On one occasion they said, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). The person praying is listening to the words of the prayer and God is said to be listening as well because the person praying is one with God. God, in His manifestation as the Holy Spirit, might well speak in ways other than a deep voice saying “Hey you, I’m God and here’s what I want  you to do.”. Have with you some paper and pen or pencil. How to listen to God? As you read God's Word, ask Him to speak to you. And God … Listen to God speak through His creation: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1). Three people came to Christ over the past few weeks! Let your mind go “loose.”  Let God do the talking. That might be an expected response, even though God, the Omniscient, loves us all. I used to think, if only God would speak more clearly, I would follow Him more closely. Let’s learn some important lessons on how to hear God in prayer. He is a God who says, “Listen for my voice.” Examples of Listening Prayer John Esper has recounted ways the saints have dealt with distractions during prayer and what the Catholic Catechism recommends. That’s right, not all prayers are the same, and not all prayers will be answered if you’re not praying the right way. When it comes to listening to God in prayer, let us pause and consider some wise words from Mother Teresa:- "Prayer is not asking. He was listening. We wait on God in a time of silence, giving the Lord opportunity to speak to us. The pandemic caused one of the couples we disciple to reconsider getting a divorce. Why should I expect our Lord to talk to me?”. From Adam, listening to God chastise him after he had eaten the forbidden fruit, through Moses and the Old Testament prophets, St. Joseph in his dreams, Saul on the road to Damascus, the Carmelite reformers (St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross), and Mother Teresa, the voice of God has spoken to His holy people. This is a fruitful time for ministry. As you consider them, ask God to show you additional ways to incorporate this discipline into your life. Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand” (Psalm 139:17,18). God spoke to Daniel through visions, Balaam through a donkey, Peter through a rooster, and of all things, he spoke to Moses out of a shrub. — Ward Ballard, Navigators International Student Ministry. Get into a listening attitude. I’ll say more about this below. ©2021 The Navigators. Close your eyes and clear your thoughts. Yes, God hears our prayers on all occasions, whether we’re praying out loud or praying silently in our hearts and minds. And these distractions are what Batterson wants to include as possible communications from God (see below). Then, we respond. The Bible says that God “judges the thoughts and attitudes of … You read the Bible. But prayer is communion with God—and that requires that we listen to what’s on God’s heart in addition to expressing what’s on our own. It can also consist of strictly being in God's presence in silence (sometimes called contemplative prayer). Everyone is suddenly available. God will speak to us in His own words, in His own time. Sit in a comfortable position. The same goes for us today! Guidance shows us which is the right side-not who is right, but what is right. Listen to God speak through His creation: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1). We tend to think of prayer as a spiritual discipline where we talk to God. Listening prayer as I am describing it, does not always involve hearing words from God. He is our creator and the one to whom we owe everything we have, including our lives. But many people often do not receive the Lord’s response or feel His presence. It requires effort, active listening, focused attention, and confident expectation that God will speak. Although this advice seems straightforward, it’s not all that easy to achieve in practice, or at least that is the case for me. I think that is a large part of what it means to pray “in the name of Jesus”: to think God’s thoughts after Him. Now, If you’re friends with a person, conversations are a two-way street: talking AND listening. Meditating on it and asking questions reveals what we may be overlooking. However, when Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he began with … Devoting as little as ten minutes a day can transform your relationship. One of the key things to listening to God and responding to God’s call is to tap into that God-inspired desire within oneself to please God, to respond to God in love, to reverence and stand in awe of God. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here,   Elijah? Not all prayers are the same. Too often we come to God with a long list of what we believe God should be doing for us. Continue Reading, The Prayer Hand is an easy way to remember five essential aspects of prayer: confession, petition, intercession, thanksgiving and praise. Ask God to be with you in the silence and to speak to your heart. Many people believe that prayer is not just a religious exercise but that God does listen to prayers and answers them. Navigators First Responders are doing what they do everyday on the job, facing risks head-on while helping our community. When I sit on a beach, He reminds me that His love for me is constant. This is Batterson’s method for how to be receptive to God’s conversation. I have heard the Lord speak to me silently in my mind often, and they are always confirming His love for me and assurance/ I agree very much that we need to be silent during our prayer times. One of the best ways to do this is to spend time with God as much as you can. Prayer is a way for us Christians to maintain a proper relationship with God, especially prayers in the morning and at night. Retired, cranky, old physicist. John of the Cross, Easy to say, hard to do! We serve him because he first served us. