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When the Soul Listens by Jan Johnson Sundays 7:15-8:00pm - The Storehouse (H201)
11/16/14 Introduction/Summary
11/23/14 Chapter 1 When Prayer Stops “Working” Chapter 2 A New You
11/30/14 Chapter 3 “My Sheep Hear My Voice” Chapter 4 A Cloud of Witnesses
12/7/14 Chapter 5 The Contemplative Way Chapter 6 A Heart That Listens
12/14/14 Chapter 7 The Alert Soul Chapter 8 Asking God Questions Chapter 9 What to Expect
12/21/14 Chapter 10 Hearing God with Clarity Chapter 11 Contemplatives Are Not “Loners” Chapter 12 A Contemplative Lifestyle
12/28/14 Chapter 13 God Reveals Basic Truths Chapter 14 God Reveals Difficult Truths Chapter 15 God Reveals Himself
Contact Info: Ted Amey - [email protected] 256-684-4942 Susan Taylor - [email protected] 256-656-4353
Thoughts about Contemplative Prayer and the Practice of Centering Prayer
:: There is nothing unbiblical or anti-Christian about solitude, silence and contemplation.
Some examples in scripture (more in When the Soul Listens Chapter 3) :: 1 Kings 19:12 the Lord spoke to Elijah in the still small voice of intimate personal communion
:: Psalm 4:4 David writes “Meditate within your heart on your bed and be still.”
:: Psalm 46:10 be still and know God
:: Mark 1:35 Jesus retired to quiet secluded spots in the wilderness or on the mountain where He could converse with His Father apart from the noise and distraction of the crowd. His disciples learned to follow His example in this regard.
:: Acts 10:9-16 Peter saw visions on the roof of the house of Simon the Tanner
:: 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 Paul caught up in the third heaven where he heard inexpressible words which it is not lawful for a man to utter
:: Revelation 1:9 John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day
:: James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
History of Contemplative Prayer: :: 6th Century St. Gregory the Great describes contemplative prayer as:
o Knowledge of God that is impregnated with love o Fruit of reflecting on the Word of God and a precious gift of God o Resting in God where the mind and heart are not so much seeking God as
beginning to experience what they have been seeking Other definitions:
o Reduction of many acts and reflections to a single act or thought in order to sustain one’s consent to God’s presence and action
o Opening of mind and heart – one’s whole being – to God o Process of interior transformation o Initiated by God and leading to divine union
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:: Contemplative prayer practiced by the Desert Fathers of Egypt, beginning in the 3rd century A.D., including Evagrius, St. Augustine and St. Gregory the Great in the West and Pseudo-Dionysius and the Hesychasts in the East.
:: Contemplative prayer represented in the Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) by St. Bernard of Clarivaux, William of St. Thierry and Guigo the Carthusian, the Rhineland mystics including St. Hildegard, St. Mechtilde, Meister Eckhart, Ruysbroek and Tauler, Walter Hilton, Richard Rolle, Julian of Norwich
:: Cultivated practices that led to the spiritual gift of contemplation after the reformation, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Francis de Sales, St. Jane de Chantal, Cardinal Berulle; the Jesuits include fathers De Caussade, Lallemon and Surin; the Benedictines Dom Augustine Baker, Dom John Chapman, Cistercians Dom Vital Lehodey and Thomas Merton
:: Centering Prayer was developed as a response to the Vatican II invitation to revive the contemplative teachings of early Christianity and present them in updated formats.
:: Drawn from ancient practices of the Christian contemplative heritage such as the traditional monastic practice of Lectio Divina.
:: Most importantly, Centering Prayer is based on the wisdom saying of Jesus Matthew 6:6 “…when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door and pray to your gather in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you.”
:: In the 1970s, answering the call of Vatican II, three Trappist monks at St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer Massachusetts, Fathers William Meniger, Basil Pennington and Thomas Keating developed a simple method of silent prayer for contemporary people.
:: Centering Prayer prepares us to receive the gift of Contemplative Prayer; it is a discipline to foster our relationship with God.
:: The focus of centering prayer is the deepening of our relationship with the living Christ where we are centered entirely on the presence of God.
:: The gift of contemplative prayer is prayer in which we experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself and the goal is to arrive at a mind that is silent, not empty.
:: We must ask ourselves what is our heart motivation in practicing centering prayer and does it bring glory to Jesus Christ?
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson Introduction
Jan Johnson is a spiritual director and retreat speaker; author of books and publications including Enjoying the Presence of God and Listening to God.
Questions: Do you long for depth and authenticity in your relationship with God? Do you want purpose and daily direction but can’t seem to find the “right” prayer to receive it?
:: Explore contemplative prayer to know the reality of God by experiencing God’s presence.
:: Learn to find rest and guidance in God by opening ourselves to God’s presence and direction.
:: Allow God to work change in your life through prayer.
:: In God’s presence, we learn the goodness of His instructions and how to carry them out.
:: The mission of this book is to form the whole person so that the nature of Christ becomes the natural expression of our souls, bodies and spirits through our daily lives.
:: A true lover focuses intently on the beloved and enters a state of being in which all senses are acutely alert.
:: His goals are replaced by the greater goals centered in the good of the other; he is changing at the core becoming a new man; the character and nature of the other have changed him.
:: This is needed to understand contemplative prayer/“listening prayer”.
:: Through contemplative prayer, we become greater lovers of God and other people.
:: It is for those who are ready to quit the small, self-absorbed confines of the “old man” and be made new.
:: May the path laid out in this book take you more deeply into the life of a Christian disciple-the life of love that is “hidden with Christ in God”.
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson
Chapter 1 When Prayer Stops “Working”
Scripture to Memorize: 2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Chapter 1 Outline Notes: :: Who is your “Mr. X”? This guy makes me mad! So, God, You should make him do things my way.
:: Who do I think I am, judging Mr. X and then telling God what to do?
:: “He is Yours, God, I leave Him to You.” Allow quietness to come over our souls and repeat “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
:: Breath prayer: More of Jesus, less of me.
:: Sitting still before God and just enjoy His presence.
:: In the heat and pressure of daily living, it’s so easy to forget God’s presence and slide back into old self-centered habits.
:: This ancient practice, used by Christians for 2,000 years restores order and peace to our souls; we experience a holy quiet.
:: Contemplative prayer, in its simplest form, is a prayer in which you still your thoughts and emotions and focus on God Himself.
o Aware of God’s presence and soaking in His presence o Better able to hear God’s voice correcting, guiding, directing o Come with no agenda o Enjoy companionship with God o Still our own thoughts o Listen should God choose to speak o “The prayer of silence” o Reconnect with God o Find peace and strength o Gatheredness of being o A place of collectedness
:: We come to LIKE prayer when we do this!
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:: We are open to a higher view that allows us to respond with patient wisdom rather than reacting out of our emotions.
