This is a very deep question, and one that we could spend a life time studying and experiencing. However, there are some key points that we can focus on that will help us learn to hear His voice.

God is a God of revelation and what we know of Him is what He has revealed to us. God spoke through the prophets (Hebrews 1:1), and through His Son (Hebrews 1:2). If we read 2 Peter 1:21 we find that holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. In short, what God has spoken through His prophets, His Son, and holy men, has been carefully documented in what we have today as the Bible. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

We hear His voice when we spend time in Bible study and quiet contemplation of His Word. The more time we spend intimately with God and His Word, the easier it is to recognize His voice and His leading in our lives.

Also, to hear God’s voice we must belong to God. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Those who hear God’s voice are those who belong to Him—those who have been saved by His grace through faith in the Lord Jesus. These are the sheep who hear and recognize His voice, because they know Him as their Shepherd. If we are to recognize God’s voice, we must belong to Him.

While God does speak audibly to people today, this is more an exception than the norm. He speaks primarily through His written Word. He also speaks to us through a still small voice. Sometimes God’s leading can come through the Holy Spirit, through our consciences, through circumstances, and through the exhortations of other people. By comparing what we hear to the truth of Scripture, we can learn to recognize God’s voice.