy dissatisfaction, that disconnect with, that discontent with the things of this world, it could be a sign that God is preparing an instruction for you.”
According to Hernandez, God uses these moments to draw believers away from distractions and into a place where His voice can be heard more clearly.
2. A Sudden Hunger for God’s Presence
The second sign is an intensified desire for prayer, worship and Scripture.
“Now, there’s this almost this obsession with I got to get to the prayer room. I got to open the word.”
Hernandez emphasized that believers should always desire God’s presence, but there are seasons when that hunger increases dramatically.
“This goes beyond that normal spiritual hunger that we should all be experiencing. This is something deeper.”
During these seasons, entertainment and other activities often lose their appeal. Instead, believers find themselves drawn to spend more time alone with God.
“That hunger that develops in you for that secret place. That intensification, that growing fire in your heart. That is one of the signs that God is about to give you an instruction.”
3. You Keep Hearing the Same Message
God often confirms His direction repeatedly.
“He will confirm His voice to you.”
Hernandez pointed to Isaiah 28:10 and said God frequently speaks “line upon line, precept upon precept.”
Rather than delivering one dramatic revelation, the Lord often confirms His message through multiple sources. A theme may appear in sermons, conversations, dreams, Bible readings or unexpected circumstances.
“You’re going to notice a pattern. You’re going to notice a consistency. You’re going to notice that something just keeps popping up again and again and again.”
Hernandez warned believers not to dismiss these repeated confirmations.
“Don’t ignore it because that could be one of the signs that God is speaking to you.”
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4. The Holy Spirit Brings Conviction
Before God gives greater responsibility or direction, He often prepares the heart.
“Before God can give you the instruction, before God can take you to the next place, He must purify you.”
Hernandez stressed that conviction is different from condemnation. The Holy Spirit does not shame believers. Instead, He lovingly reveals areas that need correction.
“The Holy Spirit shows you God’s holy standard, righteousness, and He calls you upward toward that.”
This process may involve confronting unhealthy attitudes, habits or mindsets that would hinder future growth.
“Every level of instruction comes with a measure of purification.”
According to Hernandez, preparation often precedes revelation.
5. God Removes the Noise
Sometimes God clears away distractions so His voice becomes easier to hear.
“Before you can know, before that revelation can be given, you have to be still.”
Hernandez acknowledged that many believers struggle with stillness. As a result, God may allow certain distractions to fade from their lives.
“God will begin to remove maybe a relationship that’s been distracting you. God will remove maybe a certain level of success that’s caused you to become self-reliant instead of dependent upon the Holy Spirit.”
While these seasons can feel uncomfortable, Hernandez said they often serve a greater purpose.
“He will cause you to be still, slow down, pay attention, and know that I’m God.”
6. Increased Spiritual Resistance
Another surprising sign is heightened spiritual opposition.
“This spiritual warfare, this spiritual activity around you is a sign that God is about to speak to you or take you to this new place that He has for you.”
Hernandez pointed to the early church in Acts, noting that fresh moves of God were often followed by resistance and persecution.
Believers may experience unusual pressure in relationships, finances, emotions or spiritual disciplines. Prayer may feel more difficult. Distractions may increase. Challenges may seem to arise from multiple directions at once.
Rather than assuming God has abandoned them, Hernandez encouraged believers to recognize that opposition sometimes accompanies divine preparation.
7. A Gentle Whisper
The final sign is the one Hernandez considers most important.
“So many believers are standing by waiting for that big dramatic sign that God is speaking to them.”
Drawing from Elijah’s encounter with God in 1 Kings 19, Hernandez noted that the Lord was not found in the wind, earthquake or fire, but in a gentle whisper.
“God doesn’t speak always with thunder. Sometimes He speaks in a gentle whisper.”
Hernandez believes many believers already know what God is saying but struggle to trust what they sense in their spirit.
“You probably already know that God is speaking to you. You probably already know what He’s saying.”
He added, “There’s just layers of doubt, layers of shame, layers of confusion, layers of overthinking all over that.”
The key is learning to quiet the noise and listen carefully to the Holy Spirit.
“If you cut through that noise, you get right to the heart of the issue and you listen in for what the Holy Spirit is speaking, you know deep within your heart what He’s already whispering to you.”
God still speaks. He still guides. He still leads His people step by step. If we are experiencing seasons of holy restlessness, growing hunger, repeated confirmation, conviction, stillness, resistance or that gentle whisper in our spirit, we should not be discouraged.
We should be encouraged. These moments may be evidence that the Holy Spirit is drawing us closer and preparing us for what comes next. As we learn to slow down, seek His presence and trust His voice, we can walk forward with confidence, knowing that the God who calls us is faithful to direct our steps.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
