Does God Still Speak to People?

Does God Still Speak to People? Tricia Goyer

Growing up, I didn’t understand it when I’d hear older people saying, “I felt the Lord speak to me.” Was it an audible voice? And if so, how did you know it was God? I mean, when people start hearing voices, that’s usually a problem.

The thing is, as my relationship with God grew, I started becoming one of those people. 

People ask me this question more often than you might think. In fact, some of the most life-transforming moments of my life have happened when I wanted direction, asked God to provide and answer, and then I actually paused to listen. 

If you find yourself wondering how to tune out the loud noise of daily life to truly hear God, you are not alone. Many of us deeply desire clear direction for our families, our ministries, and our daily choices, yet we struggle to recognize His leading amid our chaotic schedules. In the stories below, I will share how God has gently guided me through His Word, prayer, and everyday circumstances, helping you see that He is still actively directing His children today. 

My goal is that you will walk away from this post with practical tools to recognize His gentle whispers and the courage to step out in faith when He calls. 

A Whisper to My Soul: The Beginnings of Hope

I can clearly remember the day when I was praying about whether or not to help start a crisis pregnancy center. At the time, my days were already incredibly full. I was homeschooling, writing, and raising our family, and it did not seem I had time to commit to anything else.

As I prayed, God’s voice was clear. I felt Him whisper to my soul, “What about them? What about the young women who face the difficulties that you faced as a young mom? What are you going to do to help them?” It wasn’t an audible voice, but the words were very clear in my mind.

I understood what God meant. When I was fifteen and pregnant, I sought counsel and help. Instead, a Planned Parenthood clinic gave me an “easy way out” by suggesting abortion, and it’s a decision that I’ve regretted since.

Yet, a few years later, when I found myself pregnant again, I had the love and support of women from the church that I occasionally attended. Because of their love, I believed that God loved me, too, and I dedicated my heart to Jesus, making Him Lord of my life.

The Stirrings of Change

As I prayed about starting a crisis pregnancy center, these memories surfaced, and  I knew exactly what God was asking me to do. Because I remembered what it was like to be young and so unsure in my role as a mom, I felt a deep responsibility to be there for others. I am so thankful for the women who surrounded me with support and encouragement during those early years, and I wanted to ensure other girls had the same community.

In 1999, I took that first step in faith. I partnered with Kathy Keller, Twyla Klundt, and Pastor Daniel Lambert to found the Hope Pregnancy Center in Kalispell, Montana. We began simply by providing free pregnancy tests and counseling. God quickly brought dozens of new volunteers around to help carry the vision forward.

When dozens of young mothers began choosing life for their children, I knew we needed to do even more to support them. That realization eventually led to the start of a Teen MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)  support group in 2002 to continue loving and guiding those teenage moms. God just needed me to take the first step to get the ball rolling. Looking back, it is beautiful to see how He provides the exact strength we need when we simply say yes to His call.

When His Plan Comes Together

The amazing thing is that the very first teen mom who came to that meeting became an unofficial part of our family. In fact, her baby is grown and has a baby. Not only was God calling me to serve, but He was also expanding our family, too, which is more than I could have imagined.

So, does God still speak to people today?

My answer is simple: Yes. Not because I’ve heard an audible voice from heaven, but because over and over again I’ve experienced God’s gentle, unmistakable leading through His Holy Spirit, His Word, prayer, circumstances, and the peace—or lack of peace—that only He can give. The Bible talks about this too. This verse has become one of the foundations of my life:

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” - John 10:27

The First Time I Couldn’t Ignore Him

One of the clearest moments came after my abortion. For years I carried shame that I thought would never leave. I believed God had forgiven everyone else, but I wasn’t sure He could ever fully forgive me. Then one day I felt an unmistakable nudge in my spirit to attend a post-abortion Bible study that was happening at my church.

It wasn’t something I wanted to do. Everything inside me wanted to stay hidden. I wanted to pretend my past didn’t exist. But God kept drawing me. It wasn’t condemnation. Instead, I felt an invitation to find healing in part of my life.