:: When we fix our mind’s eye on God, our time of prayer changes from our desires, demands, wants to eternal things, “God, knowing You is enough for me.”
:: We receive peace and become peacemakers. Matthew 5:9, James 3:18
:: We shift from constantly asking God to change and fix my world to resting in His presence and allowing Him to reshape me from within.
:: We seek God just for God Himself.
:: Contemplation reconnects us with God in the midst of our scattered thoughts and lives.
:: In the quiet, we recall how God has helped us in the past and remember that I am the one God so loves. – You are His favorite!
:: As we spend more time in contemplative prayer, we will develop a hunger for God and want to spend more time pondering the heart of God.
:: Contemplative prayer is a way to face the needs of the hungry soul through simply being with God; “I just look at God and He looks at me.”
:: Contemplative prayer can heal us from spiritual dryness, guilt and shame, lack of direction and purpose.
:: When our soul listens, we can regain sight of God as the One who is eager to nurture us and get us up and walking again.
:: Our disconnectedness is rooted in a spiritual life that is about me and what I want, not centered on God and what God wants.
:: How do we view God “This is what seems good and right to me so it must be the best thing. And now, God, I want it. Use your power to make this happen.”
o Magic genie responsible for cleaning up life’s messes and keeping the pantry full
o Giant aspirin to relieve our aches and pains o Vending machine
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:: Prayer is the key that unlocks the storehouses of God’s riches – the riches are God Himself.
:: Formula praying and devotion to praying changes to belief in God alone and that prayer connects us with God.
:: When I eyeball my prayer performance too closely, my spirituality become about me.
:: Either we are struggling to control our own lives-or we are learning to rest in God and take our cues from Him; beware of the subtle danger that you are using God for your ends.
:: Prayer is about aligning our lives with the powerful will of God.
:: The spirit of Christian prayer is the attitude of surrendering ourselves to be vessels of His good purposes.
:: The point of prayer is not to get answers from God but to have oneness with Him so that we love God for who He is and not for what He gives us.
:: Prayer becomes a meeting of the hearts as we rest in God’s presence.
:: Silence and solitude practiced in contemplation: o Creates an interior quiet and calm that permeates mundane activities o We find ourselves conversing with God throughout the day. o Becomes the main business of life o Causes us remember God throughout the day o Creates satisfaction in God alone o Causes prayer to become something we like to do o We are authentic with God without the need to impress o God becomes real in us as it opens up the wonder of God’s presence o Changes us, gives us life, empowers our soul
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Chapter 1 Review Questions:
1. What is the most important aspect of contemplative prayer for you?
2. What is the change in focus in contemplative prayer?
3. If God gave you nothing but himself would you be satisfied?
Chapter 1 Practical Application: 1. In your growth toward Christlikeness, keep your spiritual eyes open this
week, practice being mindful of God at all times to see where He opens a door for you to be a peacemaker. How did you respond?
2. Practice some times this week seeking God for just God Himself, no requests, no agenda. How did it go?
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson
Chapter 2 A New You
:: Instead of working hard to become a decent Christian, there is a subtle way of transformation by quietly centering on God, which changes our soul, our personality, our desires.
:: Our awareness of God affects us to the point where we can behave in love when normally we would not.
:: Getting our prayers answered is no longer the issue, the issue is knowing God Himself and learning to perceive and follow in all His ways.
:: Our spiritual life becomes more about God and what He does and less about us and our strivings.
:: The life that God asks of us is simple: it consists of loving Him and paying attention to Him, sensing His mind and His heart.
:: A change of the heart is the heart of the matter which brings holiness, compassion and courage as we see the spirit of Jesus formed in us.
:: Spiritual formation is using certain practices to cultivate an inner life that is strongly connected to God and affects our outward behavior.
:: We become disciples of Jesus Christ imitating both His inward heart attitude and His outward behavior of radical humility, mercy and courage.
:: Spiritual formation pays careful attention to the soul, using spiritual practices that opens us to God’s work there.
:: Contemplative prayer is one of the practices that gives God time and access to work in our inner person, changing the attitudes of our heart that ultimately drive us. Luke 6:45
:: To have our heart reshaped in the image of Christ is critical. Why?
:: Unfortunately, our focus for spiritual growth in the church today is: o Upholding doctrine o Using God as a problem solver o Hearing Bible facts and inspirational sermons o Self-help books, talk radio
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o Pump us up with heart-tugging stories o Shamed with statistics of how unspiritual we are o Results in a Christian life that is bumpy and unstable.
:: We have become “consumer” Christians when: o We must be pumped up with heart-tugging stories o We must be shamed with statistics of how pathetically unspiritual we are o We must be spoon-fed by the church or wind up leaving because we are
not fed enough o Sermons don’t grab our attention or the worship music doesn’t excite us
so we move on o We insist that the church take responsibility for all the care and feeding of
my soul o We believe that it is someone else’s task to connect me with God
:: Don’t we have a responsibility to help ourselves be nurtured by God?
:: Our job is to sit quietly before God and say “show me the next step”.
:: We need to cooperate with God in our spiritual formation by cultivating an awareness of God and openness to His direction.
:: Humility is when we follow God’s leading rather than trying to lead God.
:: As we center our lives on God problems fade such as scatteredness, spiritual dryness, overriding shame, lack of guidance.
:: As the heart of Christ is formed in us, our behavior changes, we are better examples to our children and others, stop complaining and backbiting.
:: We need this back and forth contact with God to be transformed.
:: Discipline of contemplative prayer includes: o Listening prayer o Wordless contemplation o Waiting on God o Practicing God’s presence
:: Spiritual disciplines of engagement include study, worship, prayer, celebration, service, fellowship/community, confession, submission.
:: Spiritual disciplines of abstinence include solitude, silence, fasting, frugality, chastity, secrecy, sacrifice.
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:: These spiritual disciplines: o Help us track with the mind of God and know His heart o Help us to become attentive to that still small voice o Help us willingly respond when we hear it o Take on life and become satisfying to our souls o Grow us in faith, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly
love and agape love o Serve God as a changed creature
:: These spiritual disciplines do not earn us salvation or favor with God.
:: Spiritual disciplines help to retrain our behavior: o Go from pushing our agenda to listening to others o No longer need to be right but want to do the right thing o Reshaped from TV values of being rich, thin and flashy to justice, mercy
and faithfulness
:: Connecting with God through disciplines such as contemplative prayer allows God to train us behind the scenes to know, hear, follow and love Him more.
:: The more we love God, the more we obey Him; the more we obey God the more we love Him.
:: True righteousness is about bending our knees to the Father, rending our hearts in repentance, exposing our souls to God so His voice can simmer in our hearts.
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Chapter 2 Review Questions:
1. What is the most important result of practicing spiritual disciplines, including contemplative prayer?
2. Why is transformation through spiritual disciplines good in troublesome and even catastrophic situations?
3. How does God transform us through spiritual disciplines?
Chapter 2 Practical Application: 1. Listen for God’s still small voice this week. What did He say, what is His
word for you this week? Journal what He says.
