Troubles

[the171]

I am having trouble hearing th voice of God. Any advice? Personal experience? Certain prayers?

+Pax et bonum+

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='the171' timestamp='1304045638' post='2234445']
I am having trouble hearing th voice of God. Any advice? Personal experience? Certain prayers?

+Pax et bonum+
[/quote]


The best way I know to hear God is to be silent. Silent and still. Silent and still and patient. Silent and still and patient and with an attitude of loving attentiveness. He isn't the one missing in this equation - ever.

In the beginning (before I could put myself in His presence anywhere), I spent a lot of time at an Adoration Chapel in front of the Blessed Sacrament, preferably when no one else was there, but it didn't really matter because I was learning how to be still. I thought a lot - about Him, about His life, His kindness and gentleness, His wisdom, His passion, His love for me. Sometimes, in the very beginning, one needs the help of reading or the Rosary or mental prayers but over time, it becomes a simple connection between the soul and Him - an awareness that He is always there, patiently waiting and loving. He gives this contemplation as an undeserved gift. Our effort is merely to learn how not to get in the way.

He wants this as much as you do..... actually ....more.

Edited April 29, 2011 by nunsense

[cmaD2006]

Nunsense is right in what she said -- I'm just adding my two cents.

If you are having a hard time hearing the voice of God -- it is probably because you may not be listening .

Its hard to listen when there is a lot of noise around you -- interior and exterior.

1 Kings 19:11-13 (or so) ... Elijah is told by God to go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is going to pass by. The Lord was not in the great wind, nor the earthquake, nor the fire. The Lord was in the tiny whispering sound.

Nowadays it is quite hard to listen ... there's so much around us that distracts. The internet. The TV. Playstation (oh, that's right -- playstation's service is down ... hmm). Music.

It is not easy to quiet down your soul ... it takes practice (and the good Lord knows that I'm far from perfect). But to seek that silence is so important. For its in the silence that the Lord begins to speak.

Don't expect a loud thundering voice, nor for the Lord to hit you over the head with a brick (well, sometimes He just might do that, but not always, not most of the times). Its a soft interior voice that you hear in the innermost of your soul.

Sometimes that voice is present simply in the reading of the day ... in how it strikes you. Or -- it could be a word of encouragement from another person. Or -- it could be a piece of advice given during confession. Or -- it could be a simple phrase, or maybe even a single word said from the homily. Or -- it could be in the simple interactions in nature (flowers, trees, birds, butterflies, etc). Or -- it could be a song that you hear, or a video someone sends you. When the Lord decides to speak He chooses to do so in a variety of ways. The key is the quiet times ... to learn to be in silence, to seek that time with the Lord. From there -- you start to hear His voice.

I'm all 100% for Nunsense's idea -- time before the Blessed Sacrament should help. Even if you get there, and there is absolutely nothing to say. That's great -- and that's silence .

Blessings,

[JenDeMaria]

[quote name='the171' timestamp='1304045638' post='2234445']
I am having trouble hearing th voice of God. Any advice? Personal experience? Certain prayers?

+Pax et bonum+
[/quote]


So far, "Offer it up" seems to work best for me when it comes to countering sticky points in my spiritual life. For instance, when I go to adoration and I simply cannot focus enough to pray, let alone listen during prayer, I say "Lord, I offer you my spiritual poverty, my weakness in prayer, my lack of diligence and my nothingness. I didn't get enough sleep last night/ I drank too much coffee this morning/ I've been indulging myself lately in superficial daydreaming and now I can't stop/ etc and I firmly intend to change these things in my life so that I may grow closer to you in the future. But for now, I place myself in your hands because I know that without you, I cannot even resolve to love you the way I should. Have pity on me and help me. With your grace, I will do my best to simply kneel here in your presence for the next hour (or however long I am praying) and if it is your desire that I do so in distraction, dryness and exhaustion, then I will it too." One morning when I couldn't stop dropping my prayer books I simply said "Jesus I have a lousy attitude this morning. I offer you my lousy attitude -- please take it from me and don't give it back!" Then I pray for however long I have said I would. There have been times when I have spent almost the whole hour in misery, barely capable of staying awake, unfocused, sort of going through the motions, and then in the last minute I am totally revived and feel as though I am just overwhelmed with the love of God -- and, while being filled with the love of God is not necessarily the same thing as hearing His voice, I feel like it's in the same neighborhood, because love of God makes us want to do His Will and makes it easier to see. There have been times when I have been troubled by a real concern and after adoration I feel as though I have been filled with a kind of gentle clarity and I can see that I've been blowing my concern out of proportion and that there is a common sense way to handle it after all.

