My grandson Jacob will often joke with me when we are kidding around, with “what did you say”. I grew up with a dad who was hard of hearing due to a war injury. My wife has hearing loss. “What did you say” is a comment I have heard often enough.

What did you say? That phrase “what did you say” gets lifted up in light of not understanding or not hearing leading to… Did I hear you right? What does that mean? Did you say something? Explain, please.

After all my years with Him, I hear God seemingly all the time. No matter what I am doing I seem to have a radio in the background. It is not always verbal, but may be an impression, a scriptural reminder or something seems to appear. (I am not talking about dreams or visions, though those are two methods of hearing God.)

In a short while I am launching a 6 week group on “hearing God”. I am convinced people for the most part want to hear God, to believe deeper in Him and His message and His care for them.

The first part is simply about hearing God and how does He speak to us. What is some of the basis of receiving from Him? What is His language? What can He say and what will He not say? Hearing God! He wants to communicate with you!

For you– The next step has to do with hearing God for yourself. Too often we begin to believe the lie that God will talk to us about others but not about us. Not true. He wants relationship. I understand that many times He will use someone to convey a message to me through another, but He wants me to be in communion with Him and hear His voice. To know Him. Hearing God for ourself is important because sometimes no one is around. (Ever go through a hard time and no one is home or answers their phone?) Like Uncle Sam, “He wants you!” (Part of the “for you” is to plug in where you fellowship. He may tell you to clean or make coffee. Because it serves the body.) Healthy people are often he result of His speaking to you.

For your family- God is into family. He wants family to be overcomers. To do that He will speak to individuals in a family on things. How to parent, love or serve are some of the topics He might hit on. It would be a disservice to your family not to listen and apply those insights that He opens to you. For you-for your family. You can read all the books about what is normal, but I am not sure God’s approach to life is like that. He created each of us as a unique individual with different needs and character. My gift mix may require different methods or understandings than another. People are not cookie-cuttered, but in fact shaped with individuality in mind. Hearing God for others in your family changes everything. It causes the family to enjoy its own destiny, bringing about rich legacy.

For your community- Through out the scriptures we read of large groups, tribes, cities and people of geographic inhabitation. Each one is different. (Read Paul about the churches of various cities or the tribes of Israel.) My community here in New Hampshire so much different than the community I left behind in Vermont. A community such as a city, needs the right blend of economy, business,education and government to become successful and prosper. Each city will be different. Some might be business or education oriented. Others might be for visitors and tourists. God wants places of safety and life. He will speak to folks about that. (He is not about a place but people and that is what He cares about. But, people need to be some place!)

The difficulty is so many want to save their community before they have resolved issues in their own lives or existence of their family. It begins with “putting down roots” for one’s self. Hearing for yourself. (I am not suggesting do not do anything until you get steps 1 or 2 but I can tell you 1 and 2 are important to large scale changes. What good is one who can preach a storm but loses his family?)

God would like for you to hear Him. It is okay to say to Him “what did you say”. But it is equally important to listen.

In the midst of all that is going on in the world, God needs people who listen, hear and act. Will you be one of them?