How Are We Communicating With God?

This post is inspired by Fr. Julio Peňacoba’s Listening to God in Prayer. He tells about the habit of daily mental prayer or meditation, by starting with levels of faith. In the basic faith level, one knows that there is an almighty God and he or she prays to Him. These people spontaneously turn to God in prayer, presenting their needs and wants in petition prayer, thanking and praising God for the blessings, and even ask for forgiveness when they have guilt. But they seldom listen to God and their prayer life is only one-way.

While he explains prayer as a mystery which happens through grace or through the work of the Holy Spirit, Fr. Peňacoba hopes to share experiences of other people whom we can learn from. I know that it may take time and effort to develop the habit of reflective and listening prayer. But I can start today and listen more to God with an open and humble heart.

It is also mentioned how we cannot be absolutely certain that something we hear in prayer is God’s word. We may just be affected by our own feelings or by temptation. For this reason, we are encouraged to confess regularly to form our conscience properly, to consult appropriate persons, and turn to the Catechism of the Catholic Church on conscience.

I am including here one of the written prayers that speak to God with simplicity about daily concerns. Pauses while trying to listen to God are indicated with the symbol “(…)”. The characteristics I noticed in this example are the following:

1. After she pauses, she responds by saying sorry or thank you.
2. She also resolves to do something
3. She relates with God as a Father, a Friend
4. She gets direction or guidance, a correction, encouragement or consolation

***

Thank you, Lord, for being here with us, in our home, in our marriage. Help Tom and me to spend this time of mental prayer fruitfully.

Yesterday was great. I did enjoy the Italian food with Jimmy – I mean how he enjoyed it… (…) Oh, yes. I also enjoyed the food itself… Perhaps I should have eaten less…? (…)

Thank you, Lord, for Jimmy’s joy and for my enjoying the food also. Then, I also noticed how Tom tried to be caring even if he got home late from the office. This must be you, Lord, who gave the energy to him. Last week he was not able to do what he did yesterday. I felt bad. (…)

Yes it was you who gave me the energy to understand him and let him unwind with the TV… but I felt a bit bad. Sorry, Lord because last night I was about to nag Tom. I should have understood that he had to stay on in the office but why did he not call me up? And then he surprised me with his apology and his affectionate greeting, and his gratitude for the supper, and his spending time with Jun. All good things come from you, Lord, thank you.

And now tell me something for today. I will read from this book of meditations. (…)

This book is good. Thanks to it, I see the problem of Jesus and the Pharisees with their strict interpretation of the Sabbath. But what are you telling me? Come Holy Spirit… (…)

Yes, I should be flexible with house rules, order and cleaning if only I can do good to others… Sometimes I get so irritated… But sometimes I think I get too flexible, as what Tom said. I do not know what to do: am I strict or too flexible? (…)

Yes, Lord, the basic principle of decision making: husband and wife should complement and decide together on domestic things… But the problem is that Tom is not so available… (…)

Yes, Lord, I will try to be patient and learn how to wait until Tom and I can discuss matters… Mother Mary give me more energy to wait for Tom with serenity and to present problems to him with objectivity. Any way, I will offer my whole day during the Mass now. It is good that Tom and I can attend the Mass together and offer there our day and our family and entrust our children to you… What else? (…)

Oh yes. Besides my family I should do good to others. I will call Rita. Guide me to help her if I can.

We have to go. Thank you for everything you gave me in this mental prayer. Mother Mary and Saint Joseph, intercede for us and for our children. With your help, we want our family to become like yours. Guardian angels, take care of each of us.

***

Here we see that it is our own life that we should take about with God. How did we spend our day? What are our plans? How did events or people affect us? How did we fare in our previous resolutions?

My dad and I strive to say our night time prayers together. When alone, I make personal prayers that tell of my short-term goals and long-term dreams. I spend time for silence, cry if needed, and feel that a close friend is listening. I ask for forgiveness and strength to change my ways that lead to sin. For vocal prayers which were taught to us, it is also good to articulate every word well and reflect on the meaning. But for now, there are still areas that I need to improve on such as reading more of the Bible and helping others, whether they are friends or strangers.