You're about to walk into a new school year. With a new year comes a new schedule, new teachers, and maybe even some new friendships (or some hard ones you're still trying to figure out). In the midst of the summer winding down and thinking about the newness of it all, a lot of girls are quietly asking the same question: Is God actually speaking to me? And if He is… why can't I hear Him?

As you pray, it sometimes feels like you are talking with yourself alone in your room, doesn't it? When I was a new believer, I remember laying on my bed staring up at my ceiling wondering if God was ever going to talk back to me. I remember wondering if maybe He just doesn't speak to me the way He spoke to people in the Bible. Aren't there some times you would love a burning bush to be extra clear on what He is telling you? I remember wondering to myself if He was even there.

Here's what I want you to know even when it feels differently: God is not silent. He hasn't gone anywhere. But hearing Him requires something most of us aren’t great at (me included!) — getting quiet enough to listen. And I don't just mean quiet like you're at the library. I'm talking about a different heart and mind kind of quiet.

And girl, we live in the loudest era in human history.

Our phones buzz, the group chats never sleep, social media tells us who we should be, what we should want, and how we're measuring up. Oftentimes, before our feet even hit the floor in the morning, our minds are already full.

Here's the thing about noise though — it doesn't just come from outside. There's the inner noise too. Do you know what I'm talking about? Whether it's an anxiety spiral, the comparison loop, or the I'm not enough track that plays on repeat, all of it drowns out the still, small voice God described to Elijah (see 1 Kings 19). The amazing thing is that this same voice still speaks to us today.

If you feel like you're having trouble hearing it, try starting here: create a quiet pocket in your day. It doesn't have to be long. Even ten minutes changes things.

Put your phone in another room (yes, actually) before you're tempted to open Instagram or check your texts. Sit down with your Bible open and just show up. You don't have to have the perfect words. Just tell God you want to hear from Him. That simple act of intention matters more than you think.

Then grab a journal and try writing out: God, I'm here. I'm listening. Speak to me today. Sit with that for a minute before you move on — and give yourself permission to actually linger there. In that quiet, still moment, ask God to help you open your heart to what He has to say.

But here's what I don't want you to miss: finding a quiet moment away from the noise of the world is one thing, but sometimes the trickier part is the noise you can't turn off. You know, the stuff happening on the inside. When anxiety, comparison, or fear is loud, it's hard to trust that what you're sensing is actually God and not just your own worried mind. Start by surrendering those things first. Write them down. Pray through them. Hand them over. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God." That stillness isn't just physical, it's a posture of trust.

Once you make room to listen, you might be wondering…what does His voice actually sound like? While we might wish He still spoke in burning bushes so we could be absolutely sure, His voice is usually a little less dramatic than that. It comes through Scripture most clearly and consistently. When a verse stops you in your tracks, when words feel like they were written for exactly what you're walking through — that's not coincidence, that's conversation. Lean in. Ask God to show you what He has for you in His Word.

He also speaks through the Holy Spirit's quiet nudges — a pull toward something kind, a check on something you're about to do, a peace that doesn't make logical sense. Here's your test for all of it: His voice will always line up with His Word. It won't shame you. It won't rush you. And it always leads you closer to Him.

Not sure where to begin? I've got you — check out the 7-Day Tune-In Challenge for one small thing to do each day this week.

This school year, you don't just have to walk in differently. You can walk in listening.

The 7-Day Tune-In Challenge One small thing every day to start hearing God more clearly

Day 1: Phone goes in another room. Seriously. Before you check a single thing, spend 5 minutes in silence. You don't have to say anything. Just show up and let God know you're there.

Day 2: Open your Bible before you open any app. Just one chapter. Don't overthink it. Notice if anything stops you — a word, a verse, a feeling. That's worth paying attention to.

Day 3: Write it down. Grab a journal and write out this simple prayer: God, I'm here. I'm listening. What do you want me to know today? Then sit with it for a minute before you move on.

Day 4: Name the noise. What's loud in your head right now? Anxiety? Comparison? Write it down and hand it over. You can't really hear God when you're white-knuckling everything else.

Day 5: Carry a verse with you. Pick one verse from your reading this week and take it into your day. Come back to it. Let it settle into you.

Day 6: Test what you're hearing. Ask yourself honestly: Does this sound like the God I read about in Scripture? Does it lead me closer to Him, or away? His voice won't shame you. It won't rush you. Trust that.

Day 7: Tell someone. Share with a friend, mentor, or parent what you feel like God has been saying this week. His voice has a funny way of getting clearer when we stop keeping it to ourselves.