listening, a spiritual exercise

listening,

He delights in hearing His Son’s human voice
How did God speak, communciate, to His Son and the Spirit while they were in the Heavens? Did they speak Greek to one another? English? Thoughts? Can, is, a thought a language? Below is a first exercise I am presenting at a conference at the end of July 2014. It is based on a premise, a thought: God loved hearing Jesus’ human voice; therefore He loves to hear our voices in prayers especially. He listens and so must we, with special attention to ur own thoughts.

‘Listening.’ Essential point: in its essence, prayer is listening

One exercise in listening:

A Simple Way to Pray
(Adapted notes from Tim Keller’s teaching from Martin Luther’s way of meditation: Letter to his barber)

Pray that the Lord would speak to you through His word. Start with scriptures you have chosen to study; read. Continue till some passage strikes home to you. Trust the Spirit to lead here. Now:
1. What does this scripture tell you about who god is? (How he thinks and feels?)
2. What does this scripture tell you about you?
3. Garland of Praise. On the basis of this scripture, what can you thank God for?

Our key scripture to explore: John 17
Jesus Prays to Be Glorified (NIV)
17 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
The Message
Jesus said these things. Then, raising his eyes in prayer, he said:
Father, it’s time.
Display the bright splendour of your Son
So the Son in turn may show your bright splendour.
You put him in charge of everything human
So he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge.
And this is the real and eternal life:
That they know you,

The one and only true God,
And Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
I glorified you on earth
By completing down to the last detail
What you assigned me to do.
And now, Father, glorify me with your very own splendour,
The very splendour I had in your presence
Before there was a world.

Step 1: What does this scripture tell me about God the Father?

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Step 2. What does this scripture tell me about myself?

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Step 3. What can I thank God for? (Garland of Praise)

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Summary: what are two Essential Questions for this first exercise?

1. EQ: How does God the Father feel when He listens to His son?
He ________ His son Jesus.
Matthew 17: 1-5 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
EP(essential point): Listening is prayerful love. God the Father loved listening to Jesus.

And He loves listening to us too. Why? Or…

2.EQ: How does God the Father feel when he listens to us?
He ________us.

How do we know this?
The central passage for our retreat John 17, Jesus prayer for His Disciples, tells us,

John 17:23 ‘…you love them as much as you love me.’ NLT

If He loves and He loves to listen to His son’s voice, then John 17:23 underscores that by His loves He will listen to us too. We are His.

Reflection: If we are His, if He listens to us like He listened to Jesus when Jesus walked the earth, how can/would this truth change you? (You can begin to respond tonight; you can wait till the middle or end of a day. Or you can sit quietly, then read this scripture and listen. Just let it speak to you. Listen.