The Whisper Gets Clearer When You Listen

“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” — 1 Samuel 3:9 (NIV)

How to Develop Sensitivity

Sensitivity to God grows through relationship and practice.

Personally, one of the habits that transformed my life was simply sitting regularly with a notebook and pen, listening prayerfully and writing down what I believed God might be saying to me.

That may sound unusual to some people, but if the Holy Spirit truly lives within us, then why should it surprise us that His thoughts, wisdom and impressions begin stirring within our hearts?

“We have the mind of Christ” we’re told in 1 Corinthians 2:16.

That means His thoughts are mingled among our own. We have to go and find them!

I first started doing this around 1990 after encouragement from a wise man of God. For several months I spent hours each day quietly listening and writing what I sensed God speaking concerning my life and future.

Looking back, those hidden moments at the altar shaped much of my ministry far more than public meetings ever did.

Over time I also began sharing impressions with other people — and honestly, I was often more shocked than they were when things proved deeply accurate! That was when I began realising hearing God was not meant to be rare and mystical, but a natural part of friendship with Him.

Creating Space to Hear

So if you want to grow in spiritual sensitivity, create space for listening.

Sit quietly. Ask questions. Write impressions down. Test them prayerfully. Stretch your faith.

Do not sit waiting endlessly for booming audible voices from heaven. In more than thirty years of ministry, I have only heard God audibly a couple of times. Most often His voice comes as what I call a “peace-filled hunch” — a deep inward knowing carrying unusual clarity, peace or conviction.

By writing those hunches, thoughts, feelings and intuitions on paper, almost daily, I turn His whispering wisdom within me from fleeting waves of divine insight, into actionable words on a page. And the more faithfully I respond to those gentle promptings, the clearer His voice becomes and the more exciting life gets!

The altar sharpens spiritual hearing because attentiveness grows where intimacy deepens.

Listening Hearts

Throughout Scripture, God continually spoke to people who made space to listen. Samuel heard Him in the quiet of the night. Elijah discerned His whisper after the wind, earthquake and fire had passed. Jesus regularly withdrew to lonely places to pray and commune with the Father.

God still speaks.

Not every impression is automatically divine, of course. Scripture remains our foundation and wisdom matters deeply. But the Holy Spirit truly does guide, prompt, convict, encourage and speak to surrendered hearts.

And often His voice comes gently.

A nudge. A conviction. A sudden clarity. A Scripture coming alive. A persistent burden to pray. A peace-filled thought that refuses to leave.

The more we cultivate the altar of listening, the more sensitive our hearts become to His presence.

Because friendship grows through conversation.

An extract from The ALTAR by Jarrod Cooper. Order Your Copy Below 👇

Believe & Confess Meditation & Declaration

I will cultivate a listening heart that is attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit daily (1 Samuel 3:9). I have the mind of Christ, and God will guide my thoughts, decisions and understanding through His Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:16). I will create regular space for quietness, prayer and listening before the Lord (Psalm 46:10). The Holy Spirit will lead me into wisdom, discernment and deeper intimacy with God (John 16:13). I will grow increasingly sensitive to the gentle promptings, peace and conviction of God’s presence within me (Romans 8:14). My spiritual hearing will become sharper as I faithfully return to the altar of prayer and communion with God (John 10:27). God will direct my path, illuminate my steps and speak life into my future as I walk closely with Him (Psalm 32:8).

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THE ALTAR

Creating lives & cultures ready to host the glory of God.

Something is stirring.

Across the world, hunger for God’s presence is rising—and many are asking: how do we truly host His glory?

In The Altar, Jarrod Cooper calls us back to the place where heaven meets earth—the altar. A place of encounter, devotion, and transformation.

This book will help you:
• Deepen your personal encounter with God
• Build a lifestyle of worship
• Hear His voice clearly
• Create cultures that carry His presence

This isn’t just a book—it’s a call.
When the altar is restored, the fire falls again.

 Order Your Copy Here