| One question I often encounter about how to pray | | | | God also speaks to us through our conscience. |
| is: how can I listen to what God is saying to me? In | | | | Through our conscience, He speaks to us about what |
| order to answer the question, we need to be aware | | | | is right and what is wrong. |
| of the different ways through which God | | | | God also communicates with us through daily events |
| communicates with us. | | | | that happen in our lives. For example, we get a job |
| I don't know if any of you have read the book "God | | | | offer out of the blue that changes our career |
| Guides" by Mary Geegh. Mary was a missionary in | | | | direction. Somebody we haven't heard from for quite |
| India for 38 years and in this book she tells of her | | | | a while calls us. We can learn much simply what God |
| experiences about listening to God. | | | | is saying by observing what transpires around us. |
| The way she listened to God was quite simple. | | | | Another way that God speaks through us is through |
| Whenever she needed to consult God about | | | | our pain. As C. S. Lewis said: "God whispers to us in |
| something (and this happened everyday), she would | | | | our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts |
| sit down, with a notepad and pencil and would wait | | | | in our pain: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf |
| for God to respond, she would then write down | | | | world." It is oftentimes when we hurt that we hear |
| whatever she heard and then do whatever God | | | | what, in our pride and self-sufficiency, we would |
| asked her to do. | | | | otherwise never bother with. |
| She would obey even if what she was asked to do | | | | When we're flat on our backs in bed or in pain, we |
| seemed strange. I remember one story she was | | | | slow down and tend to listen, we ask deeper |
| telling about a fellow missionary whom she was at | | | | questions. Our pain can lead us to God. |
| odds with. When she asked God what to do so that | | | | God also uses other people to speak to us. |
| they would reconcile, she heard that 'inner voice' tell | | | | Sometimes we find the answers to our questions |
| her, "Give her an egg". And she did exactly that. She | | | | while listening to a homily during Sunday's mass. Or |
| gave her colleague an egg, half apologizing for what | | | | somebody tells us something we don't want to hear |
| seemed to be a rather strange, irrelevant act. | | | | but need to. |
| Well, it turned out that her colleague needed exactly | | | | God can also communicate with us through our |
| one more egg so that she could feed her family that | | | | dreams, through nature or his physical creation and in |
| night and she was wondering where she could get | | | | many other ways but most importantly, He speaks |
| one. And this is just one experience that Mary talked | | | | to us through His Word. Much of the listening is |
| about in her book. There were many more. | | | | simply taking to heart what God is telling us through |
| The first time I read her book, I wished I could hear | | | | His written Word, the Bible. Much of the listening is in |
| from God in the same simple and natural way that | | | | soaking ourselves in the wisdom of the Scripture. |
| she did. Then later, I realized that God speaks to us | | | | God communicates with us in our everyday life, |
| in so many ways. | | | | sometimes, we are just not aware of it. Open up |
| One way is through that "inner voice" inside us. Some | | | | your heart and mind to God so that you will be able |
| refer to it as the HolySpirit. Others describe it as a | | | | to communicate with Him better, and also to have a |
| small voice. From my experience, I call it a 'voice | | | | closer relationship with Him. Part two of this two part |
| without a voice'. It's like a thought that just comes | | | | series will discuss how we can listen to what God is |
| to your mind but there is a certain peace or calm | | | | communicating to us. |
| that surrounds it. | | | | |