As we prepare to learn from Dr. Eric Johnson on Hearing God by Dallas Willard, I’ve been sitting with a question that has followed me for years: What does it actually mean to hear God? Not just in theory, but in the quiet and ordinary moments of everyday life. 
If I’m honest, my experience with hearing and discerning God’s voice has been shaped more by struggle than certainty. For a long time, I felt like I was missing something. People around me would say, “God told me” or “I really sensed the Lord leading me,” and I would nod along while silently wondering why I did not experience that same clarity. I wanted to hear God. I expected to hear God. But I did not know what I was supposed to be listening for.
That gap between expectation and experience led to doubt. I doubted myself, my spiritual maturity, and whether I was doing something wrong. Was I not praying hard enough? Not faithful enough? Not spiritual enough? At times, the silence felt personal. Recently, though, I’ve begun to consider that hearing God may not always involve dramatic revelations.
It may be less about a loud voice and more about growing sensitivity, a shaping of desires, a gentle conviction, or a persistent nudge toward love, truth, and obedience.
One of the greatest obstacles for me has been the pace of life. It’s difficult to hear anything clearly when life is loud. My mind is often filled with tasks, responsibilities, notifications, and constant internal dialogue. Even when I sit down to pray, I can find myself thinking about my schedule instead of truly listening. Slowing down feels unnatural, and silence can feel unproductive. Yet the few times I have intentionally created space, turning off distractions, stepping outside, or sitting quietly with Scripture, something shifts. I may not hear a booming voice, but I become more aware, grounded, and receptive.
Right now, I’m seeking God’s guidance in areas of leadership and long term direction. I find myself asking where I should invest my energy, what opportunities require a yes, and which ones call for a faithful no. I want to lead in a way that reflects Christ rather than my own ambition. I don’t need a detailed five year plan. I want alignment. I want my steps to be shaped by obedience instead of impulse, and discernment that steadies me when decisions feel heavy. 
If I learned to hear God more clearly, I believe it would reshape my decision making. I would move more slowly but with greater confidence. I would worry less about pleasing people and more about being faithful. In relationships, clearer hearing might make me more patient and attentive when prompted to encourage, apologize, or speak truth in love. In leadership, it could change how I carry responsibility. Instead of reacting out of pressure or insecurity, I could respond out of trust. Leadership would become less about control and more about stewardship, joining God in what He is already doing.
If hearing God is less about technique and more about relationship, then spiritual practices become rhythms of availability.
Silence and solitude help my heart settle. Slow and prayerful 3 reading of Scripture shifts my focus from gathering information to being formed. Journaling helps me process moments throughout the day and notice patterns in how God may be at work.
Through this teaching, I hope God will deepen my trust. I want to grow less anxious about getting it wrong and more confident that God is patient and gracious, capable of guiding me even when my hearing feels imperfect. More than anything, I hope He reveals where fear or doubt has limited my openness. I want a heart that is attentive and responsive, willing to obey when clarity comes.
Maybe hearing God is not about mastering a skill, but about becoming the kind of person who recognizes His voice through a long and faithful walk with Him.
Cheyenne Turner
Current Fellow, Class XX