In my daily quiet time, most of my time is directed towards reading - keeping up with the readings from 3 Bible studies that I'm currently involved in and reading some daily devotionals. My desire to meet with God is structured around this time I've carved out in my day to awaken early in the morning and hear his voice through these readings, and then before I rush off to the gym or for a quick run, I might journal some thoughts and then close with a short prayer. Last month, through a number of circumstances, I felt God directing me to focus more on my prayer life, specifically towards meditative prayer.
Over fall break I had an opportunity to visit my parent's church and hear Jim Turley speak on prayer, and in his talk he suggested a book by Richard J. Foster, "Sanctuary of the Soul: Journey Into Meditative Prayer". This book offered some great guidance on stepping into meditative prayer which I'd like to outline, but I must acknowledge and remind myself that hearing from God is not some kind of mechanical process rather it comes from becoming comfortable in a continuing conversation and ongoing relationship with God. "Meditative prayer comes from an inner longing but only becomes a holy habit if we stay with it."
The first step is Recollection. The idea is to let go of all competing distractions until we have become truly present where we are. Begin with imagining God's presence in the room; release my thoughts, concerns, worries to Him - allow God's great silence to still my noisy heart.
The second step is Beholding the Lord. This is an inward steady gaze of the heart upon God the divine Creator. Consider using scripture as a means to quiet the mind; meditate on the scripture - and read it as though God is speaking directly to you; read it not for information but for transformation. Or instead of reading scripture, listen to scripture - I've found that closing my eyes and listening the audio Bible on my phone or computer (both the NIV and ESV versions) have helped me to feel as though God is speaking the words into my heart. Another way to Behold the Lord is to gaze into his creation. Envision nature, all that He has created. Early in the morning, just before the sunrise, sometimes I will walk to the park and wonder on all of God's creation. Another way of entering the experience of Beholding the Lord is by means of worship music. "Reflections" is a program I found on the Daystar network which shows scenic videos in nature from around the world set to worship music. Often I'll watch one of these music videos first thing in the morning from my DVR in order to position myself to Behold the Lord.
The third step is an Inward Attentiveness - the prayer of listening. The word step is a little misleading here as we learn to discern the voice of God by experience. We know from scripture that Jesus made it clear that his sheep can hear and know his voice (John 10:11-15). "Graciously we are given a teachable spirit so if we are truly willing and obedient, the word of the Lord will be a light to us. But to receive this guidance and know it is from the Holy Spirit, we need a certain personal relationship with our 'inward Teacher'." The author recommended the book "Hearing God" by Dallas Willard, what he called, "the finest book on hearing divine guidance", which I'm now reading.
The last part of the book deals with everyday difficulties, such as wandering minds and the fact that we have noisy hearts - so be patient, it takes time to develop a single-hearted concentration. Distraction is the primary spiritual problem of our day. God does not cease speaking, but the roaring lion (Satan) fights for our attention.
It's important to remember that we were created for an intimate conversational relationship with God; drawing on the foundation of this truth opens the door to stepping into and experiencing meditative prayer.
"Meditative prayer comes from an inner longing but only becomes a holy habit if we stay with it."
