Paul Dumbrille is the diocesan Anglican Fellowship of Prayer representative.
This is the fourth of a series of articles exploring the use of our senses in connecting with God.
If we restrict our understanding and the practice of prayer as being an activity only of the head, it can be likened to a bird trying to fly with one wing. We would be missing the richness of the use of the senses that God has given us. To “sense” something is to understand and experience life, gaining knowledge and achieving our potential. As we do with the physical world around in touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, and hearing, so, too, we can use our senses to learn about and experience God.
Advertisement
In this article we explore the use of our sense of hearing and prayer.
In prayer, we should spend a majority of our time listening to what God is saying to us. I recently heard an interview with author, Ronald Rolheiser, in which he said that when we are faced with decisions or are searching for direction: our head tells us what we should do: our heart tells us what we want to do: and our gut tells us what we must do. God speaks to our head, our heart, and our gut.
My experience is that God often speaks to me through others when they speak to us. Hearing and listening are two different things. We can hear someone talking, but unless we focus and pay attention, and listen they are just noise. When we listen to what is being said we are engaging our mind and spirit on the content. Some of my most meaningful times of prayer have been prompted by listening to others speaking to me in conversation or in a presentation. I also sense God speaking to me when I listen to the reading of scripture or the words of worship services or podcasts,
Another powerful way God speaks is through listening to music. Most often through the sung words of hymns, songs and chants. However, often instrumental music triggers a closeness to God that I do not otherwise achieve. Prayer and Praise go together. In addition to sung words and music, spoken words, meaningful worship, which is, after all, a form of prayer, is often enhanced by such things as bells and singing bowls, all of which can lead to prayer and a powerful full connection to God.
As we use our sense of hearing to listen to God, may we be guided by the Holy Spirit in all that we do.
PRAYER MATTERS
Using our senses to learn about and experience God
Sensible Prayer—Hearing
This is the fourth of a series of articles exploring the use of our senses in connecting with God.
If we restrict our understanding and the practice of prayer as being an activity only of the head, it can be likened to a bird trying to fly with one wing. We would be missing the richness of the use of the senses that God has given us. To “sense” something is to understand and experience life, gaining knowledge and achieving our potential. As we do with the physical world around in touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, and hearing, so, too, we can use our senses to learn about and experience God.
In this article we explore the use of our sense of hearing and prayer.
In prayer, we should spend a majority of our time listening to what God is saying to us. I recently heard an interview with author, Ronald Rolheiser, in which he said that when we are faced with decisions or are searching for direction: our head tells us what we should do: our heart tells us what we want to do: and our gut tells us what we must do. God speaks to our head, our heart, and our gut.
My experience is that God often speaks to me through others when they speak to us. Hearing and listening are two different things. We can hear someone talking, but unless we focus and pay attention, and listen they are just noise. When we listen to what is being said we are engaging our mind and spirit on the content. Some of my most meaningful times of prayer have been prompted by listening to others speaking to me in conversation or in a presentation. I also sense God speaking to me when I listen to the reading of scripture or the words of worship services or podcasts,
Another powerful way God speaks is through listening to music. Most often through the sung words of hymns, songs and chants. However, often instrumental music triggers a closeness to God that I do not otherwise achieve. Prayer and Praise go together. In addition to sung words and music, spoken words, meaningful worship, which is, after all, a form of prayer, is often enhanced by such things as bells and singing bowls, all of which can lead to prayer and a powerful full connection to God.
As we use our sense of hearing to listen to God, may we be guided by the Holy Spirit in all that we do.
Author
Paul Dumbrille is the diocesan Anglican Fellowship of Prayer representative.
Keep on reading
Remembering the Very Rev. Roger Briggs (1936-2024)
Walking for the Centretown food centre
St. John, Antrim — Deanery of the Southwest
Listening for God’s voice and following
Northern lights dazzle in Canadian night skies
Videos will help parishes prepare to thrive