How easy it is, Lord, to focus on the chaos. To drown in the evidence of darkness in our world. To look around and say, “Yes, there! See? Surely You are lost to Your people.”
I pray for the strength To reject this view of the world. To seek Your gentle and loving heart In those that I meet on the journey.
Loving God, give me eyes to see That You are working. That You are HERE. That Your people see and live in you.
Lord God, today and every day, I proclaim that You are GOOD! There is no darkness You cannot overcome. No heart You cannot change.
I will lift my eyes to the heavens And when I look back down on this world I will see hope and beauty And evidence of the LIGHT.
May I be a sign of Your presence in the world. May I testify to Your goodness. May my words and deeds shine with Your love. May You work in me always.
Dear Lord, as I enter into this sacred time, may I feel surrounded by Your loving presence. In the quiet stillness may I hear You speak to me. In Your loving embrace, may I be restored.
Release me from all that pulls me away from You; My doubts, my fears, and my need to control; Noise, distraction, interruptions, and chaos; The need to be constantly “doing” instead of “being”
Fill me with all that draws me closer to You; Stillness, prayer, time to reflect; Connection with my companions on the journey; The simple wonder of knowing that You are here
Speak to me in the hushed quiet of prayer. Open my heart to your stirrings in my life, That I may let go of all that holds me back From the life you are calling me to
As I move out of this time of retreat Help me to carry this peace with me on the journey. May I be reminded at all times of Your presence, Your love, and Your goodness.
Loving God, as we draw closer to that Holy Night The night of our Savior’s birth We are filled with questions: Why did you come? What did you come here to do? What does your coming mean for us today?
You came to serve. To feed the hungry. To heal the sick. To humble yourself to serve the very least of us. Come, Lord Jesus! Help us remember that by serving Our brothers and sisters, we are serving you. Teach us to use our talents and strengths To help those most in need This season and all seasons
You came to comfort and to give rest to the weary. To carry our burdens and give us peace from worry and fear. Come, Lord Jesus! May our homes, our hearts And our very presence offer comfort to those Who are worn out and stretched thin. May we offer them a kind word, a soft smile, And a warm heart.
You came to show mercy. To teach us to Forgive as we have been forgiven. Come, Lord Jesus! May your radical mercy show us How to soften our hearts to those who have caused us hurt. Teach us by your example to forgive Even the deepest wounds And to set ourselves free.
Above all, You came to love and to teach us how to love. This Great Commandment gives us everything we could ever need. Come, Lord Jesus! By your example, May we hold one another close this Christmas season. Close in our thoughts, in our hearts, in our words, and in our deeds. May we love by your example. Come, Lord Jesus! AMEN.
Hearing God’s Whisper ministry wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
A few years ago I went on a weekend retreat with my college roommate. We hadn’t seen each other in a very long time, and we were both so excited to reconnect and catch up. In the days leading up to the retreat, we planned out our late night chats, making lists of topics we needed to discuss. Knowing it would probably be another few years before we were together again, we didn’t want to leave anything out.
It made me think about the ways in which this kind of deep and close connection resembled my relationship with God. I have a dear friend who says: “I talk to God all the time, about any little thing.” It sounds so simple and inviting…and easy. Just talk to God. In doing this we are sharing our lives with God. Sometimes we feel God inviting us into relationship. Other times, we invite God in. It’s a give and take that changes based on our everyday experiences of our faith.
In the words of David L. Fleming, SJ, “Prayer is a natural outcome of this close relationship. It is not something mysterious or esoteric or something that we learn how to do in school. Prayer is conversation. If we can talk, we can pray. Of course we can learn to pray better, just as we can learn to be better conversationalists. The essential activity of prayer springs naturally from our humanity. It is a matter of conversing with a very good friend.”
If you’re looking to improve your “conversation skills” with God, I would recommend the following three steps:
Be yourself! Don’t try to take on a formal “persona” or a particular voice when talking to God. Just talk in a way that feels comfortable to you. I gave the example of the easy flow of conversation with my college roommate because that’s exactly how you should talk to God. Make a list of topics if that’s helpful. Share with God what’s on your mind and in your heart, knowing that God loves you and is waiting to hear from you!
Talk to God about everything. For the longest time I struggled with the idea that God cared about my ordinary life. I pictured God brushing aside my trivial problems or my “silly” worries. God had far more important things to do than to listen to my humdrum stories. I eventually realized this couldn’t be further from the truth! God cares about EVERYTHING we do, think, wonder, doubt, and fear. There is truly nothing that we can’t bring to God.
Examine the areas of your life that you tend to hold back from God. Ask yourself why you do this. Is there a particular hurt or wound that you haven’t been able to bring to God? Are you hiding from God for fear of being rejected? Ponder the gift of God’s unconditional love and mercy. There is no such thing as being rejected by God. Open up your heart to God and see what happens.
In his book, Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer, Max Lucado puts it so beautifully:
“God will teach you to pray. We speak, He listens. He speaks, we listen. This is prayer in its purest form. God changes His people through such moments.”