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson
Chapter 3 My Sheep Hear My Voice
Scripture to Memorize: John 10:27 “ My sheep know my voice, I know them and they follow me.”
Chapter 3 Outline Notes: :: Integrity - “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” Luke 13:24
:: We need to behave with integrity without a sinking heart.
:: We need to practice doing the right thing with a full heart, rather than harboring poor attitudes.
:: In contemplation, we can hear God’s answer as He confirms it through scripture.
:: Questions: Is contemplative prayer safe? Is it biblical? What does scripture say about it?
:: Scripture is full of examples of men and women who listened, rested, waited and conversed with God.
:: We must train ourselves to sit in quiet and listen to God; God addresses the issue of learning to hear Him at least 24 times, having eyes to see and ears to hear.
:: Stages of knowing God’s voice: o We fail to recognize God. o We recognize that God has been leading, nudging…but after the fact. o We recognize God’s presence and voice immediately.
:: Either we remain in charge of our lives, following the voice of our natural inclinations-or we resign as the director of our own lives and surrender to God daily.
o Am I aiming to be one with You, Father-or do I only come to You to have my needs met?
o Am I longing for soul growth or to have others think well of me? o Am I trying to push my plan on You, God-or do I want to let You show me
your plan?
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:: Resting and waiting, along with listening, are part of contemplative prayer.
:: Resting is demonstrated by the outward silence of contemplative prayer, allowing God to speak to your deepest self. Psalm 62:5, 116:7
:: Waiting on God is an honorable pastime in Scripture, but not popular in our busy lives; it can be full of alert, expectant peacefulness. Psalm 130:5, Proverbs 8:34, John 3:29
:: Out of resting, waiting and listening springs genuine conversation with God, to build relationship with Him.
:: Many believe God no longer speaks to us today, that two-way exchanges with the Father no longer occur.
:: God does speak to us through Scripture, but is God’s voice limited to this avenue only? This cuts short the work of the Holy Spirit.
:: Does God supply no specific ideas of how you and I can love opponents, accomplish justice, welcome the stranger, or disciple a newcomer?
:: How can we have a personal relationship with God if we are the only ones who talk? A.W. Tozer “it is the nature of God to speak”
:: Conversation with God is vital to a personal relationship.
:: There is a subtle relationship between Scripture and contemplative prayer.
:: Contemplative prayer requires an accurate knowledge of the God of Scripture.
:: There is a strong correlation between a working knowledge of the Bible and learning to hear His voice leading us in our daily lives.
:: Scripture “head” knowledge becomes “heart” knowledge through contemplative prayer.
:: Before contemplative prayer can become something we want to do, we must understand God as someone we want to be with:
o Friend – James 2:23 o Forgiving father – Luke 15 o Tender mother – Hosea 11:1-4 o Spouse of our soul – Hosea 1-3 o Sole lifelong companion – Deuteronomy 31:8, John 14:18
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o Captain of our salvation – Hebrews 2:10 o Overly generous boss – Matthew 20:1-16
:: If we are to enjoy contemplative prayer, we must know and love the God of the Bible.
Chapter 3 Review Questions: 1. How does God speak to you?
2. What are the three main parts of contemplative prayer?
3. What is the relationship between Scripture and contemplative prayer?
Chapter 3 Practical Application: :: Try incorporating John Baillie’s prayer into your daily prayer: “O God, give me grace today to recognize the stirrings of Thy Spirit within my soul and to listen most attentively to all that Thou hast to say to me. Let not the noises of the world ever so confuse me that I cannot hear Thee speak.”
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson
Chapter 4 A Cloud of Witnesses
Chapter 4 Outline Notes: :: Contemplation is not widely practiced in the evangelical and Pentecostal traditions. Why?
:: How can I be sure this isn’t a fad-an influence of the New Age or a leftover from the Maharashi’s Eastern mystical influence?
:: Contemplation is well known within the larger context of the history of our faith, rooted in two thousand years of Christian experience.
:: Early church fathers and devotional masters have written about timeless insights into seeking the heart of God.
o Augustine of Hippo, Bernard of Clairvaux o Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Brother Lawrence, Madame Guyon
:: 12th Century abbot Bernard of Clairvaux described contemplation as: “inward paradise of pleasure where vision of pure truth illuminates the eye of the heart. The most sweet voice of the inner Comforter brings joy and gladness to the ears.”
:: Contemplation is rooted in the study and meditation of Scripture which keeps contemplation from becoming a way to put words in God’s mouth.
:: Contemplation is firmly rooted in the context of discipleship and spiritual formation.
:: Contemplation brings us down to earth because it causes us to see ourselves as we really are.
:: Lectio divina – a classic method of Scripture reading which includes contemplative prayer, used in Benedictine monasteries beginning in the 6th century.
:: Lectio format is: o Reading a Scripture passage o Meditation on that passage o Prayer o Contemplation
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:: The significant difference between Christian contemplation and other forms is that is begins from a bedrock of Scripture.
:: Meditation invites you to settle in a verse or passage, find words and images to rest and nest, insert yourself into the text and letting it insert itself into your heart.
:: If we know how to worry, we know how to meditate: o When we worry, we ask “what if this terrible thing happens” o When we meditate, we focus on Scripture and ask “What if I had been that
person Jesus healed? What would that have been like?”
:: Entering into the text of Scripture retrains our soul by helping us to encounter God in a personal way.
:: When studying the Bible, we ask questions about the text; in meditation, we let the text ask questions of us.
:: Meditation prepares us to contemplate as meditation helps us savor the truth about God and contemplation makes it sweet to our soul.
:: “Meditation investigates, contemplation wonders.” – Avery Brooke
:: The task is for us to fix the eye of our soul upon the greatness of God; to perceive the beauty of God in His complete goodness.
:: Contemplation opens the soul to view the heart of God.
:: The more we meditate and contemplate, the more God permeates the ordinary moments of life where we “hold on to a constant inner vision of Him”.
:: Our imaginations need retraining as much as anything else; when activated by the images and truths of Scripture, the imagination enables the penetrating Word of God to become active in our lives.
:: Some Christians are suspicious of meditation and contemplation because they are often practiced in nonChristian world religions.
:: As believers in Christ, we do no use the techniques of contemplation in the same way that practitioners of Eastern religions use them.
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:: Our goal in Christian contemplation is to empty ourselves by meeting with God and allowing His image, heart, mind and will to fill us rather than the Eastern religion goal of reaching a place of nothingness.
:: Basic tools to enter into the experience of meditation and contemplation: o Five senses – imagine ourselves using our senses to live the concrete
details of the passage o Images and pictures – reach a more affective part of us and make it
easier to obey
:: Contemplation grows our love for God and thus for others - Asbury Seminary professor Robert Mulholland “being formed in the image of Christ for the sake of others”
Chapter 4 Review Questions: 1. When did Christian contemplation begin?