As I walked through that Bible study, Jesus met me in my deepest places of brokenness. He replaced shame with grace. He showed me that the cross was enough—even for me. That decision changed everything.  It was after I received healing that I wanted others to receive it too.

From Hidden Shame to Public Freedom

Not long after I attended that Bible Study, God placed another impossible thought in my heart. Share your story: publicly, at church.

Every part of me wanted to say no. Standing in front of my church and admitting my abortion felt terrifying. What would people think? Would they judge me? Would they look at me differently? But obedience mattered more than my fear. So I stood before my church and shared the story of my abortion—and more importantly, the story of God’s forgiveness.

Instead of rejection, I found freedom. Instead of condemnation, I found women quietly coming to me afterward saying, “Me too.”

That day I realized something important. The testimony I wanted to hide was the very testimony God wanted to use.

Revelation 12:11 says, “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” 

Our stories become powerful when Jesus becomes the hero.

God Asked Me to Help Others Find Freedom

I thought my healing journey was complete, but then God had other plans. Soon He began nudging me again. I led a post-abortion Bible study, and honestly, I didn’t feel qualified. But maybe you’ve heard this saying: “God rarely calls the qualified. He qualifies those He calls.”

Week after week I watched women walk into Bible studies carrying shame, fear, and secrets. Week after week I watched Jesus set them free as we went through the Bible Study, Forgive and Set Free.

Only God could have taken the worst decision of my life and turned it into one of the greatest ministries I’ve ever experienced.

A Pregnancy Center Was Never My Plan

As I continued serving women, another opportunity emerged. Starting a pregnancy center had never been on my bucket list. Yet God kept opening doors that I couldn’t have opened myself, which is the story that I shared first. This is also why I know that an amazing God speaks to very ordinary people. 

Eventually, those steps of obedience became Hope Pregnancy Center. When our doors opened, women found hope. Babies were born, and families were strengthened. Lives were changed back then, and all these years later they are still being changed. And it all started because God asked me to take one small step.

Isaiah 30:21 says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'” 

God had a plan for me then, and He still does today.

And this is exactly what following Jesus has often felt like: One step. Then another.

God Guides My Writing

People often ask where my book ideas come from. The truth is, many of them begin in prayer. Some have come while researching. Others have come through conversations. Some have arrived while traveling.

Over and over, God has connected pieces that I never could have arranged on my own. He has led me toward stories that needed to be told. He has also closed doors. Too often we hear when God says, “Yes,” but sometimes He says, “No.”

There have been publishing opportunities that looked wonderful on paper: contracts, projects, and speaking invitations. Everything in me thought they made sense, yet God gave me no peace. Looking back, I can see His protection. Sometimes God’s guidance is found in what He tells us not to do.

Looking back, I can see the times when God stopped a big project—or I felt a pause in my spirit telling me to decline an “amazing opportunity,” it was because God needed my attention someplace else, like caring for my Grandma (until she passed away in 2025) or adopting children.

Three Times God Called Us to Adopt

Perhaps the clearest examples of when God spoke to us to “care for the least of these” came through adoption. John and I didn’t decide one afternoon that adopting seven children sounded like a good idea. Three separate times, God clearly stirred both of our hearts. The first time He called us to adopt one child.

Later He called us again. Then years later He called us yet again. Each time the assignment felt bigger than our resources. Each time we wondered how it would work. It’s not as if we were bored and had any room in our schedules, yet each time God faithfully made a way. Somehow He expanded our capacity and our hearts

Those three moments of obedience eventually became seven beautiful children who forever changed our family. I cannot imagine our lives without them.

God Moved Us to Arkansas

While each of the previous examples came from God placing something on my heart that stemmed from personal experience, moving to Arkansas wasn’t on my radar at all. Moving wasn’t simply a financial decision. In fact, my husband took a huge pay cut. It also wasn’t a career decision. John was stepping back to serve a ministry. But it did become a prayer decision.

John sensed God leading us toward Arkansas, and I was hoping that my husband would come to his senses. Instead, God spoke to my heart and confirmed that this was His plan.

There wasn’t a giant neon sign in the sky. There was simply the growing confidence that He was preparing something we couldn’t yet see. As we’ve watched Him unfold His plans—from ministry opportunities to writing to family—we’ve seen His fingerprints everywhere.