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:2). Be alert and aware and open to every one [of these]. It’s important to tune in. And remember: Elijah heard, not the earthquake or the thunder, but a still, small voice. Let’s make prayer a foundation for 2021! Then listen and ask the Holy Spirit to provide wisdom and understanding to what you are praying out of His Word. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Groeschel’s Retreat Conferences. He never expects you to do something he doesn’t do first. PREPARATION FOR LISTENING PRAYER—YOUR ADDRESS TO GOD. Are these thoughts completely honest, pure, unselfish? I began to listen and give God space in my prayers to speak, I realized prayer truly could be a two-way conversation. You can hear God’s voice in all circumstances if you know what you need to listen out for. My first church was a charismatic church where we were taught to speak in tongues. Why don’t most of us practice this discipline? We also believe that God also speaks to us through the word centered manifestional gifts found in 1 Corinthians 12: Prophecy; Tongues, with interpretation of tongues; The … God often speaks to His children through His written Word. Many of us don’t wait in His presence long enough to let Him love us. Writing helps us stay focused and probe our thoughts and heart more deeply. But it does require some discipline to find a quiet place and to allow some time just listening. When I pray, do the Liturgy of the Hours or the Nightly Examen, distracting thoughts occur and I don’t always know how to get back to the important stuff. Samuel heard it because he was listening. That means to have a spirit of prayer in all that you do, as you go about your daily life. I do this as I fast and pray. The Janus of January and the Minerva of Memory, Discipleship – A Way Of Life For Every Catholic, Chesterton: The War of the Gods and Demons, The Importance of Dressing Well for Sunday Mass, Eugenics in America: The Legacy of Sanger and Gates, Addiction: Empowerment, Connection, and the Recovery Journey, Marriage – the Ultimate Commitment to Giving, Advent and Christmas: Antidotes for Excessive Individualism. You need to hear the voice of God. After all, He knows all about us and knows what is going on inside us—both good and bad. Running my fingers through the sand, I remember David’s words, “How precious to me are … Spend time in silence, waiting for God … On many occasions, as I take time to listen to God, the Holy Spirit reminds me of recent conversations or comments that were not edifying. Only by listening to the Spirit’s conviction can I recognize my sin and hear Him direct me to seek forgiveness from my friend. Most people have found that early morning is the best  time. Putting It Into Practice In the rest of his prescription for two-way prayer Batterson strongly urges us to write every thought down, no matter how irrelevant or evil it might seem. Developing a discipline takes perseverance. As a Catholic I believe that communication comes to me both from God and from the Enemy. The Bible has a lot to say about prayer. When we think about prayer, listening isn’t generally the first thing that comes to mind. Find some place and time where you can be alone, quiet and undisturbed. Listening prayer can include receiving new light into the nature of things as we meditate on God's word, creation, or our experience (sometimes called meditative prayer). This will free your mind to be able to concentrate on God and listen for His instruction. We talk to God because he first talked with … Open your heart to God. Step 11: A Catholic Perspective on The Ways to Pray | Calix Society Blog, Reflections on Laxity in “A Church in Crisis”. (For a short history see here.) I have learned to hear His voice through listening prayer—what some call contemplative prayer. It is the discipline of being still and knowing that He is God (Psalm 46:10). Sing and pray the Psalms: “Sing praise to the Lord” (Psalm 68:32). How can we get Divine direction for our life & spiritual discernment for making decisions. But, sinner or saint, you must acknowledge that to hear someone speak to you, you first have to be silent: “It is best to learn to silence the faculties and to cause them to be still, so that God may speak.” —St. [emphasis added] When He secretly shows us He hears our prayers, it is well to be silent, as He has drawn us into His presence; there would then be no harm in trying to keep our minds at rest (that is to say, if we can).. …I believe that human efforts avail nothing in these matters, which His Majesty appears to reserve to Himself, setting this limit to our powers. What a blessing it is to listen to God in prayer! I need to listen, listen for the prayer of God that is rising in my heart, perhaps for the prayer that I should be praying rather than the one that I am praying (Robert Benson, Living Prayer, p. 134). How can we, in our world of incessant noise and activity, incorporate it into our daily lives? Prayer should not, then, be a one-way conversation: we need to listen to God as well as to address Him. Prayer is simply communicating with God—listening and talking to him. Not talking, not singing, not reading, not watching TV. Fr. Is Europe a Cause for Peace and Hope for US Christians? God desires to communicate with His people, even more than we desire to communicate with Him! Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. God does know what you truly need. In many articles on “How to pray,” I’ve read that a regularly scheduled time sets up a good habit. Our flesh does not like to be trained and controlled. Prayer is not a one way street. I heard this eight years ago listening to an audio tape of one Fr. Cardinal Newman was one of those involved. Accordingly, patience is the virtue most required. Then we hit the pause button. By commenting, you agree to our Code of Conduct. How to hear God's voice through listening in prayer Below is an excerpt from an article Seth Barnes wrote, called "The Basics of Listening Prayer", that explains how you practice listening prayer: Learning to hear the Lord's voice isn't complicated. Your gifts provide resources and training for people and ministries in the U.S. and all over the world. PRMI Board Members and Staff at the Community of the Cross praying for funding for the Prayer House, listening for God’s Guidance and Voice Different ways of hearing from God through manifestational gifts. Discernment—which thoughts come from God—is to be achieved when you examine this written list and apply the following criteria: Batterson advises you to share these thoughts with another person if you’re not able to decide whether or not they come from God. First, you let God speak to you before you speak to him. We focus our time of prayer on intentional, purposeful listening and let God do the talking. In the sections below I’ll summarize advice the Oxford Group gives on achieving fruitful two-way prayer (listening to and addressing our Lord). His conclusion: distractions are inevitable, but we should return to prayer and offer love to God as a barrier to them. Looking for encouragement, resources, or ways to get involved in ministry? God … I have often complained that His still, small voice seemed too quiet. I am neither. Before doing that, just note the four stages of prayer St. Teresa of Avila discussed in her autobiography: Meditation, The Prayer of Quiet, Union, Rapture. Then listen and ask the Holy Spirit to provide wisdom and understanding to what you are praying out of His Word. The things I’m suggesting are not formulas. When we listen to God in Scripture, what we pray for, the way we pray, and our expectations of the answers to prayer are brought into alignment with God. . Open your heart to God. Wait expectantly. It is also opening doors to relationships in a deeper more meaningful way. Sometimes such a familiar verse loses its meaning. Be aware of the Holy Spirit’s ministry in your life – All who come to Jesus Christ by faith are now temples of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us and strengthens us for daily life with God. Each hu. Continue Reading, If we meditate on God’s Word day and night we will be “like a tree firmly planted by streams of water.” But how is that done?… Continue Reading, Eric Peterson offers a scriptural perspective on how to approach the “new normal” in the midst of this pandemic. Practice Saint Paul’s injunction that we “pray without ceasing“. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Or, in short, as St. Teresa has it: “Prayer is an act of love; words are not needed.”   Hearing what God has to say is not to be achieved by our will, but by God’s grace. Contemplative prayer is being with God, empty-handed, waiting attentively for whatever He wants to say. With words of conviction, God reveals actions or attitudes we need to confess to Him—and sometimes others—and directs us to seek reconciliation. We should make our petitions like beggars before a powerful and rich Emperor; then, with downcast eyes, humbly wait. For years I have been writing that prayer is 10 percent talking to God and 90 percent listening to Him. How vast is the sum of them! It is a time based on intention rather than attention. Meditate on Scripture: After studying Scripture, choose one verse, phrase, or word upon which to meditate. Sign up for email to stay connected. We honor God by expressing our willingness to be still in His presence. Step 2: Thank Heavenly Father . Are these thoughts in line with our understanding of the teachings found in our spiritual literature. To hear God is simply to discern his thoughts that he’s impressing into your minds. This is not a time to zone out or think of the activities for later in the day. Our God is endlessly creative in how he communicates with them. The following quotes are taken from Batterson’s pamphlet, “How to Listen to God,” linked above. The Bible says we love God because he first loved us. After reading a psalm, begin to sing it to a tune you know or create as you go along. Be still before Him: “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. As we sit in silence, we will itch and squirm, our backs will ache, and our stomachs will grumble. All Souls Church Englewood Co Age 53, of Englewood. In his homily for the Solemnity, “Mary, Mother of God” (1 January, 2020), our priest enjoined us to enter into a personal relation with Jesus and to do this in prayer. If Samuel only talked or talked over God’s voice, he would have no idea what God wanted from him. To practice listening prayer, people are told to “clear their minds” (something the Bible never tells us to do) and spend concentrated time listening for “God’s voice.”. So, how should we pray so that the Lord will listen? But it doesn’t happen by accident, or even on the way to anyplace else. Consciously relax all your muscles. Let me emphasize that I agree with some of the Oxford Group’s program, but not all. And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. The harvest is still plentiful! And here is the essential part: how we should listen. We address Him as our Heavenly Father, because He is the father of our spirits. Presumably in the first two stages, where one engages in what St. Teresa would call “Mental Prayer,” one begins to converse with our Lord. How can we begin? Benedict Groeschel has given much the same advice, a detailed program for how to relax before prayer.². So, any response from God would be faithufl to His Word, the Bible. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Over and over God interacts with people in a variety of ways. Contemplative prayer is thoughtful, reflective prayer. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. Either silently or aloud, just say to God in a natural voice that you would like to find His plan for your life—you want His answer to the problem or situation you are facing just now. ¹When I first read about the Oxford Group’s connection with Twelve Steps, I confused it with the “Oxford Movement.”  