2. How is Christian contemplation different from Eastern religion forms of contemplation?
3. What is the desired result of Christian contemplation?
Chapter 4 Practical Application: :: Try practicing Lectio divina this week, remember the format is:
o Reading a Scripture passage o Meditation on that passage o Prayer o Contemplation
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson
Chapter 5 The Contemplative Way
Scripture to Memorize: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray continually.
Chapter 5 Outline Notes: :: Hearing God’s voice “Go back” to disciple new believers shows us that God does speak to us and wants to be involved in all aspects of our lives.
:: We hear God’s voice most clearly when we are in deep, silent prayer, wanting to do God’s will and want nothing for ourselves but only for Him.
:: Selfless prayer that is focused on God – this is the heart of contemplation. “Not my will be yours be done.”
:: Contemplation examples: o Staring at waves of the ocean o Looking up to the heavens on a starry night o Stirred by a sermon or worship, moved with awe
:: Contemplation comes down to “paying attention to God”: o Fix our love on God and forget all else o Center all our attention and desire on the Lord o Enjoy God’s presence, acquaintance and fellowship with God o “Hanging out” or “just being with” God
:: Contemplation is both work and rest; strive to be quiet then we rest before God.
:: In a love relationship we think about someone’s good points, we can do the same with God.
:: It is satisfying to the soul to be with God all day long in contemplation and this is how our love for God grows.
:: “It is love, or at least the desire to love, which must inspire the Christian to pray.” – Dallas Willard
:: “It is love which is the voice of heart. Love God and you will be always speaking to Him.” – Jean-Nicholas Grou
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:: The depth of our prayer life is directly proportional to the depth of our relationship with God. – Susan Taylor
:: Wordless contemplation: to be quiet with God and enjoy that person, just being aware of His presence, knowing you can draw on Him at any time.
:: In conversation, prayer moves beyond problem solving as we grow past falsely loving God for His usefulness and move into loving God for who He is.
:: We can have the same connection with God all the time that we sense when we seek Him during crisis moments.
:: Our bond to God grows as we learn to “listen with the heart and mind opened wide” which allows constant contact with God; life beyond invades all of earthly life.
:: The world becomes less centered in us and more centered in God which draws us into the selfless service to Christ.
:: In contemplative prayer, the emphasis shifts to these things: o Loving God “I just want to sit with you for awhile.” o Letting God set the agenda “Ok God, what should we pray about?”
:: Open-hearted paying attention to God: o Allows God to set the agenda o Allows God to address the things in our heart that need change and
direction o Cultivates an awareness that God is truly present with us and that He
created us to be with Him and for His delight
:: Are there any places that you believe God is not?
:: “There is no place God is not…Ten million intelligences standing at as many points in space and separated by incomprehensible distances can each say with equal truth, God is here. Always, everywhere, God is present and He always seeks to discover Himself to each one of us.” - A.W. Tozer
:: The problem is not that God goes away but that we are unaware of His presence.
:: The more contemplation teaches you to pay attention to God, the easier it becomes to be aware of His presence.
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:: If you set your heart to pay attention to God, who is indeed present, depend upon this: God will invade even the unlikely moments of life.
:: If we choose to be present to God-and give God permission to speak-we can expect God to show up.
Chapter 5 Review Questions: 1. What is it that will make you more ready to live and walk in the presence of God?
2. How open to God are you? How open would you like to be?
3. You may believe God listens, but do you believe God speaks?
4. What are the greatest distractions that keep you from believing God is always present?
5. What would make prayer more attractive to you?
Chapter 5 Practical Application: :: Write down one thing that you believe God is speaking to you this week. Ask Him to confirm it with scripture. Write down the scripture that He gives you. Bring it to class next week to share if you would like.
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson
Chapter 6 A Heart that Listens
Chapter 6 Outline Notes: :: We need to recognize that God is at the door trying to get our attention; how can we be more alert to Him?
:: Two primary tools of the contemplative way are silence and solitude.
:: We have been taught many things at church but have we ever been taught how to be quiet in the presence of God?
:: Silence is not popular in our culture, it shows weakness.
:: Two kinds of people keep silent: The first is one who has nothing to say, and the other is one what has too much to say. In the case of the deeper encounter with the Lord, the latter is true. Silence is produced from abundant life in God, not from lack. This silence is rich, full and alive! – Madame Jeanne Guyon
:: Solitude is not popular as it is viewed as lonely isolation.
:: Solitude is not being alone, it is being alone with God.
:: “We feel that we would like to know God so well that we could sit still for an hour in silent companionship, as with an old friend.” – Avery Brooke
:: Turn your loneliness into solitude and your solitude into prayer.
:: Silence and solitude work in hidden ways, like work that goes on in the winter, life renewing itself:
o Detach ourselves from the demands of our culture o Create space in which Christ can grow in us o Respond to life rather that react to it o Gain inner silence o Turn our face toward God o Disentangle us from wordly success – cheering crowds, financial gain,
glitzy comebacks and perpetually happy faces
:: Seek nothing from these quiet moments with God except to love Him and please Him.
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:: In this silence, God pours into you a deep, inward love that will fill and permeate your whole being, which is indescribable blessedness.
:: Why does God use silence to touch us? – because God is not domineering and does not ordinarily force people to pay attention to Him.
:: Silence and solitude are outward, physical manifestations of the inward surrender of the heart as we relinquish talking, analyzing and enjoying the company of others to attend only to God.
:: We also surrender the desire to manage and control our prayer time, with no list of requests, no outline for structure, no opening and no closing; “I am not in charge.”
:: Wise souls will find it a relief to no longer be “pleasantly attached to their own efforts.”
:: The surrendered will and attentive mind say “You know my faults. You love me. I give this person, troublesome situation, or grievous sin to you.”
:: Solitary, silent experiences call for a rigorous emptying of self. Why?
:: “Prayer is a melting. Prayer is a dissolving and an uplifting of the soul.” – Madam Guyon
:: We no longer need to be clever and wonderful in order to prove our acceptability.
:: Surrender eventually permeates the way you make prayer requests as your first priority is no longer to get what you want, but to listen the heart of God and see what God wants.
:: A surrendered heart, trained by silence and solitude, listens, which means it sees and hears what others don’t.
:: Listening from the heart puts us in a hushed place in which waves of love and adoration wash over us: “Our spirit is on tiptoe-alert and listening.”
:: Listening from the heart involves listening to the delicate intersection of the human heart with its desires and dreams and the vase and silent mystery that is God.
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:: As silence and solitude become more important in your communication with God, you will long to be with God in a more focused way.
:: Henri Nouwen set up a regular routine of times of reflection and retreat days, daily prayer discipline with the integration of prayer with his work.
:: Asbury prayer ministry retreats, IHOPKC, Brooklyn Tabernacle, Sacred Heart Monastery or plan your own.