Also, I read a really enlightening quip, once, by a Dominican who said that we should remember that we will only truly *know* the Will of God when we stand before Him in Heaven -- and that by that time, applying His Will to our lives will be totally irrelevent. So, while we seek His Will in our lives, we do so with a prudent awareness that our understanding of it will always be limited and that there is a benefit to this, because we accrue merit by acting in faith.

All this is good for me to remember when I'm seeking His voice because no matter how clearly I hear something that I believe is coming from God, another part of me will say "But that's just your imagination. Surely that's just your ego." etcetera -- and this is not a matter of my not hearing His voice but of giving in to doubt.

One last thing -- worry never brings clarity. Padre Pio said "Pray and don't worry" When, outside of prayer, I find myself going back to a kind of mental whirpool especially of doubts regarding the future, I often turn to Our Lady and ask her to bring me into the Sacred Heart of Jesus through her Immaculate Heart or I say "Jesus, I gently recollect myself in you" or even "Jesus and Mary I love you, save souls" and having changed the subject of my interior conversation, I try to move on.

[MithLuin]

I just wanted to say that this place is amesome. Where else can you go and get such great advice?


The one word of caution I'll throw in is that sometimes....or rather, for some people....hearing God's voice is just going to be extra difficult. That's part of this life. The important thing is not to give up. Keep seeking Him, and if it takes you a lot more struggle to reach the place where you are at peace and close to the Lord....well, the struggle will be worth it!

[Chamomile]

I really love Lectio Divina.

And praying the Jesus Prayer.

For me, they are ways to foster silence - a sort of emptying of myself - which God then fills up with His grace and presence.

[dominicansoul]

i really don't get too desperate about it...nor do I go looking for Him, as He is already here...for me, it just kinda happens...when I dont hear His voice, I am content...when I do, I am grateful...I guess I have a very relaxed approach to God, now that my discerning into religious life is over...for me, it is a relief...

prayers for you...

[OnlySunshine]

My approach is somewhat different, too. I used to think that God was making me wait forever to know what to do. But it turns out, I wasn't listening enough. I wasn't listening to my heart. I shut Him for a long time, especially this past year when I thought I wasn't called to discern religious life. I may not have a vocation in the end, but I believe that the Holy Spirit wanted me to start over. I got the feeling like God wasn't going to let me quit that easily. As much as I would have liked to hang it up and say it's over because I'm not having any luck finding an order that will accept me, God still has lessons that I need to learn. I accept that. My pastor has been really helpful and VERY supportive of my discernment. It is not all sweet and light--there are definitely days where I feel like I am lost, but that's when I realize that it's not Him that is not listening--it's me. It's always been me. I needed to learn to find the patience to be able to just BE. Not want to rush or worry about the future, but just BE. Be in the present, be in the here and now, be happy for all the blessings He's given me. He doesn't owe me anything. He knows what I need at the exact moment I need it. It takes faith to trust that He will show the way and it will not come overnight. Believe me, I've prayed for a drop out of the sky or a loud booming voice, but I'm glad that I never got that. I'm glad because I have grown so close to Him these past few months and my heart is so full of love for Him.

If you can't hear His voice, it's not because you are not praying enough. It's because He is not quite ready to show the way yet. He never disappears. I believe it was St. Teresa of Avila who described that in these desert times, He is hiding behind a cloud of smoke, but He is still there--He's just obscured by whatever is going on in our life. That's when it's time to refocus. Spend time in Adoration. Get to know your heart because you will find Him there. He's in our heart and in our conscience, but this world is so noisy that we shut Him out with noise, even when we don't realize it. Turn off the headphones, noisy fan, TV, and quiet your thoughts and just meditate on Him. You don't need to pray anything, just think of Him. Like my favorite verse in the Bible says:

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "plans to prosper, not harm. Plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."--Jeremiah 29:11-13

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1304216190' post='2235199']
Like my favorite verse in the Bible says:

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "plans to prosper, not harm. Plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."--Jeremiah 29:11-13
[/quote]


That's a really beautiful quote MM, thanks for reminding us of it! We all need a little help from time to time. And Jesus lets us be tested to make us stronger. He didn't stop Satan from testing Peter, He just told Peter to help strengthen his brothers when he turned back again.

And Jeremiah is one of my favourite prophets!

[the171]

Tahnk you all. This really has helped. I'm taking this advice close close to my heart.

Venite adoremus