Hearing Is Believing

In the gospels we see accounts of Jesus at prayer, and in the account of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, we hear some of the words Jesus is saying in prayer. Clearly, when Jesus prays he enters into a "communion", presence with the Father. Consider these text:

• + And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness to me. His VOICE you have never heard, his form you have never seen; Jo.5:37
• + It is written in the prophets, `And they shall all be taught by God.' Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Jo.6:45
• + I have much to say about you and much to judge; but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him." Jo.8:26
• + I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father." Jo.8:38
• + For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak. Jo.12:49
• + No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. Jo. 15:15

As Christians, when we pray, we enter into a communion of spirits with Jesus. We too, seek to "hear", (Lord speak ... I am listening.) This form of prayer is essential to the evangelist. Like Jesus, the evangelist is to proclaim what they hear. When Jesus said, "... you have not known him; I know him … and I keep his word." Jo.8:55 , he was showing the religious leaders what was missing in their leadership. How can you talk about someone you do not know?

Praying With Scriptures

The best place to begin praying, so as to hear the Voice of the Lord, is with the scriptures. Scripture is the Word of God. Already, God is speaking through the written Word. 

Listen! What do you Hear?

Learning how to "listen" to the scriptures is different from reading the scripture or studying the scriptures. You see the words on the page, the sound of the words comes to you as the reader speaks. But, what do you hear? Little children are often corrected, "... pay attention, I'm speaking to You!" The dictionary defines "attention" this way: 

(... a concentration of the mind on a single object or thought, especially one preferentially selected from the many, with a view to clarifying receptivity by narrowing the range of stimuli.)

When we come to prayer, our minds may be a blur of thinking about all manner of things, creating so much static in our minds that hearing the Lord's voice will be virtually impossible. Having a passage, even a verse, even a single word of scripture helps us to concentrate, and so begin the process of listening.

"Preferentially selected from the many ..."  Having a structured approach to selecting scripture for one's prayer, is most helpful. There are several approaches one can use. Choosing the best one for your spiritual journey at this time is very important. But it all begins when you open the Word and pray - "Speak Lord, your servant is listening."

More on selecting scripture for prayer to come.

Tell The Good News

Having now complete our series on Baptism In The Holy Spirit, which followed our Lenten series and prepared us for the celebration of Pentecost, I will begin  a new series, focused on Evangelization. 

In Mark's gospel account, Ch. 16: we have what is called, "the Great Commission". Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.  Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation". 

From its earliest beginnings, the Church has been called to this vocation of evangelization. As seen in this text from Mark it has two aspects;

1. Believe in your own heart.
2. Share your belief with others.

At first, this sharing of faith was directed to those who did not know Christ or his gospel; which continues to be its purpose today. The "New" evangelization has a different focus, it is directed to those who are already numbered among believers, but who have become disconnected from a living faith, a faith that influences their life, who may still attend worship occasionally, all be it, nominally. Studies in profiles of religious belief and practice in Europe and North America today, show a marked decline in all Christian churches.

Our focus this past Easter time, leading up to Pentecost, has been on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is first stage of evangelization, being able to say, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, "Jesus is Lord! I have been touched in my deepest being, by his love for me. I truly know him and desire to draw ever closer to him. Teach me Lord." It is on this foundation of a living, personal faith, that the second part of evangelization, called catechises, can begin to instruct us, unpack for us, the mysteries of our faith.

These two aspects of belief are inseparable. Both must coexist if one's faith is to be true faith. We will continue in these pages, to seek to deepen our experience of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, or as it is also called today, "the Grace of Renewal", and to see how we can be evangelist of this beautiful grace for others.

Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help my unbelief. Mark 9:23-24