:: Keep seeking ways to internalize Scripture so it will form Christ’s character in you, meditate on a passage, repeated reading of the Gospels, Lectio Divina.
Chapter 6 Review Questions: 1. How are silence and solitude beneficial to us?
2. What is the focus of silence and solitude?
3. What is the desired outcome of practicing silence and solitude?
Chapter 6 Practical Application: :: Prayer: “God give me a heart to know you.”
:: Plan out times of silence and solitude, perhaps join an Asbury prayer retreat opportunity, and schedule them on your calendar.
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson
Chapter 7 The Alert Soul
Scripture to Memorize: Psalm 5:3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
:: Perhaps you wonder if you could be still before God without dozing off or losing interest.
:: We are productive people who don’t pause for long, so when we do, we tend to doze off.
:: Pray that the dullness of our wait would grow into an awareness of God.
:: In contemplative prayer, the look on our face displays peace, expectancy and alertness.
:: It takes some time to learn how to “center” yourself, bringing your thoughts and attention to the center of your being – into your heart.
:: In the heart, we listen to what is going on in our souls.
:: We must detach from the world’s concerns.
:: Little by little as we let go of the concerns around us, we focus on God’s presence and attach ourselves there.
:: What does it mean to focus on God’s presence? o 1st – Agree intellectually that God is present and His presence is a good
thing o 2nd – Awareness of the all-powerful God who loves us o 3rd – Develop a sense of divine presence
:: Centering oneself in God moves us over to God’s wavelength, agreeing to think His thoughts.
:: Centering (abiding in God) has two purposes: o It calms and quiets us o Makes us alert to God
:: Tips on centering prayer: o Helps our restless minds if we do it in the same place each time
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o Body position makes a difference, sit in a chair with palms up in expectation
o Use breath prayers (more of Jesus, less of me) o Use Richard Foster’s “palms down (give up cares), palms up (receive from
God)” approach o Use scripture phrases (beholding the Lord) o Repeat a key word or phrase “holy word” to fill our mind with God alone
(use the same word each time) “Lord have mercy on me a sinner”, “I am here”
o Singing help us to relax by breathing in and out; hymns, praise songs
:: God may reveal to you your own method of centering (alphabet of prayers and hymns).
:: As you center on God, distractions will come from taking your vitamins to bizarre things, just turn your attention immediately back to God.
:: Don’t try to fight the distractions away, use paper and pen to capture distractions; sometimes great ideas occur during this time.
:: Sometimes the thought will be an opportunity for contemplation; ask God what you need to know about the thought that comes forward.
:: Eventually the skill of centering comes naturally and your hardly notice the distractions and noises around you.
“Imagine a soul so closely united to God that the heart will be full of aspiration toward God without any clear expression-prostrate in God’s presence and wholly lost in Him.” – Jean-Nicholas Grou
Chapter 7 Review Questions: 1. Why is centering prayer so hard for most of us?
2. What are the two purposes of centering prayer?
3. How can we handle distractions during centering prayer?
Chapter 7 Practical Application: :: Practice centering prayer this week for 5 minutes each day at the beginning of your day and see what God reveals to you as your method.
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson
Chapter 8 Asking God Questions
:: People often say they have questions to ask God when they get to heaven.
:: Making a list of questions show we view God as someone who knows things and wants to communicate with us.
:: We can cultivate a relationship with God by continually asking God questions.
:: Posing questions to God helps us to remain alert in the silence.
:: We offer questions during silent contemplation and then wait; sometimes a thought will come immediately but most likely at an odd moment later or much later.
:: Without the discipline of inquiring after God, we often follow the human method of sizing things up and making our own decisions.
:: Asking questions can make a dramatic difference in outcomes such as King David who sought God’s counsel and remained open to it.
:: David had an inquiring reflective heart; he asked God about each battle, knowing God’s will was not always the same.
:: God’s pattern is to go before us, and if we inquire of the Lord, we will know how to follow.
:: Inquiring after God: o Is a normal response for the one who is pursuing God’s heart o Flows out of love and partnership with God o Becomes a complete life orientation o Causes us to become open-hearted o Teaches us to ask God to think His thoughts in us and we ask God what He
wants to do
:: To live life in an ongoing conversation with God we ask: o What are You telling me about my relationship with You? o What are You telling me about how my character needs to change? o What are You telling me about how You want me involved in advancing
Your kingdom?
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:: As questions come from the dilemmas in life, we can find some quiet and ask God.
:: As we ask God questions in prayer: o we live from the heart o we ask “How can I be compassionate in this situation? How can I live out
justice here? How is my heart divided?” o Our hearts transform from a worldly perspective to an eternal or spiritual
perspective. o We become simple seekers of God, rather than keeping a laundry list of
things for God to do. o We ask questions about God’s will and live to have more of God in us. o We let go of the need to fix others. o We let go of the prideful tendency to correct and direct God.
:: As we wait for answers, a kind of “simmering process” seems to go on and it must be allowed to do its work.
:: We trust that answers will come and God will speak.
:: Accepting this simmering process helps us to continue in faith.
:: Reasons we don’t ask God: o We think we already know the answer. o We have a strong opinion about something. o We like one-size-fits-all answers, doing things the way we have always
done them. o We believe we have already heard God speak – seek Him continually.
:: Asking God questions requires that we wait upon Him for the answer, even if it takes a long time.
:: Waiting on God for an answer is only a problem if we are trying to “get the prize from the vending machine.”
:: In relationship with God, waiting on Him means you still have what you want, God Himself.
:: We wait upon God in expectant alertness, beyond the “official” moments of prayer.
:: The contemplative way teaches us to pause when things are unclear and wait for clarity.
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:: The skill of active waiting helps us live through wrong decisions and set aside our calculating ways; “instead of working the room to find the best contacts, we wait upon God and see what He may urge me to do.”
Chapter 8 Review Questions: 1. Do you ask God questions? If so, what kinds of questions do you ask?
2. When you ask God a question, do you expect an answer? Do you wait for an answer?
3. Is it difficult to wait on God for the answer to a question? Why or why not?
Chapter 8 Practical Application: :: Pray this week: “Holy Spirit think through me till your ideas are my ideas.”
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson
Chapter 9 What to Expect
:: Questions about contemplative prayer: o What can I expect to happen when I pray this way? o What about my own thoughts? o How will I know if I have a genuine encounter with God?
:: The content of contemplative prayer is rarely dramatic and what we hear will line up with the Word of God.
:: We can expect to be loved, encounter a quiet sense of resting in God’s love and acceptance, even if God is correcting us in some way.
:: It is likely that God is speaking when what you hear sounds nothing like you or if it is so simple or profound that you would have never thought of it.
:: It’s normal to try to “make something happen” at first.
:: Most of what comes in contemplation are clues about how to specifically obey what we already know is right.
