(01/40) Hear From God in 40 Emails (Or Less)
Join me for a weekly Substack series designed to give you a biblical and practical plan to hear from God about a decision that matters to you.
So, you want to hear from God?
I’m assuming you do or you wouldn’t be reading this email.
You might be facing a big decision about where to live, who to marry, what to do with your life, where to go to college, or something else—and it’s got you thinking about what God might have to say. Or, you’re not facing a decision at all, but you just want to hear from God.
But, maybe, you feel like one of my kids felt a few years ago.
He was three at the time, and we’re sitting in our backyard talking about prayer while he’s eating breakfast at the picnic table. I tell him that we can speak to God and God speaks back to us. Then, out of nowhere, he yells at the top of lungs: “Godddddddd!” It’s followed by absolute silence.
“Well,” he says, after nothing happens, “I guess God didn’t hear me.”
And, he goes right back to eating his yogurt while I’m left wondering what the neighbors think of our family.
Do you feel like that?
You want to hear from God, but you’re not sure if he’s even listening or what his voice would sound like if he did have something to say. You’re wondering if God still speaks to people like us or if that’s just something that he did in the Bible. You’re not sure how to tell the difference between his voice and the voice in your head. You’ve had a weird experience with someone who told you that God spoke to them. You’ve heard God’s voice wrong before, and you’re afraid to listen for it again. Or, you just don’t have access to any “urim and thummim.” (More on that later.)
I’m Your Guide, but I’m Not an Expert
Think of me as your guide to hearing from God, but I’m not an expert—and that's a good thing, trust me.
I’ve been listening for the voice of God in my own life since I was a teenager at summer camp. (And, no, I never told anyone that God told me to date them.) I’ve sat across the table one-on-one from lots of people facing big decisions and walked them through a simple tool that can help them hear from God. I’ve given talks and sermons to small and large groups of people on hearing from God. I’ve read just about every book I can find on hearing from God—including some of the bad ones. I’ve read through the whole Bible just paying attention to how people hear from God. Whenever someone tells me they heard from God, I ask as many questions as I can to find out what they mean by that.
But, none of that makes me an expert.
In fact, anyone who claims to be an “expert” in hearing from God probably isn’t and, worse, they are probably only one “Thus saith the Lord…” away from starting the next great cult. (It’s happened, and you can watch the documentaries.)
I still get the voice of God wrong in my life—more often, than I care to admit.
But, as Jack Deere, author and one of my favorite guides to hearing from God, says, “I had learned that the only way to learn to hear God's voice well was to fail—a lot.” That’s been my experience, and I think that’s what makes me a good guide for you.
Hear from God in 40 Emails or Less (Really)
My goal is to give you a biblical and practical plan that will help you hear from God in 40 short emails (or less) about a decision that matters to you. It’s one email each week on Tuesday that’s about five-minutes of reading time. If it’s more than that, delete it.
Why 40 emails? Forty is one of those common biblical numbers. Moses was on Mount Sinai for forty days. Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days. But, honestly, it’s mostly because there’s about forty weeks left in the year and I told myself that I would write forty emails this year. So, 40, it is.
In 40 emails, I’m going to introduce you to:
The four most common ways people think about hearing from God
The five steps that will get you ready to hear from God
A tool for hearing God that’s so simple you can draw it on a napkin
Recommended resources to go deeper on hearing from God
And, just about everything else I know about hearing from God.
Do You Want to Hear from God?
So, do you want to hear from God? Subscribe to this newsletter for the rest of the year.
Then, take it one step further: Recommend it to someone else. Maybe it's your roommate or your small group. It might be your spouse or your group chat with your church friends. Invite someone into this journey with you so that you have someone to talk with about this.
My hope for you, as you read these emails and put them into practice, is that you hear from God about a decision that matters to you and start a lifelong journey of listening to his voice.
I Want to Hear From You
But, as you’re learning to hear from God, I want to hear from you.
Tell me about your own experiences with hearing from God. Ask me questions about hearing from God that you haven't known who to ask. (I’ll have an FAQ in a future email.)
For now, though, I want to know: What do you want to hear from God about? Or, at least, what do you think you want to hear from God about? Let me know in the comments.
P.S. In my next email, we’re going to talk about the importance of finding trusted guides for hearing from God—because you aren’t the first one to need a guide.
Like Debbie, I am still asking "What's next?" however I have been asking it a little bit longer since I have been technically in semi-retirement for a few years. I have been seeking God's and other's advice (more the opinion of others) on where I should focus my time e.g., re-enter the workforce to utilize some of my skills and bring in extra income, volunteer in a ministry capacity, or possibly a combination of both. But as of now, I have not had a clear indication from God as to where I should devote my remaining time. I also think I may be using the unknowns related to my cancer as an excuse for not being available to do either.
As I am contemplating retirement, I'm asking "What's next?" Yes, I want to slow down and take it easy, but I know there may be new areas where I can serve the Lord. I want to be open to His leading.