Listening to God

[janbear]

Listening to God
by Thomas A. Stobie, S.F.O.




Read and pause often to think what is mentioned as it applies to your life.

Meditation on Listening to God
Preparing Ourselves - In order to truely listen to God, we must prepare ourselves to hear God by opening our heart to his words. Each of the following helps us to better hear God (but are not necessary conditions - God can talk to us under any circumstances).

Love of God - The more we love God, the better we can hear Him.
Purity of Heart - The less sin we have on our hearts, the easier it is to hear God. Going to confession (Sacrament of Reconciliation) often helps maintain more pure soul.
Peace in our Hearts - The more we are at peace with ourselves, the easier it is to hear God.
Quiet Around Us - The more serene the environment, the more we can be observant to God. Avoid distractions and the proximity of distractions.
Unity With the Church - Jesus created the Church and has told us to listen to it. The more we are in obedience, the more united with God we are, and thus the more we can hear Him.
Love of Others - The more we love others, the better we can hear God.
Desire to Hear God - The more we want to true hear God and listen, the more we will hear.
Openiness to God - The more open we are to God and to obeying him, the more we will allow ourselves to hear. Likewise, if we are only will to hear certain things, we limit ourselves in what we will hear from God. We should allow God many ways of speaking to us and leading us to where He wants to be.
Good Teachings - Sometimes good teachings, spoken, written, or visual, can serve as a medium through which God can speak to our souls. For example, the Holy Spirit will help illuminate in our hearts, readings from the Holy Bible.
How does God speak to us? - God is all-powerful and can speak to us in more ways than we can ever conceive (I have listed just a few of the more common ways).

Stirring in our Heart - Occassionally we will find ourselves innerly moved by something we sense with a solid sense of peace and love around it. This stirring often is God speaking to our souls.
Solid Conviction of Truth - Occassionally we will find ourselves knowing that something is absolutely true. This can be God united in our thoughts. (Be careful that peace and love accompany the thought.)
Overwhelmed with God's Love in our soul - We can find ourself enraptured in a immense feeling of being loved deeply with our soul. This can be God telling us how much He loves us.
Avenues of Peace - God will occassionally show us the way by making His choices more peaceful to our heart than the alternatives.
Loving Acts of Other People - God will occassionally speak to us through the actions and/or words of other people. We need to be open to Him doing this and discern what is being communicated and from where it originates.
Through His Creation - In the wonder of creation we can see God and understand God's love better.
Many other ways - God can surprise us in how He communicates us for no loving way is impossible with God.
Of what does God speak to us? - God wants to be involved in everything we do and everyone we meet. He is Truth and Love and speaks only in Truth and Love. His topics are unlimited. He will let His Will for us be known if we listen for it.