:: Expect God to use contemplative prayer in your spiritual formation; expect your heart to change and find the grace to obey.
:: God will change your heart toward people we resent and criticize.
:: We are nurtured by the love of God to the point where we want to do God’s will, to love, help and risk.
:: The more we ignore opportunities to do right, the more likely we are to become dry, brittle, law-abiding Christians who find sin quite natural.
:: In contemplation, a change of heart = change in behavior.
:: Expect to see more of your real self as God shows you how you have gone wrong calling evil good and labeling darkness as light, bitterness for sweetness.
:: Expect to hear your inner thoughts in a truer way than ever before-thoughts of greed, vengence, self-pity or anger; we pretend to be better than we are.
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:: Contemplative prayer is full of self-examination so we must lay our souls open before God:
“You can be certain that the Lord will not fail to enlighten you concerning your sin. Your Lord will shine as a light in you and through His shining, He will allow you to see the nature of all your faults.” – Madame Guyon
:: We can remain peaceful because these spiritual examinations by God as He earnestly desires the transformation of our soul; He deeply cares about us.
:: These exams become moments of sweet repentance as God’s love breaks through the walls we’ve erected and changes our hearts, setting us up for drastic character changes.
:: Solitude molds self-righteous people into gentle, caring, forgiving persons who are so deeply convinced of their own great sinfulness and so fully aware of God’s even greater mercy that their life itself becomes a ministry.
:: When we get in the middle of baffling situations, we can ask God, “What’s this about?”
:: As soon as we commit a sin, we are immediately rebuked by an inward sense, admit it to God and say “I get it now”.
:: When I seek God, I’m most likely to hear about my faults, not yours.
:: We need to respect what God might be telling another person, not necessarily what He is telling us.
:: Try to make a decision in the spirit and character of Christ by asking, “What is God calling me to overcome? What must I do to overcome it?”
:: Neediness surfaces in job or relationship difficulties so we need to examine them to uncover the hidden motives in our soul and be embraced by the love of God.
:: Neediness develops within the following areas: o Core beliefs about yourself “everyone else has it better than I do” results
in undervaluing ourselves and resenting others o Core beliefs about God and self “doubting we are loved by God” results in
seeking the approval of others; • God’s love and approval is enough to satisfy us • Knowing the character of God from scripture is so important
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:: At times you will feel you just don’t have time for contemplation – pg. 118.
:: The time wasters in our lives are our plans, imaginings and fears; the company of God frees us from them.
:: Sometimes we may think we are getting nothing out of contemplation – “There is no such thing as a prayer in which nothing is done or nothing happens although there may well be a prayer in which nothing is perceived or felt or thought.” – Thomas Merton
Chapter 9 Review Questions: 1. How do we know we have heard from God?
2. What is the most important thing that happens during contemplation?
Chapter 9 Practical Application: :: If you are struggling with contemplation, try this roadmap (pg. 120) for awhile and then let God guide you:
o Let go of thoughts, relax and maintain silence. o Be aware of God’s presence. o Surrender in the Spirit. o Accept others. o Repent and seek forgiveness. o Contemplate God (listen and look for God to show some aspect of himself
to you) o Receive (such as a sense of being God’s beloved). o Intercede.
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson
Chapter 10 Hearing God with Clarity
Scripture to Memorize: Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.
:: If you talk to God, it’s called prayer; if God talks to you, it’s called schizophrenia. Why?
:: Some have claimed to hear God and used that “message” to tell others what to do.
:: Have you ever secretly wished that God would speak to you? Has He?
:: Sometimes we grasp for techniques: o Revert to seeking signs and “fleeces” o Put God on a timetable o Give God multiple choice tests
:: What does it take to practice contemplative prayer so that we hear God with clarity?
:: Clearness is blocked by various reasons, here are some safeguards: o Knowing God as He truly is in Scripture keeps us from assuming God is
saying something outside His character o Being rooted in Scripture o Being rooted in Christian community
:: Some growth in Christ is imperative as the silence of contemplation allows room for the Enemy of our soul to move in with voices that are not God’s.
:: A person is ready for contemplative prayer if: o It is becoming easier to receive constructive criticism o We are learning to move beyond personal offense and freely forgive those
who have wronged us
:: These areas are important because our prayers can be disrupted by our irritable thoughts about people.
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:: Ongoing forgiveness of others keeps contemplative prayer from dissolving into a struggling defeat.
:: We need to have a willingness to look at our soul’s inner neediness and abandon our desire to find affirmation in the opinions of others.
:: We must have our needs met by the companionship of God so that we are trusting God to provide safety to protect my reputation for me.
:: The “committee” of different selves that can interrupt our times of conversation with God:
o The Rescuer – a thought comes to mind about a troubled family member so that you are consumed with solving their problem
o The Looking-Good Kid – an upcoming opportunity for service turns into thoughts about dazzling others
o The Victim – a situation in which you were taken advantage of consumes our thoughts about how to get back at them
o The Defender – someone in our life that we need to forgive turns into a rehearsal of what we will say
o The Critic – a past failure comes to mind and our minds are filled with thoughts of lack of skills and confidence
o The Entertainment Junkie – says prayer is too much work so just rent a video and relax
:: These voices represent our inner neediness and we must realize that God doesn’t use these voices to speak to us, its just a sign we are human.
:: Facing and quieting these inner voices is part of our spiritual formation.
:: When we know God as He truly is in Scripture, we learn to recognize the voice of the thief.
:: The thief’s voice threatens and intimidates on the basis of fear, ordering you to do things in an urgent, pressing, sermonizing, demeaning voice.
:: Jesus knocks on the door, doesn’t kick it in, and waits for you to trust in Him and looks for obedience of the heart and He may chastise, soothe, prod or direct in a patient and kind manner. 1 Corinthians 13
:: We are warned not to consider ourselves clever or sophisticated about spiritual life when practicing contemplative prayer.
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:: It’s very easy to fall in love with our own spirituality as there is no end to self-congratulation.
:: Spiritual self-absorption can come by way of a sense of despair: “I’ll never get contemplative prayer right.”
:: Solitude and reflection need to be alternated with times of exterior activity which helps us learn to practice God’s presence in the mundane things of life.
Chapter 10 Review Questions: 1. How can we safeguard our spiritual ears to hear God with clarity?
2. What are two signs in our spiritual life that we are ready for contemplative prayer?
3. What “committee” member interrupts your time of prayer most often?
Chapter 9 Practical Application: Pray: “Forgive me that so much of what I do is about me when I want it to be about You.”
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson
Chapter 11 Contemplatives are not “Loners”
:: Contemplative prayer is not only for introverted, intuitive types: “A contemplative is not a special kind of person, every person is a special kind of contemplative.
:: David, the warrior-king was also a reflective, psalmist writing shepherd who moved in and out of contemplation all day.
:: Biblical figures who created blocks of private moments with God include Elijah, Jacob, Jesus.
