When the Voice You Love Gets Lost in the Noise

Can you hear the voice of God? Megan Nilsen shares her discoveries.

Elisa

When the Voice You Love Gets Lost in the Noise

By Megan Nilsen

“I’m sorry, babe. What did you say?”

If my husband’s said this once over the past year, he’s said it a thousand times. At least, it feels like a thousand times when I have to stop mid-thought, take a breath, and repeat myself in what I thought was a perfectly clear voice.

Why do I find it so annoying? It’s only a few extra seconds of my time. And when you’re in love, that shouldn’t be too taxing, right?

But my default isn’t compassion. It's the exaggerated sigh. The eye roll. The Really? You didn’t hear that?

I gently (at least according to me) suggested maybe he should get his hearing checked. He brushed it off at first like most of us do when faced with a tough suggestion, but eventually acquiesced and scheduled an appointment with an audiologist.

Turns out he does have some hearing loss. (Don’t worry, I’m sharing with his permission!) The doctor said if he wanted to hear specific voices amid significant background noise (think noisy restaurant, church coffee-hour, or high school basketball game) he could consider using a hearing aid, but he’d need the top-of-the-line version.

The exorbitant expense is indeed a factor, but even more concerning is the fact that he’s a junior high social studies teacher! While a high-tech hearing aid would help during lunch duty it might drive him crazy in a quiet classroom - every pencil scratch, winter sniffle, and whispered side conversation amplified. Not ideal.

So the audiologist suggested an app instead. It works like this: friends and family record their voices reading a specific script. Then AI captures the frequency and tone of each voice and mixes them into random sentences, buried under layers of background chatter. My husband’s job is to listen to the one voice and repeat back what it said.

Every day, he practices tuning his ear—training his brain to recognize the voices that matter.

It got me thinking.

Maybe hearing God is like that.

The noise in our lives isn’t always bad—it’s just constant. Deadlines, conversations, notifications, podcasts, music, worries, plans, thoughts on repeat. All those voices compete for our attention. And then there’s God—sometimes whispering, sometimes nudging, often speaking in ways that are easy to miss if we’re not intentionally listening.

Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27, NLT)

But if I’m honest, there are days I’m not sure if I’m hearing him or just my own thoughts in a holy (and sometimes not so holy!) sounding disguise.

Maybe God isn’t hard to hear. Maybe I just haven’t been listening in a way that tunes me to his frequency. And maybe the real question is … what voices have I been listening to instead?

As a recovering people-pleaser, I’ve tuned in to the opinions of others more often than I care to admit. I’ll poll my inner circle, weigh every option, and overanalyze to avoid making the “wrong” decision. But God, in his kindness, continues to draw me back. He reminds me to come to him first—to listen for his voice of comfort, guidance, peace, and love before surrendering my authority to everyone else’s input.

The most transformational practice I’ve used to tune my heart to God’s voice is something I call beautiful exchange journaling. It’s simple. I pour out my thoughts to the Lord—uncensored and honest. I bring whatever I’m tangled up about to the page. Every feeling. Every question. No filters.

Then, I pause. I set down my pen, take a deep breath, and ask: “God, what do you want me to know about this?” I listen for the whisper. I tune my ear to his frequency. And I write what I sense in response—usually gentle impressions that align with Scripture and speak peace into the chaos.

It’s not magic. It’s relationship. And it’s changed everything about how I move through the noise and listen to the voice of love that matters most.

What about you, who do you usually go to for advice and what could it look like to take a minute and tune to God’s voice instead?

Megan Nilsen is a Kingdom life coach, author, and host of the globally ranked Kingdom Life Coaching podcast. She’s passionate about helping women untangle their thoughts, hear God’s voice, and live with deeper peace, clarity, and purpose. Her book and companion journal, Untangled Faith, guide readers through a simple yet powerful practice of listening-type prayer she calls “beautiful exchange journaling.” Megan lives in Colorado with her husband and is on the cusp of empty-nesting as they launch their four amazing young adult kids. You can learn more and access free spiritual growth resources at www.meganbnilsen.com.