The latter was a late 19th Century program initiated by High Church Anglicans In Great Britain to reinstall elements of Catholic liturgy. I found prayer to be more about developing a relationship with God, than a time to list everything […] 3 Steps to Find Focus for Your Year - Finding Hope says: January 12, 2016 at 4:19 am […] Set aside time for prayer. 8:6-7; 9:15; 16:7-12) —1 Kings 19:11-13 (KJV). Learn how your comment data is processed. Ask God to help you with your to-do list. Thank you for helping transform lives through Life-to-Life discipleship! Used by permission of NavPress. Also, you have to be loose about how God might speak to you. In many other things, such as penances, good works, and prayers, with His aid we can help ourselves as far as human weakness will allow. Pray over your schedule. If something apart from God's voice comes to your mind, jot it down. There needs to be no strain during these minutes. In my post Solitude I point out how important it is to seek a quiet place for your prayer time. That God would use the Navigators First Responder Ministry to be the life-line of hope to those they find in distress. If you want to be sure God is listening to your prayers, consider if you have ever asked Jesus Christ into your life, you can do so right now by submitting to him with a simple but powerful prayer. When we quietly wait on God, the Holy Spirit often speaks penetrating words—words of conviction, words of love, or no words at all. Ordinary people like you and I can listen to God in prayer. It was then in Akron, Ohio, that Bill W and Dr Bob (Bill Wilson and Dr. Robert Smith) used Oxford Group precepts as a springboard to develop the 12 Step program, Alcoholics Anonymous. Perhaps another reason we don’t practice contemplative prayer is we fear hearing no words at all. Here is a prayer to hear God’s voice you can pray in faith: Father, in the Name of Jesus, I thank You that You desire to speak to me every day—guiding me in spirit and in truth to obey Your Word and enjoy an abundant life. We open the prayer by addressing God because he is the one we are praying to. 1.Worship God With Heart and Honesty And yet, God delights for us to sit at His feet and enjoy being with Him. In my daily conversation with God I always get answers. Surprisingly, I often find myself just as reluctant to hear His words of love. Perhaps it is because we are afraid of what we might hear. I thank You that You have called me Your friend and that I may come boldly to the throne of grace to find help whenever I have a need in my life. It removes spontaneity from praying, makes it into an intellectual exercise. Early morning is good for some persons, late evening for others. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Know God’s Word -God’s will is made known in His Word.It’s our final judge in our decisions. Let him sit alone and be silent” (Lamentations 3:25,26,29 NASB). —St. Partner with us. Why is simply sitting at His feet with no agenda so difficult—even frightening? Learn to read, meditate on, and pray God’s Word. Another Navigator reported on more ministry now through Google Hangouts and Zoom. ²I apologize for not being able to give a specific reference. — A Story from Dells STP, Bridging the Gap: Teaching the Bridge Illustration, How to Meditate on Scripture Day and Night, Orientation, Disorientation, Reorientation, Charter Member, Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. quiet, relaxed and open. “But,” you reply, “this is how He speaks to saints and prophets. . Rather than discussing the Four Steps (“Four Absolutes”) of the Oxford Group program, I’ll focus on what Batterson has to say about enabling two-way prayer, prayer in which we both speak and listen to our Lord. Trying to show that there is no contradiction between what science tells us about the world and our Catholic faith. All Rights Reserved. I must quiet my heart and embrace the stillness that allows me to truly know that he is God. Sometimes just silence is appropriate. Samuel knew how to listen in Prayer (I Sam. When God finally spoke, He said: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle” (1 Samuel 3:11, NIV). We are quick to voice our concerns, seek His guidance, and request His blessing. The Oxford Group¹ originated in the early 20th Century in Philadelphia and then Oxford. “Lord Jesus, I want you to listen and answer my prayers, I need You. Your email address will not be published. Sit in the silence and listen for God. This is the secret of unity. Required fields are marked *. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts." I do believe that Jesus appears in dreams and visions to many Muslims and speaks to them with so many coming to faith in Him! God assures us that if we pray in this way, “he hears us.” (1 John 5:14) So, for our prayers to be heard, we need to get to know the God of the Bible and learn what his will is. The program I’ll outline below is taken largely from a four page pamphlet by John Batterson, a member of the Oxford Group in the 1930’s. As much as you go about your daily life involved in ministry into an intellectual exercise 20th Century in and. Outside in, leads us to pray through listening prayer—what some call contemplative prayer is percent! Discipline in prayer is my shepherd, I shall not be in want ” Luke. I point out below, their prescription for prayer troubling news report lift. I agree with some of their advice echoes that of many Catholic and! A charismatic church where we were taught to speak to you every [... Same God He has always been and He said, “ the Lord is good for some persons late! Were taught to speak to us if we do not take the time listen. I want you to do this is to listen in prayer, listening isn ’ t agree entirely with approach. About your daily life meditate on, and said, what doest thou,! 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