:: Some people may write off contemplation by saying “I’m a Martha.” But the traditional Mary/Martha split is false.
:: Doers might well be doers because they draw from the well of quietness before God.
:: You can be very active in life and still be very contemplative.
:: It requires that we learn to quiet ourselves but does not require analytical thinking.
:: The enemy of our soul wants us to believe that prayer is a difficult mental task and useless to you unless you are a scholar.
:: Listening to God is for small groups as well as individuals.
:: Relating what we hear to others deepens the experience and is part of the experience itself; spoken out loud things become clearer and the responses from others is very enlightening.
:: We don’t always have to be “jabbering” to minister to each other.
:: The confirming word of others is a biblical principle and can be a safeguard for us (the two or three witnesses principle, Deut. 17:6, Matt. 18:16, 1 Tim. 5:19).
:: God makes truth plain, so if you’ve got some wild idea of what God is “telling” you, confirm it with two or three others.
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:: The confirmation of community is important especially when a person hears God for someone else: “God told me to tell you.”
:: When God does speak to one person about another, it’s usually a confirming word concerning something he has already told them; God is confirming through you that they heard correctly.
:: We need confirmation from others, asking, “Does this sound like something God might say to me? Something I need to hear?”
:: Just knowing I’m going to check it out with someone else and be open to their ideas keeps me from entertaining outlandish, self-centered ideas.
:: God through contemplation enlarges our heart to such an extent that we begin to care for those we don’t even know.
:: We come away from contemplation equipped with a heart for bringing justice and mercy to the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the needy, the sick, the prisoners even though we have never met them.
:: God-driven service flows out of what you hear from God as opposed to caring for others, developing compassion fatigue and burn out without contemplation.
:: God can give us enough fuel and we need God to continually feed us.
:: Our effectiveness and ability to keep going is multiplied incredibly because of our time with God.
:: Contemplation enhances community because it enables us to be the kind of people who can work harmoniously with others.
:: Contemplation turns us into patient, others-centered workers that others want to have around.
:: Through contemplation, God transforms us: o Where you once could not earn enough money, you now spend your
resources to help others o Where you once sought a higher salary, you now seek a higher standard
of integrity o Where you once argued for mercy to be shown to you, you now work to
see that mercy is shown to others
:: We need to ask God:
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o What in me needs to be changed? o Who are the enemies I need to love and the strangers I need to welcome? o What have You called me to do in Your kingdom?
:: A transformed heart, hungry for God, sees the wisdom of team politics, loving faithfully, sharing resources and living simply.
Chapter 11 Review Questions: 1. What is one reason that contemplative prayer is effective in community?
2. How does contemplative prayer help “do-ers”?
Chapter 11 Practical Application: :: Make plans to try group centering prayer on Thursday evenings.
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson
Chapter 12 A Contemplative Lifestyle
:: Contemplative prayers of surrender changes our attitude and our dialogue with God.
:: A contemplative lifestyle allows each life circumstance to intersect with God through prayer; nothing escapes God; we live in union with God all day long.
:: Can a person really live in union with God all day long?
:: Tasks become easier because they aren’t all mine to do.
:: We are free to surrender this troublesome co-worker, impossible schedule, upcoming medical test to God and see what God will say.
:: Nehemiah prayed while serving wine to a king. Nehemiah 2:1-4
:: The contemplative lifestyle requires that we learn to be attentive to God in all of life.
:: As we learn to acknowledge God’s presence in every activity, we see opportunities we would otherwise miss and assistance we would forget to thank God for.
:: Contemplation wakes us up spiritually.
:: Move into an inner solitude in the midst of activity, we train our hearts to listen quietly to God and know we have access to God whenever we need it.
:: Learning to pray in solitude and during activity schools us to “live from the heart” more minutes of the day.
:: Learning not to compartmentalize life; we no longer separate spiritual from health, work, family or service; prayer and life must be all of a piece.
:: The task of prayer is not sacred or secular-you the doer are sacred and any task you do is sacred as well.
:: God desires to be involved in all parts of our lives.
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:: If we will delay responses, we are more likely to hear God’s still, small voice; ask God this question “What’s this about?”
:: We must listen to the inner neediness of our souls and that neediness makes itself heard when we abstain from something such as food or television.
:: The contemplative calms the heart and listens and we find that we are given a kind of knowing and belonging in our spiritual heart that is too fine for our minds to comprehend, yet profoundly substantial.
:: Infuse your work with prayer.
:: Recognize God in the mundane; as we watch a sunset, rock a baby, play a song, we can worship and enjoy God and the result is that we hear Him more often.
:: Souls who can recognize God in the most trivial, the most grievous and the most mortifying things that happen to them in their lives, honor everything equally with delight and rejoicing, and welcome with open arms what others dread and avoid.
:: Ordinary moments are worth paying attention to because you never know what God is up to.
:: God speaks to each of us in creative ways and our job is to pay attention to the various avenues through which God might speak.
:: Use our key phrases throughout the day (Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.)
:: When we ignore God’s presence in all of life, our soul weakens and we shrink from being all we were created to be.
:: A life directed by the clear voice of God is: o The life of inner strength o The life of peace o The life that can withstand correction o The life that knows it is well guided o The life lived in a growing, intimate communion with God
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Chapter 12 Review Questions: 1. What is a contemplative lifestyle?
2. What is the outcome of living a contemplative lifestyle?
Chapter 12 Practical Application: :: See how many times a day you are mindful of God. If it is only during times of intentional prayer, what are some ways that could help you be mindful of Him during your activities throughout the day?
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson
Chapter 13 God Reveals Basic Truths
:: Scripture: The Lord himself goes before and will be with you. He will never leave your nor forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8
:: How do we keep from going off-track in hearing from God?
:: Do we hear all kinds of outlandish things or only certain things?
:: The best was to stay on track spiritually is to understand that God is likely to say to us what He has said before to people in Scripture.
:: God is anxious for us to absorb the truth from Scripture.
:: We will explore the kinds of things God has said in the past that you are likely to hear.
:: God’s basic messages to us are: o God tells us who we are: we are loved; we are valued. o God reminds us of the big picture and of His purposes. o God comforts us. o God nudges us forward into ministry.
:: God so loves the world (John 3:16); I am someone God so loves is a message we’re likely to hear from God in contemplation.
:: This is a love that God lavishes upon us and He is the only One who will never forsake us or leave us.
:: The prodigal son is one example of God’s great love for us, the Father running toward His prodigal son.
:: God’s father-heart is described by Henri Nouwen, pg 156.
:: What must I do to be loved? What must I do to be valued?
:: The good news is that the search for significance is over. We are not only loved but also valued by God.
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:: Even in our fallenness, we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth.
:: Our striving for attention and recognition can be over as God speaks to us.
:: Prayer, especially meditation and contemplation is not so much a way to find God as a way of resting in him whom we have found, who loves us, who is near to us, who come to us to draw us to himself.
