Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. (1 Samuel 3:9)
In the previous article, we addressed ways in which God can speak to you in prayer. As the title of this article suggests, do you believe that God can speak to you in other ways besides prayer? We are not talking about just hearing God speak to us in an audible voice. God is sovereign and can use any means he chooses to communicate with us.
After all, God created us with a spiritual soul capable of having a personal relationship with him. That’s something he gave to no other created being on earth. He fashioned us so that we can be intimately connected to him, sharing our hearts and minds with him, even as he gives us a share in his own heart and mind.
Now, most of us are pretty good at letting God know what we’re thinking and feeling, but how many of us hear from him in return? Remember, God is always working, always speaking-not in extraordinary ways like the loud voice heard at the transfiguration. No, more often his voice comes as a thought that rises up, unprompted, in our minds-perhaps a thought to pray for someone else or a sudden new insight about God’s love. Some people wake up in the morning with a hymn or praise song running though their minds. That too can be God’s voice.
God might even give you senses in your dreams, just as he gave St. Joseph. Joseph tested them, experimented with them, and learned from them. It was through a dream that Joseph was reassured about marrying Mary. It was also because of a dream that Joseph awoke in the night, took Mary and the infant Jesus, and fled to Egypt. He took the sense of that dream seriously and acted immediately. As a result, Jesus was protected from Herod’s murderous rage, and God’s plan could move forward.
Of course, there are other ways of hearing God: the promptings of your conscience, the guidance of the Scriptures or a spiritual book, a homily at Mass, and the advice of a trusted friend or priest. We also need to be open to less usual ways. The key is to ask God to speak to you. Give him the freedom to speak any way he chooses. Simply be open to the possibility of hearing from the Creator of the universe. It’s exciting, and if you ask, he will not refuse.
“Father, I believe you are always working and always speaking. Please help me to recognize your voice. Teach me how to open my heart and my mind to you. Speak, Lord, and I will listen.”
(Maurice Blumberg was the founding Executive Director of the National Fellowship of Catholic Men (http://www.nfcmusa.org/), and is currently a Trustee. He is also the Director of Partner Relations for Partners in Evangelism, (http://www2.wau.org/partners/), a Ministry to the Military and Prisoners for The Word Among Us. Maurice can be contacted at [email protected].)
[Many thanks to The Word Among Us (http://www.wau.org/) for allowing me to adapt some material from daily meditations in their monthly devotional magazine. Used with permission.]
Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men
1. The article states that “God created us with a spiritual soul capable of having a personal relationship with him. That’s something he gave to no other created being on earth.” What steps can you take to deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God?
2. In the article, the following question is asked: “Now, most of us are pretty good at letting God know what we’re thinking and feeling, but how many of us hear from him in return?” How would you answer this question?
3. The article lists some ways God can speak to us, in addition to prayer. These include: a dream; a thought that rises up, unprompted, in our minds; the promptings of our conscience; the guidance of the Scriptures or a spiritual book; a homily at Mass; and the advice of a trusted friend or priest. Have you ever had God speak to you in any of these or other ways? If so, what were the circumstances and what were the fruits of it?
4. The article ends with these words: “Give him the freedom to speak any way he chooses. Simply be open to the possibility of hearing from the Creator of the universe. It’s exciting, and if you ask, he will not refuse.” What steps can you take to be more “open to the possibility of hearing from the Creator of the universe”?
5. If you are in a men’s group, pray for one another for the grace to hear God speak to you in some way each day. Use the prayer at the end of the article as a starting point.
