Devotional about hearing God's still small voice in a busy world

Finding God’s Still Small Voice (1 Kings 19:12)

When life feels Noisy, here’s how to recognize God’s quiet Voice.

Every day life can feel overwhelming and noisy! It’s filled with notifications, deadlines, and constant movement, and it can be really difficult to sense God’s presence in amongst all the busyness and distractions. The story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19 speaks directly to this struggle.

The Verse

“And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.”
1 Kings 19:12, ESV

In other translations, this “low whisper” is described as “a still small voice” (KJV) or “a gentle whisper” (NIV).

Devotional: Hearing God's Still Small Voice

Understanding This Scripture

Elijah was a powerful prophet who had just experienced an incredible victory against the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20-40). Yet after defeating the prophets, the Bible tells us in Kings 19:1-2, “Ahab told his wife Jezebel what Elijah had done and that he had killed the prophets. She sent a message to Elijah: ‘You killed my prophets. Now I’m going to kill you!‘

Elijah ran for his life and traveled to Mount Horeb (also known as Mount Sinai), the same mountain where God had given Moses the Ten Commandments.

It was here that God revealed himself to Elijah in a surprising way.

He first sent a powerful wind that tore the mountains apart and shattered rocks. But the Scripture tells us, “the Lord was not in the wind.” Next came an earthquake, but “the Lord was not in the earthquake.” Then came a fire, but again, “the Lord was not in the fire.” Finally, after all these dramatic displays of power, came “a still small voice“, and it was in this gentle whisper that God chose to speak to Elijah.

This story shows us that although God can use big and powerful moments to speak to us, often He chooses to speak quietly.

Elijah must have been surprised! He’d just seen God sending down fire from the sky, killing all of Baal’s prophets, so he might have expected something a lot more dramatic and powerful than the whisper God chose to speak to him in.

Elijah’s story teaches us that we don’t always need a huge sign to hear God, instead, we need to slow down, pay attention, and listen for His gentle voice in our everyday lives.

Faith in Action

  • Set aside time each day for complete silence. Turn off your phone, find a quiet space, and simply be still. This practice creates space for you to hear God’s still small voice. Start with just a few minutes and gradually increase the time as you grow more comfortable with silence.
  • God often uses Scripture to speak to us. Choose a short Scripture passage, read it slowly a few times, and listen for what words or phrases stand out to you. Write these down and reflect on why these might be speaking to you today.
  • Keep a Listening Journal – Start writing down your prayers, thoughts, impressions, and questions in a special journal. When you sense God might be speaking to you through Scripture, circumstances, or inner promptings, write it down. Over time, you’ll start to recognize the difference between God’s voice and your own thoughts.
  • When you are doing mundane tasks like washing the dishes or driving to work, use the time to speak to God. Make it a conversation! Share your thoughts with God and then pause and listen.
  • When you read your Bible every day, you will be able to recognize God’s voice when He speaks to you in other ways. The more you know God’s character, the easier it becomes to recognise His voice in daily life.
  • Pay attention to any patterns you notice. Are there any themes in your prayer time, conversations, or circumstances that pop up again and again? These patterns might be God’s way of getting your attention. Also, pay attention to the sense of peace that comes when hearing God’s voice. You will find that His voice brings peace and aligns with Scripture.

Dig deeper with Journaling Prompts

  • Think about a time when you felt God speaking to you through a “still small voice.” What were the circumstances? How did you know it was God? What happened when you responded to that voice?
  • What are the loudest “noises” in your life right now that might be drowning out God’s voice? These could be external distractions or internal worries. How could you create more space for silence and listening?
  • Think about a time when God used an unlikely person or an ordinary situation to speak to you about something important. What did you learn from this experience?
  • Write about three “ordinary moments” from the past week. For each one, prayerfully consider: Was God speaking in that moment? What might He have been saying that you missed in the busyness of the day?
  • Do you have any personal barriers that make it difficult for you to hear God’s voice? These might include doubt, past disappointments, busyness, or expectations about how about how God should speak.

    Affirmation

    God is speaking to me today, and I am learning to recognize His still, small voice in the everyday moments of my life.

    Prayer

    Heavenly Father,
    Thank You for speaking to me not only through dramatic displays of power but also through gentle whispers. Forgive me for the times I’ve been too busy or distracted to hear Your voice. Help me to create space in my life for silence and listening. Sharpen my spiritual senses so I can recognize Your presence in ordinary moments. Like Elijah, I want to know Your voice so well that I can distinguish it from all other voices competing for my attention. Guide me through the noise of this day to recognize the sacred in the ordinary.
    In Jesus’ name, Amen.

    Tags

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Related Posts