Talking to God in conversation will help you grow in your faith. It will help you feel more connected to God. When you create a habit of talking to God, you’ll hear God answering you. You’ll be inspired to take action in living out your faith. You will always have a place of deep truth to turn to during difficult times.
I encourage you to spend some time this week talking to God just like you would talk to a close friend. Do this every day for a few weeks and see how your relationship with God changes. Return to this blog post and share your experience in the comments section below!
We pray in wonder and awe for Creation, your ancient gift of grace. You made the sun and moon, the land and seas, and all the creatures of the earth. You created us in your own image as your beloved sons and daughters. Today we reflect on your gift of precious life here on earth.
Open our hearts, O Lord, to receive your gift of amazing grace.
We pray in wonder and awe for your gift of grace—fulfilled in your Son, Jesus Christ, who suffered death on a cross that we might live. In mercy, you gave us your Son to pay ransom for all our sins. Today we reflect on your gift of everlasting life.
Open our hearts, O Lord, to receive your gift of amazing grace.
We pray in thanksgiving for the blessings you grant us. Your grace is not something we must earn or deserve. It is a gift freely given. We pray in thanksgiving for your extravagant love. Like the compassionate father, you welcome us home when we are lost. Your redeeming grace rescues us from a life of darkness.
Open our hearts, O Lord, to receive your gift of amazing grace.
We promise to seek you in sanctuary. In the quiet stillness, we hear you speak to us. In your loving embrace, we are restored and nourished. We promise to seek you in the everyday moments of ordinary life. To pray where we are and invite you into each moment. Through this ongoing conversation with you we receive peace and contentment.
Open our hearts, O Lord, to receive your gift of amazing grace.
Give us new eyes to see the beauty of God’s creation, new ears to listen for God’s whispers, and a new outlook to experience the transforming power of your love.
Lord, I bring to you all that is on my plate. The noise, the clutter, the chaos, and the distractions. Help me to empty myself so that I may see you, hear you, and feel your presence.
Loving God, may your Spirit come to move my life. Empty the interior space of my soul that I may receive you and discover who I truly am.
Lord, I bring to you my fears and worries…all the things that are so heavy and hard to carry. I place them into your hands.
Loving God, may your Spirit come to move my life. I place my trust in you. I place my faith in you. I place my life in you.
Lord, I bring to you my burdens. Things that I cannot control weigh me down like a heavy rock. On the days that I am tired, stressed, and weary, I know that you walk with me.
Loving God, may your Spirit come to move my life. I know that you are my rock—my cornerstone—and I can find rest in you.
There are times when I see you through a thick fog. My eyes squint and strain…but you don’t take shape. I want to BELIEVE you are near But you seem far away.
There are days when I hear you through a pounding rain or a crashing sea. I lean towards you…but your voice is faint. I must HOPE you are near But you sound far away.
There are moments when I feel you through a crowd, They press and pull on me from every direction. Feeling off balance and unsteady…I don’t know how or where to reach for you. I need to TRUST you are near But you feel far away.
Loving God, Emerge from the fog Sing through the storm Touch my heart through the chaos I will turn my eyes and ears – my whole being – towards you.
The fog still surrounds me, the waves crash, and the crowd presses. But I am safe and strong – with YOU. I can sweep the fog away. I can swallow the rain. I can embrace the crowd.
Loving God, bless the times when I am a seeker. Forever seeking to know You more deeply. Traveling to all places and all times to discover You in our midst. I seek those thin places where the veil between heaven and earth is lifted and I can gaze upon Your face.
Loving God, bless the times when I grow weary of seeking. When I simply want to be found. Come and seek me wherever I am, whatever I may be doing. When You are part of the ordinary moments of my day…then I am home.
Loving God, whether I am seeking or sought, lost or found…I praise You in all things. Your love is mighty and good. Your power is everlasting.
Loving God, I come to you as I am,
Rushed and frazzled, electricity buzzing from my fingertips,
Or sluggish, plodding through the mud, footsteps heavy and slow.
Whatever my pace, I have arrived at this precise moment with you.
Lord Jesus, I rest in the knowledge that you will meet me here,
At the crossroads of sorrow and joy,
Of confusion and clarity,
Of stress and serenity.
Heavenly Father, help me to pause.
To listen, and pray, and sit in the quiet
With you, my song blending with yours
In beautiful harmony
God of love, I pray for the inspiration to put away my own plans,
And discover what you have in mind for me
I am listening, I am here with you.
I will be present.
I will just BE.
I’m not quite sure what to say to you today. Is it ok with you if I don’t say anything? Can I just be aware of your presence? Will that be enough? I picture you out there. It’s comforting, but you’re not as close as I’d like you to be. Can I picture you within me instead? A spark of life deep down inside? Offering answers, hope, love, and comfort. A tiny spark to be sure, but it’s there. Let me just sit with this knowledge for today. That your spark lies within me. I don’t need to go outside of myself searching for it. I don’t need to sift through the rubble of broken hearts, bigotry, violence, and judgment to find you. You abide in me, offering me all that I know is true and right. Maybe what feels like my gut instinct is really you, telling me what you wish and dream for me. I can follow that if I know it’s you.
Hearing God's Whisper 