My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. (Jn 10:27)
In our daily lives, there is one voice that assaults us relentlessly in a steady, ongoing, continuous stream of confusion and doubt. It is not the voice of the “world”—the one which opposes the Gospel and substitutes truth for a lie. As pervasive and as insidious as that voice is, still, it is not “relentless,” by virtue of the fact that we can choose to escape its reach at any time, by seeking truth in the voice of a trusted source, or simply by choosing to place our attention on something neutral.
But if that is the case, what voice could possibly have the ability to attack us unceasingly? The voice that goes on in our own mind. Just as the Holy Spirit whispers His inspirations of grace and peace in the silent temple of our hearts, so too does the devil seek to tear that temple down by screaming lies just outside the very walls of our refuge.
The Devil’s Lies Disguised
If we think that we would never succumb to such tactics, because, after all, we are the Lord’s “sheep” and therefore recognize our Good Shepherd’s voice, then let us examine what this relentless voice is like, and see if anything sounds familiar:
“I wasn’t invited because they don’t like me.”
“I messed everything up.”
“There is no way this ends well.”
“He would never forgive me if he knew.”
“She would never love me if she only knew the real me.”
“It’s all up to me to fix this.”
“I have to take matters into my own hands.”
“I can’t let this go.”
“He always…She never…”
“I can’t forgive this.”
“What if?”
“It’s not fair.”
“It’s not ‘supposed to’ be this way.”
“I give up.”
Do any of these words sound familiar? Because if these are the words we listen to, willingly engage in, and even entertain, then we have turned our attention away from the Good News of Jesus Christ, our Shepherd.
Babbling Prayer
Jesus tells us not to “babble” when we pray, and some people have used His admonition as an argument against reciting rhythmic prayers, such as the rosary or novenas. But Jesus says not to babble “like the pagans.”
Pagans do not pray at all—at least not to the one, true God. Pagans have conversations in their own minds, and it sounds a lot like the “relentless” words that speak in the isolation of our minds. Pagans ruminate. Pagans stew. Pagans fruitlessly try to “figure out” their own problems by endlessly analyzing them and going over them again and again through the distorted filter of their personal perspective.
Pondering in the Holy Spirit
Certainly, God has given us the gift of our minds so that we use prudence and logic to navigate our lives. He does not want us to react to our problems rashly or foolishly. But there is a difference between thinking and pondering.
Pondering elevates our thinking because it is an action that takes place in and through the Holy Spirit. When we ponder, the Holy Spirit rectifies our vision so that we can see our difficulties clearly, and from the perspective of eternity.
This is why Jesus tells us that our Father knows what we need before we even ask Him. He tells us to keep it simple and to peacefully accept whatever He sends.
This is how you are to pray: …Thy will be done. (Mt. 6:9)
What happens when we pray and ponder in this way and the Holy Spirit rectifies the voice inside our minds? We are once again restored in peace and are now free to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd who continually speaks to us in all our needs:
“Not being invited was my gift to you; your family needs you home tonight.”
“I allowed your mistake for a greater purpose.”
“Offer your trial for ___. She needs your prayers right now.”
“Take courage: in your weakness, I will be your strength.”
“Who cares what they think?”
“Don’t worry about whether they love you. Your job is to love them.”
“I love you. You are mine.”
“Peace be with you.”
“All things work for good.”
“I have plans in mind for you…for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.”
“Surrender yourself to me.”
“Trust in me. Just have faith.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Don’t worry.”
With words like that, how could we ever be tempted to turn away? Because the voice that seeks to get our attention is just so terribly loud. But the Good News is that we can return inside the fortress walls of our heart at any time, where neither arrow nor cannon can penetrate. Those walls will act as a soundproof barrier so that we can be sure to always hear the whisper we seek, blissfully oblivious to any other wiles or attacks.
So let us make peace our primary objective as Christians, for it is only then that we are protected from the voice of deceit…even when that voice might be our own.
I busy not myself with great things…rather, I have stilled and quieted my soul…In you, Lord, I have found my peace. (Ps. 131:1-3)
Author’s Note: This article was adapted from a chapter in 26 Steps with the Eucharistic Lord: A Guide to Deeper Communion in Prayer.
