At Mysterious Ways, we receive countless stories from people who have heard a mysterious voice they can’t explain. This voice can give them guidance, bring them comfort, or even save their lives. We’ve collected our favorite stories of divine voices, each one of them a miracle that shows us we are never alone.
1. Voice in the Storm
On a stormy summer night in Wisconsin, high-schooler Debra Hoskins was asleep in bed when she woke up to a strange voice. “Your house is going to be struck by lightning today,” it said. But there was no one in her room. Debra and her family had lived in her late-grandfather’s house for over five months. They’d seen a few storms, but the house had never been struck by lightning before. “It’s just your imagination,” Debra whispered to herself. But when she heard the voice again, Debra couldn’t ignore it anymore and got out of bed. There was just something so familiar about the voice…
Read Debra’s story “The Mysterious Voice That Saved Her From a Devastating Fire” here.
2. The U-Turn That Rescued Mom
Ben Martin was on his way home from running errands in town. He’d decided to return right away after he’d heard a strange voice. “You’re needed back home,” it said. As he drove down the two-lane rural road to his house, he passed by his neighbor, Pearle. She was leaned against her truck outside her ranch and waved at him as he passed. Ben continued on, but then he heard the voice again, “Go back and visit with Pearle.” Ben listened and did a U-turn. And it’s a good thing he did.
Read Elaine Maze Poe’s story “The U-Turn That Rescued Mom” here.
3. The Mysterious Voice That Helped Her Believe in Prayer
Desperate for some relief from her anxiety, Sheryl Resnick called a prayer line asking for help. “You’ll be in our prayers,” said the woman on the line. “A group of us are staying in the church all night. Praying. We won’t leave until morning.” Sheryl went to bed thinking about how strangers would be praying for her all night. Weird, she thought. But what did I have to lose? She had just fallen asleep when she awoke suddenly to something touching her foot. She felt a warmth spread over her body, starting from her feet and making its way up. Sheryl felt a powerful presence in the room and heard a voice, delivering an important message to her.
Read Sheryl’s story “The Mysterious Voice That Helped Her Believe in Prayer” here.
4. A Perfectly-Timed Visit
Wendy Hobday Haugh was baking in her kitchen when she heard a voice inside her head, suddenly urging her. “Take Carol a copy of your story,” it said. Wendy had just published a story in a magazine and purchased an extra copy to give to her friend and neighbor, Carol. She’d planned on running the copy over to her at some point, but not right now. Still, the voice persisted, “Take Carol a copy of your story. Do it now!” Wendy finally relented and walked over to Carol’s place. She found her in her home office, hard at work at her desk. That’s when Wendy noticed something behind her.
Read Wendy’s story “A Peculiar Voice” here.
5. The Voice at the Theater
It seemed like the perfect way to spend an evening with her mother. Karen Malena was a caregiver to her mom who had dementia and was looking for something fun for them to do. Karen saw a poster for a play of Beauty and the Beast, one of her mom’s favorite movies. Maybe this show could really bring her joy, Karen thought. But as soon as the performance started, it was a disaster. Her mom wouldn’t stop talking and when the actors sang, her mom insisted on singing along. Embarrassed, Karen gathered her things, ready to leave and take her mom home. Then she heard something. “Stay,” said a voice. “Don’t move.”
Read Karen’s story “What a Musical Meant to a Woman with Dementia” here.
6. “Duck, James!”
LethaJoy Martin’s father, James, never told any stories about his time as an Army private during World War II—except for one. In 1944, while James was fighting in the South Pacific, his mother was at home in Baltimore battling breast cancer. One night as she recovered from surgery at the hospital, James’ father sitting next to her as she slept, the strangest thing happened. James’ mother sat up in bed, her eyes wide with fear. “Duck, James!” she shouted. Afterwards, she went right back to sleep. She had no recollection of the incident when her husband asked her in the morning. They figured it was a bad dream. A few weeks later, James sent a letter home about a strange voice he’d heard while preparing for a night time attack.
Read LethaJoy’s father’s story “The Mysterious Voice That Saved a Soldier” here.
7. Heeding a Heavenly Voice
When Catherine McCualsky was a young girl, her favorite place to play was the swing in her backyard. “Something about flying through the air, trying to touch the clouds,” she said, “made me feel closer to God.” One afternoon as she was swinging, she heard a voice behind her. “You’d better get out of the swing before it breaks,” the voice said. Catherine turned to see who it was, but she was alone. Her mom was inside. Her dad wasn’t home. The closest neighbor was half a mile away. She got off the swing and went inside to see if her mom had called to her, but she hadn’t. Catherine returned to the swing and stared at it. It looked sturdy enough.
Read Catherine’s story “Heeding a Heavenly Voice” here.
8. A Voice in the Marsh
Mark Porter and his brother Paul were on a hunting trip in a Texas swamp, searching for alligator eggs. As they worked, their air boat accidentally disturbed a nest of bees—killer bees! Their boat engine had stalled and they couldn’t get away. The two brothers jumped into the water to escape the bees, but the water wasn’t deep enough. They were trapped, being stung over and over. We are going to die out here, Mark realized. That’s when he heard a voice. A voice that told him exactly what he needed to do. He recognized that voice anywhere.
Read Mark’s story “The Voice That Saved Him from a Swarm of Killer Bees” here.
9. “Call Danny”
As she cleaned her kitchen one morning, Dianne Weston felt a repetitive thought forcing its way into her head. Over and over, she kept hearing, “Call Danny.” Dianne and her brother, Danny, weren’t very close. He’d battled alcoholism his entire life and after trying to get him to quit countless times, she’d basically given up. But the voice was so persistent, she finally called him. Maybe she could invite him to church with her the next day, even though he always said no. “Hello?” Danny slurred into the phone. “Danny, it’s Dianne,” she said. “You’re coming to church with me tomorrow.” To her surprise, Danny agreed! But why this time?
Read Dianne’s story “Her Phone Call Saved Her Brother’s Life” here.