:: God reminds us of His promises and truths that He has already made plain; He reminded Abraham of His covenant with Him 7 times in Genesis.
:: Expect God to bring up big-picture scripture concepts such as: o Redemption o Reconciliation o Inviting others to the kingdom o Building relationships instead of division
:: The better we know God the more our hearts beat in rhythm with His heart.
:: We begin communicating with God about the matters of His heart; this is progress.
:: This is progress: we’ve moved into seeking the heart of God and wanting His will to be done on earth.
:: “Don’t forget to love.” God’s will is for us to love one another regardless of the decisions that must be made.
:: We want God to give us an answer whether to “go” or “stay” but the answer we will get is how to go or stay – with compassion and integrity in thoughts and action.
:: Contemplation isn’t as much about answers as it is a way to be in the world.
:: God may speak to us with comforting thoughts: o Don’t be afraid – God takes away our fears as we trust in Him. o I am with you, I won’t leave you. o Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me – God’s power, authority, defense
and protection o Keep going – do not abandon the work of your hands.
:: God draws us into ministry so we hear: o Let’s create something new.
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o Do good things with what I’ve given you. o Move from this place of inactivity. o Do the tough thing – follow me. o Bring light to this dark situation.
:: In contemplation, we partner with God and God goes before us.
:: All of these messages are basic, but we do forget them and its good for God to remind us.
:: To experience God and know His purposes for us – this is contemplative living.
Chapter 13 Review Questions: 1. How do we keep from going off-track in hearing from God?
2. What are God’s basic messages to us?
3. What are the “big picture” concepts that God is likely to bring up?
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson
Chapter 14 God Reveals Difficult Truths
:: God has other things to say to us besides “I love you” which may include confrontations, challenges or tests.
:: “Have you ever heard the Master say something very difficult to you? If you haven’t, I question whether you have ever heard Him say anything at all.” – Oswald Chambers
:: In an authentic relationship with God, we trust God enough to let him probe us.
:: God purposes to disturb us, to awaken us from our self-satisfied spiritual lull.
:: Jesus listeners must have been appalled at first by his stories: o Luke 15:11-12 Son to father “let’s pretend you’re dead and I’ll take half
my inheritance.” o Matthew 21:33-44 Employees repeatedly kill the owners couriers. o Luke 10:30-37 A man saves the life of his enemy.
:: Jesus was the kindest, fairest person who ever lived and yet he was confrontational to expose inner neediness and wrong assumptions.
:: In a mature relationship, people can stand to hear the truth: o This is My will, you aren’t the one I’m calling – help that other person
instead. o Nothing works when you pull away from me. o You disobeyed and here’s the consequences. o You could have been my vessel. o Stop sinning. o You’re not growing in the spirit. o What have you done? o Do you see what you’ve been doing?
:: In contemplation, we hear God’s voice confronting us – you could have said a kind word, you could have offered to stay, you could have written a check.
:: Long before God confronts us, He challenges us over and over again: o Give up your obsession. o Make a choice now-no more waiting. o Yes, you’ve gotten in a mess with people who don’t abide with me, but
behave as you know I want you to.
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o This is your moment in the kingdom! o Act like the person I believe you to be.
:: God often says to us “Others may do this or that, but what is the natural and normal thing that one who loves Me would do? Examine what you are doing in light of Me, not others.”
:: Words of testing are difficult to hear from God because tests require us to know that God is the Lover of our souls and not a tyrannical wielder of thunderbolts.
:: The point of our crises and calamities is not to frighten us or beat us into submission but to encourage us to change, to allow us to heal and to grow:
o Look at what’s in your heart. o Am I enough to sustain you and love you in this world?
:: Testing reveals how strong our love for God is by how eager we are to obey.
:: Through confrontations, challenges and tests, God says difficult things to us.
:: As we grow in our relationship with God, the difficult things become easier for us to hear.
:: A loving parent disciplines and directs his child; contemplative living means that we have a constant awareness that we are children of God.
:: God makes it possible for us to receive both basic and difficult truths from Him.
Chapter 14 Review Questions: 1. Why does God give us confrontations, challenges and tests?
2. Why are words of testing difficult for us to hear?
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson Chapter 15 God Reveals Himself
:: As we get to know the heart of God, we’re more likely to refuse temptation because we love Him too much to give in.
:: What can bind us to the heart of God so that nothing can tear us away from Him for very long?
:: We come to know the heart of God through watching Him grieve, going through desert experiences with Him and receiving the intimacy He offers.
:: In contemplative prayer, the pain of others may come to the front of our minds.
:: To sit with God and let one’s heart be broken by the things that break God’s heart results in a selfless heart for others.
:: God grieves for reasons such as: o Grief over the destruction of people o Pain over the wickedness of people o Grief over pain as people suffer consequences
:: We join God in outrage and grief, often in silent wordless prayer.
:: God is likely to call us to places in our spiritual life where we have never gone and perhaps where we would never choose to go.
:: There are times when we experience what seems like abandonment by God, where we encounter:
o God’s long pauses o A time of purifying
:: The silence of God is the greatest test of our faith and can happen to anyone.
:: We dislike the desert because we want to fix things quickly and to make life beautiful and harmonious again.
:: During a time of purifying: o The soul seems dried out. o The pleasure of devotional life is gone. o Nothing works. o There is little joy.
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:: We discover that we’ve been seeking God for the sake of His consolation – it wasn’t God we loved as much as His ability solve problems and fix our world.
:: We may experience the “dark night” if we: o Are too spiritual o Talk about spiritual things all the time o Prefer to teach rather than be taught o Condemn others who aren’t as spiritual as we are o Want to be like God rather than love God
:: The joy of living must be based in knowing God.
:: The dark nights and desert days become places in which we learn to rest in the silence of God and no longer fear them.
:: God gazes upon us with love, even in the midst of challenges.
:: We can expect to hear these words during quiet contemplation: o I am with you. o I delight in you. o I see your faults and invite you to come to Me.
:: “Prayer, especially meditation and contemplation, is not so much a way to find God as it is a way of resting in him whom we have found, who loves us, who is near to us, who comes to us to draw us to himself.” - Thomas Merton
:: The sweetest gift God will give us, if we are open, is the gift of Himself.
:: Psalm 34:8 - God will meet you there, speaking to you through His Word and by the Holy Spirit.
:: My prayer is that we, God’s children, will learn to receive God in every part of our lives, and that He will transform us into the light of the world, quite bonfires of the life of God who dwells in us – that’s what is needed in the world that God so loves.
Chapter 15 Review Questions: 1. How do we come to know the heart of God?
2. What does God grieve over? Chapter 15 Practical Application: :: Pray: “Oh, God, I get it! The treasure is You! You are enough!
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When the Soul Listens – Jan Johnson
:: What did you like about the book?
:: What did you not like about the book?
:: What is the Holy Spirit calling you to do or to change as a result of this book?
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