Question about hearing God's voice

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Erin117

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I’m new here, and not sure if this is the right place to post this so if it’s not, please let me know! I’m been struggling for awhile with a question pertaining to hearing God’s voice. I suppose just to cut the question down to one quick sentence, is it wrong to imagine you can hear God speaking to you in your mind? I don’t mean pretending Him telling you to do things and such, but only simple words of consolation and love.

When I was a child (granted that was only a few years ago, I’m just 19 now), I had an overactive imagination and used to pretend God could talk to me like He could a friend…I held long conversations with Him and fancied that I could hear Him answer back. I stopped doing this when I got older and realized it was simply a product of me being a bit too imaginative.

Recently and rather spontaneously, I’ve started doing it again. Should I continue to suppress and ignore it or this harmless? I’m so confused…😦
 
Erin117 said:
I’m new here, and not sure if this is the right place to post this so if it’s not, please let me know! I’m been struggling for awhile with a question pertaining to hearing God’s voice. I suppose just to cut the question down to one quick sentence, is it wrong to imagine you can hear God speaking to you in your mind? I don’t mean pretending Him telling you to do things and such, but only simple words of consolation and love.

When I was a child (granted that was only a few years ago, I’m just 19 now), I had an overactive imagination and used to pretend God could talk to me like He could a friend…I held long conversations with Him and fancied that I could hear Him answer back. I stopped doing this when I got older and realized it was simply a product of me being a bit too imaginative.

Recently and rather spontaneously, I’ve started doing it again. Should I continue to suppress and ignore it or this harmless? I’m so confused…😦
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If your doing it then just say “God loves you” versus “I love you”. If you are actually hearing god speak to you–see a priest.
 
I will try that (just saying “God loves you”). In my post I guess I make it sound more intentional…like I’m sitting around thinking these sort of things on purpose and actively imagining such things. Doing that actively doesn’t seem entirely “right” to me, and it certainly isn’t active. It just happens. I don’t try to…it just sort of pops into my head regardless of whether I want it to or not.
 
Erin, try to find a spiritual director. Also make a point to become knowledgeable about Church teaching. You need to be able recognize if what you are hearing contradicts the Church. If it does, you will know it is wrong.

Sometimes I experience such a vivid sense of connection to God it is like hearing God speaking to me. I do not think there is anything necessarily wrong with this, but it is possible to be deceived by such feelings. We have to take precautions to prevent this.
 
I just wanted to clarify, do you mean that you imagine God speaking back to you, or do you hear Him speaking back to you? (if the second one, it would be good to talk to a priest, not because that would be something bad, not at all, but just to make sure it’s from Him and get guidance :)).

If you’re imagining God replying to you, - I understand cause often I really wish I could have a conversation with God too 🙂 maybe you could just talk to Him, talk to Him simply as to a friend, and try to visit the Blessed Sacrament often, - and when you do this, don’t imagine His responses, but just be open to Him to work in your heart. Trust that He does hear you and is listening always. God bless 🙂
 
Monica4316 said:
I just wanted to clarify, do you mean that you imagine God speaking back to you, or do you hear Him speaking back to you? (if the second one, it would be good to talk to a priest, not because that would be something bad, not at all, but just to make sure it’s from Him and get guidance :)).

If you’re imagining God replying to you, - I understand cause often I really wish I could have a conversation with God too 🙂 maybe you could just talk to Him, talk to Him simply as to a friend, and try to visit the Blessed Sacrament often, - and when you do this, don’t imagine His responses, but just be open to Him to work in your heart. Trust that He does hear you and is listening always. God bless 🙂
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I think part of the problem is, I’m not entirely sure. It may be both…like sometimes it really is, and other times its simply my human imagination wishing to repeat the experience. I’d like to say that I’m just imagining it…because if not the situation is a little overwhelming and frightening. I mean, why in the world would God want to talk to me? It also feels presumptive of me to think that it’s anything other than my imagination, which is why I’m trying to convince myself that that is what it is. But it also feels presumptive to allow myself to continue if it is just imagining, because I don’t want to put words in God’s mouth. I’m in a pickle.

I am trying to not imagine the responses, and just be open. Visiting the Blessed Sacrament a lot is a good idea :). In order to make it go away however (God’s voice I mean) its more like completely shutting my self off and pushing it away, rather than simply opening myself and not doing it. Sometimes when it won’t go away, I just get irritated and snap “leave me alone” and then it goes, and then I feel awful for the rest of the day (or at least for the rest of the hour until it comes back again). I’m beginning to feel like either I’m crazy…or it really is God. I don’t know if I’m okay with either option (though the second is certainly preferred). I don’t feel crazy, but I don’t feel particularly “good” enough for God to talk to, either. I know the voice doesn’t come from Satan, because sometimes that happens too, and I can definitely tell the difference. So that leaves either my human subconscious, or God himself. I just don’t know.

