Hearing From God When You Least Expect It

It’s easy to think that God only speaks to us in big moments.

• He talked to Moses through a burning bush (Exodus 3).
• He directed the Israelites with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night (Exodus 13).
• He used a giant fish to get through to Jonah (Jonah 2).
• He even made a donkey talk to get Balaam’s attention (Numbers 22).

But for every story of a giant hand writing on a wall or an angel delivering a message, there are countless examples of God speaking through a dream or whisper.

He isn’t always loud. But he still speaks to us today. Sometimes, it’s through his Word. Other times, it’s through his creation. And then there are those times when we least expect it.

For Christian Music Artist Anne Wilson, her moment was after her 23-year-old brother tragically passed away in a car accident. She was just 15 at the time, but she heard from God in the immediate aftermath — then again during his funeral. (Watch our White Chair Film about Anne to hear what he specifically told her.)

In one of the darkest moments of her young life, God called Anne to worship and praise his name. He had a purpose for her family’s pain. And he would give her a platform to help others worship him, as well. No one else could see his plan, but she did.

“I remember (what) Lauren Daigle, one of my favorite people in the world, told me,” Anne recalls in the film. “She was like, ‘Anne, you’re the only person that can hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to you. You’re the only person. Not your manager, not your parents, not your friends. You are the only person.’”

God speaks to each of us in unique ways. The first time I ever heard from him was at the age of 34, while sweating and doing yard work (not exactly a scenario of how I thought I would get a message from God). He showed me how I would help others with the unique skills he gave me. 

Like Anne, I also went through a season of depression after discovering my calling, but it was because God was building my trust and preparing me for greater things. He was training me.

He can do the same for you. The message — or how it’s delivered — may not be what you expect, but it will happen if you keep pursuing God. He may close some doors and open others. The calling may seem big or small. But the fact remains: You have a part to play in his Kingdom.

All he wants is your trust. And once you surrender everything to him, there is freedom.

“This (calling) is not mine. This has never been mine. This is not something I’ve made happen,” Anne says. “This is the Lord. He’s the one that called me to this. He’s the one that made it happen…I’m gonna do what I do and I’m gonna leave him with the rest of it.”

God is going to do what he wants to do, no matter what. The only question is whether you will be part of it or not. You don’t have to be perfect. You never know when you might hear from God. But if you stay close to him, you’ll be exactly where you need to be.