How Do You Truly Listen To God?

[xTrishaxLynnx]

[quote name='LinaSt.Cecilia2772' timestamp='1339388747' post='2443368']
You are awe.some. What you said makes complete sense. I am the type of person that goes crazy if I don't know what's going on right then and there, and I'm a frequent asker of the question "why?". I want to know why things happen the way they do as they are happening, especially this past year when some truly rough stuff happened and everything was turned upside down. I'm still trying to figure out "why" everything happened the way they did, and by what you are saying, I think that's what's getting in the way.
[/quote]

Not amesome, I just understand what you're going through as I've been where you are now, but thank you. I will keep praying for peace and clarity for you.

[Safia]

A turning point in my relationship with the Trinity occurred soon after a powerful Confession I had with a CFR in NYC. One thing he reminded me of is our inheritance; we are the Lord's children, and that we must give Him the time and the space to delight in us. The Lord [i]delights[/i] in us, especially when we seek Him, when our hearts yearn for Him. He [i]delights[/i]. How much we yearn to speak with Him, to be with Him? He wants the same, just a million times more.

It took me a while -- a few weeks with a solid daily hour of Adoration -- to get to a point I could understand what this meant. And I think only God can maintain a person in even a basic state of contemplation; we have to practice ridding ourselves of the distractions, but He engages us always, too.

There comes a point now at which I'm able to sit before Him and talk with Him, and to better discern His thoughts. For me, prayer is totally like a conversation. He gives me very specific feedback via the world, what I read, the homilies I hear, the answers I receive to questions, etc. But He is constant in His guidance in prayer. I'll walk away encouraged or discouraged, but even discouragement brings with it peace, and in those cases, it is more of an abandonment of an idea than anything else. Prayer has taught me honesty in ways that nothing else has. Before I reverted, I became an expert on tricking myself into believing I was happy and content, etc. That isn't a problem. After prayer, after intensive prayer, I often walk away humbled or chastised -- gently, but still -- and I know it's from Him, and because I love Him, I listen. He's taught me authenticity (stealing Thomas Dubay's word).

If you're looking for things to read, I recommend AUTHENTICITY and FIRE WITHIN by Thomas Dubay, and THE FULFILLMENT OF ALL DESIRE by Ralph Martin, and I BELIEVE IN LOVE by Jean d'Elbee.

Edited June 12, 2012 by Safia

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

[quote name='LinaSt.Cecilia2772' timestamp='1336883687' post='2430162']
Okay so when I pray, I feel like I'm the one doing all the talking instead of listening to what God has to say. I'm not gunna lie, it's REALLY hard listening because everytime I try to listen my thoughts get caught up in the whole thing and I get my thoughts confused with God's words. It's confusing, challenging, and just plain hard to listen. How do any of you know that you have heard what God says to you? What are some seriously silent prayer techniques that y'all do? I don't want to block out God with my own thoughts and words if that makes sense. I know that everyone prays differently and everyone's experience is different, but I just want different people's opinions and advice.

Thank you!!
[/quote]

possibly , 1. ban your t.v. and movie viewing or reduce it severely. 2. Don't let anyone else upstairs in your brain, that is your secret room(no judgements of others or ban wagoning there judgements, and no assumptions of what there doing in the dark or worrying about there assumptions of what your doing in the dark.Something like that anyway.) Reduce the clutter in your mind. I was walking away from others with there judgements and assumptions of others rattling in my brain and also my own judgements and assumptions of them. Doesn't mean we can't walk and talk with others. We just can't let them upstairs, pray and let go. To be in the world but not of the world. Thats what i'm trying to do anyhow lately. Maybe some,all or none of what i just said helps, Take what you will, it may work, disgard of that which won't.

God bless you

Edited June 13, 2012 by Tab'le Du'Bah-Rye

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

i can't tell you his will for you or where you will find him outside of the most precious body and blood and the sacrament of confession, but all that may help you to find where he is and his will for you personaly and communaly. Why do we need community, because our god is one. That may help also talking with christian bretheren about faith.

[Julie de Sales]

Sometimes I really want to hear God's voice, because in prayer I bombard him with requests and questions and He does not have much space to speack. However, I stop once in a while and I make silence, or I think about a vers from the Gospel and take this as His answer to my prayer. I don't know if it's the right thing to do, not always I get what I'm looking for, but I don't have another method to make God speack.

[Annie12]

I haven't read through all of the responces, so parden me if i am missing something( ) but..

In my exsperience, I have always felt as though I come up aginst a road block when trying to listen for God. But recently, I have actually been able to understand what he is saying back to me as though I was converseing face to face with him. And I know it is him speaking to me because I can feel it in my heart. It is diffrent than [i]me[/i] formulating word in my head. Its like he inspires the words in my mind. I feel like I am pretty strange for this but I haven't read all the responces so I don't know. But, God makes him self known to each individual in the way he wills to. Sometimes I will try to listen for his voice but nothing comes and then I read something in the bible and it's the answer to my question! So, trust that God does answer your question and you may be able to see his answer more clearly. Good luck and God bless!

[LinaSt.Cecilia2772]

[quote name='Julie de Sales' timestamp='1342165857' post='2455261']
Sometimes I really want to hear God's voice, because in prayer I bombard him with requests and questions and He does not have much space to speack. However, I stop once in a while and I make silence, or I think about a vers from the Gospel and take this as His answer to my prayer. I don't know if it's the right thing to do, not always I get what I'm looking for, but I don't have another method to make God speack.
[/quote]

I know exactly how you feel, I do the same thing. It's almost as if I'm at a standstill not knowing what to do or how to go forward.

[BarbTherese]

I have just finished reading a book "God's Voice Within" (The Ignatian Way to Discover God's Will) Fr. Mark E Thibodeaux SJ. I found it wonderfully helpful and plan to put the book away for a couple of weeks and then read it again. This book would also be very helpful to a person on a discernment of God's Will journey - and who feels 'stuck'. I have an Ignatian Spirituality Centre not far from me and next year hope to be able (after more research into the Centre) to put away sufficient funds to be able to go through the Ignatian Exercises, with Jesuit direction. It's not cheap. I daresay one can get a reduced cost, but religious orders have to survive too and whatever one pays is a donation to the works of an Order.
[url="http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Voice-Within-Ignatian-Discover/dp/0829428615"]http://www.amazon.co...r/dp/0829428615[/url]

"Book Description:



[left]Many of us do not trust our own thoughts, feelings, and desires when it comes to discerning God’s will. Instead we look outside ourselves to determine what God wants from and for us. In [i]God’s Voice Within[/i], spiritual director Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ, shows us how to use Ignatian discernment to access our own spiritual intuition and understand that the most trustworthy wisdom of all comes not from outside sources, but from God working through us.[/left]
[i]God’s Voice Within[/i] is intended for people who know that there is more to the spiritual life than they are currently experiencing and are ready to take the next step in their walk of faith by making effective discernment—specifically Ignatian discernment—a daily practice.
Ultimately, [i]God’s Voice Within[/i] teaches us to discern what is at the root of our actions and emotions, which in turn allows us to respond to God’s promptings inside us rather than unconsciously reacting to life around us."

Edited July 15, 2012 by BarbaraTherese