In my original post I tried to just make it sound like it was my imagination, because that’s really all my question was. If this is just my imagination, is it okay? I didn’t want to go any farther than that, because it made me uncomfortable to talk about. I don’t want to be prideful or vain or anything. I just wanted to know what is happening…and if it’s okay.
 
God can definitely speak in our imagination, but you need to learn to discern whether or not it is God speaking to you.

It sounds like you may have had a consolation from God. And sometimes these can be similar to private revelations. I’d recommend reading Fr Benedict Groeschel’s A Still, Small Voice: A Practical Guide on Reported Revelations.

Father Groeschel, the highly respected author, psychologist, spiritual director and leader of renewal in the religious life, has written a brief but comprehensive practical guide for all those interested in private revelations, the reports of visions and other extraordinary religious phenomena that are so widespread in these times. Because of the intense interest in extraordinary religious experience that ranges from Medjugorje to the New Age, Groeschel’s book is an urgently needed resource that gives practical norms to everyone on how to evaluate these claims. Drawing on spiritual classics and Church documents not readily available, he summarizes the Church’s perennial wisdom on this topic.

He also offers an alternative to unusual and extraordinary ways of knowing the things of God, which is a normal everyday opportunity open to all called “religious experience”–the action of grace operating in the context of a human life that can become a powerful source of virtue and holiness. Father Groeschel skillfully directs the reader to the humbler and safer path which discerns God’s presence in prayer, Scripture, the sacraments and love of neighbor. The great example of this path to holiness is St. Therese of Lisieux who, though having very few extraordinary experiences, was filled with a profound awareness of God’s presence and said, “To ecstasy, I prefer the monotony of sacrifice.”

I’d further recommend that you read 1 John 4:1-6, which is about testing of spirits.
 
Erin117 said:
In my original post I tried to just make it sound like it was my imagination, because that’s really all my question was. If this is just my imagination, is it okay? I didn’t want to go any farther than that, because it made me uncomfortable to talk about. I don’t want to be prideful or vain or anything. I just wanted to know what is happening…and if it’s okay.
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Sometimes God speaks this way. It’s okay. You need a spiritual director not advice from a forum.
 
floresco said:
Sometimes God speaks this way. It’s okay. You need a spiritual director not advice from a forum.
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How would I find a spiritual director? I live in Montana, and there aren’t too many options. More cows than people up here :D. I could try to get to know some of our priests, and approach one I feel comfortable with…I just don’t know if any of them do that sort of thing.
 
Erin117 said:
When I was a child (granted that was only a few years ago, I’m just 19 now), I had an overactive imagination and used to pretend God could talk to me like He could a friend…I held long conversations with Him and fancied that I could hear Him answer back. I stopped doing this when I got older and realized it was simply a product of me being a bit too imaginative.
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In addition to what I mentioned above, I think you may be drawn to Ignatian Spirituality, which uses the imagination to pray.

ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-spiritual-exercises/pray-with-your-imagination/

A spiritual director is advisable, but it takes a certain amount of discernment and patience to find one (and they can be difficult to find). Were you a monastic, it would be easy to find one. In today’s world, it can be a little more difficult.

In the meantime, stay close to the sacraments, read your Bible, seek the advice of friends whom you trust, talk to your priest or a deacon whenever possible, and read books on Catholic spirituality, especially those by the saints – all of which are types of spiritual direction.
 
Erin117 said:
How would I find a spiritual director? I live in Montana, and there aren’t too many options. More cows than people up here :D. I could try to get to know some of our priests, and approach one I feel comfortable with…I just don’t know if any of them do that sort of thing.
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The first step in finding a spiritual director is to pray for one. My experience is that priests who are members of religious orders (as opposed to diocesan priests) are more likely to have the training and time for giving spiritual direction.

While it is nice to be able to combine spiritual direction with Confession, another option to consider is receiving direction by correspondence. There are even some advantages to using email (or mail) to communicate with one’s director.
 
Thank you guys! This helps me out quite a bit. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! XD
 
Erin,

Think about what the options are.

You may have an overactive imagination.

God may be speaking to you.

The inner voice may come from somewhere else.

You may be suffering some mental illness and hallucinating.

If God were speakng to you it is called private revelation. Nothing in private revelation is seen by the Church as completely reliable information. We rely on the truths of public revelation for salvation.

As long as what you are hearing is not telling you to do anything bad, deny the faith, I would not get too worried. It seems like that is the case. If all you think God is telling you is that He loves you then don’t worry. If you are being told to say your prayers, don’t worry. If you are being told more than that you probably need spiritual direction.
 
Erin117, I sent you a private message, hopefully you’ll see it.
 
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