Listening to God

Exploring Spiritual Direction with GroundHovering

GroundHovering offers a transformative approach to spiritual direction, inviting individuals to deepen their relationship with the Divine. This practice emphasizes listening, discernment, and prayer, guiding seekers on their spiritual journey. One of the most profound aspects of spiritual direction is the ability to hear and respond to the Voice of God, a skill that can be cultivated through intentional prayer practices.

Rabbi's Journey: Listening and Discerning the Voice of God

Rabbi, a participant in GroundHovering's spiritual direction program, shares her personal experience of learning to listen for God's voice. Initially, Rabbi struggled with distractions and self-doubt, often questioning whether she was truly hearing from God. However, through consistent prayer practices and guidance from her spiritual director, she began to cultivate a deeper awareness of the divine presence in her life.

Prayer Practices that Foster Discernment

Rabbi adopted several prayer practices that helped her tune into the Voice of God:

• Contemplative Prayer: This practice involves sitting in silence, allowing thoughts to settle, and creating space for God’s voice to emerge. Rabbi found that this quiet time helped her to focus and clear her mind of distractions.

• Scripture Meditation: By meditating on specific passages from the Bible, Rabbi learned to reflect on how these words applied to her life. This practice often led her to insights and revelations that felt divinely inspired.

• Journaling: Rabbi began to journal her prayers and thoughts, which allowed her to track her spiritual growth and recognize patterns in her experiences. Writing became a way for her to articulate her feelings and discern the messages she believed she was receiving.

• