How to Better Hear God's VoiceНамуна

Learning to Discipline Our Minds

The Apostle Paul, in Romans 1:9, declares: "God, whom I serve with my spirit" – a statement I particularly cherish. It is vital to learn to quiet our minds during prayer, even though it presents a significant challenge.

We understand that God is Spirit and communicates with our spirit. However, it is important to highlight that there is not just one method or place to hear God's voice, especially during our personal times with Him. During these silent moments, it can happen that our mind is overwhelmed with a tumult of thoughts. Disciplining our mind becomes the first step to improving our ability to hear God's voice.

This does not happen overnight but through continuous effort, akin to training a muscle. It is necessary to gradually accustom ourselves to this discipline. When we come before God, in silence, without music, we sometimes realize that our mind is cluttered with many thoughts. Learning to halt this constant stream of thoughts then becomes essential. Moments of silence, without distractions, allow us to become aware of the mental noise that can hinder our ability to hear the divine voice.

It is common for to-do lists to invade our mind during these times. It is necessary to confront these thoughts related to daily concerns and calm them to better perceive God's voice. Disciplining our mind, in these moments of quiet, becomes a crucial step towards deeper communication with God.

To help you better discipline your mind and hear God's voice more clearly, I suggest initially taking a sheet of paper and a pen to jot down all the thoughts that cross your mind during these silent moments.

This process will help you free your mind of these thoughts, even if it takes time at the beginning, whether it's 10, 15, 20 minutes, or even half an hour. Then, focus on distinguishing the legitimate thoughts you've noted from those that are illegitimate or unnecessary.

The goal is to familiarize yourself with controlling your thoughts. It is important to understand that disciplining the mind does not necessarily mean "emptying your head," but rather staying filled with God's presence and eliminating superfluous thoughts. A useful exercise is to practice silence, focus on God, and try to calm the thoughts swirling around. This process will gradually tame your mind.

Pray with me:

Holy Spirit, teach me to come into Your presence with a heart ready to receive Your Word. Help me to practice these things and grow in intimacy with You! Amen!

Jérémy Pothin