How Does God Speak?

“God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.”

– Henry Blackaby

Blackaby wrote this years ago in his book Experiencing God, and I’ve found that still to be absolutely true today.

God’s voice has never led me to do something that contradicts Scripture. Instead, His Spirit has consistently illuminated His Word, confirmed His direction through circumstances, and brought unity with other believers.

Another of his quote has stayed with me for years:

“Watch to see where God is working, and join Him in His work.”

– Henry Blackaby

That has become one of the guiding principles of my life. God isn’t asking me to invent new plans. He’s inviting me to join Him in what He’s already doing.

Does God Still Speak?

Absolutely, and it’s not because we’re special. It’s not because we’ve earned it, but because we belong to Him. The Holy Spirit still guides. Jesus still leads His sheep. The Father still directs His children.

The question isn’t whether He is speaking. The better question is: Am I slowing down enough to listen?

Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

Looking back over my life—from healing after abortion, to ministry, to writing, to adoption, to moving across the country—I see a trail of God’s faithfulness. Each step began with one simple act of obedience. I didn’t always understand where He was leading. Instead, I simply trusted the One who was leading me.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: God is still speaking. He is still calling, and He is still directing. And for those who belong to Him, He is still saying, “Follow Me.”

Practical Takeaways for Hearing God’s Voice

Here are a few practical ways you can begin applying these principles to your own walk with the Lord:

• Create quiet moments to listen. We cannot hear God if our lives are constantly loud. Carve out a few minutes each day to sit quietly with your Bible, turn off the distractions, and simply listen for His leading.
• Pay attention to your peace. God often guides us through a deep sense of peace or a noticeable lack of it. If an opportunity looks wonderful on paper but leaves your spirit unsettled, consider that it might be God protecting you and saying no.
• Take one small step of obedience. You do not need to have the entire plan figured out. Whether it is attending a Bible study, making a phone call, or checking on a neighbor, just take the first step God places on your heart.
• Let God use your broken places. The parts of your story you want to hide are often the exact areas God wants to use to bring freedom to someone else. Do not be afraid to share how God has redeemed your past and brought you healing.
• Look for confirmation. God’s voice will never contradict Scripture. When you sense Him leading you, look for confirmation in His Word, through prayer, and through the wise counsel of other faithful believers.
• Join in the work already happening. You do not need to invent a brand new ministry. Look around your community to see where God is already moving, and ask how you can jump in and serve right where you are.

Reflection Questions

• In what areas of your life is it difficult to slow down and listen for God’s voice?
• Can you recall a time when you felt a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit to take a step of faith? How did you respond?
• Is there a part of your story or a past hurt that God might be asking you to surrender or share so others can find freedom?
• What is one small act of obedience you can take this week to join God in the work He is already doing around you?

A Prayer for Listening Ears

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You still speak to Your children today. Forgive me for the times when I let the noise of my daily schedule drown out Your gentle whispers. Please give me a sensitive heart to hear Your leading through Your Word, through prayer, and through the circumstances around me. 

Give me the courage to take the next small step of obedience, even when the path ahead is unclear or feels intimidating. Help me to trust that You go before me and that Your plans for my life are good. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Additional Resources

Have you ever felt a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit to take a step of faith, but fear held you back?

God often asks us to step out of our comfort zones. When He does, it can feel completely overwhelming. I remember feeling entirely unqualified when God first called me to write, and later when He prompted our family to pursue adoption. As I share in my book, Walk It Out: The Radical Result of Living God’s Word One Step at a Time, He does not need our abilities. He just asks for our obedience.

You do not need to have all the answers. You only need the willingness to take one small step. If you are wondering what God can do with your everyday obedience, this book is for you. Together, we explore how listening to God’s voice and putting your faith into action changes your heart and your community.

Here is what you will discover inside:

• How to tune out the noise and listen for God’s clear direction.
• The courage to say yes when the assignment feels bigger than your resources.
• The incredible joy that comes from trusting the One who is leading you.

Are you ready to join God in the work He is already doing?

Grab your copy of Walk It Out today and discover the beautiful adventure of following where He leads!

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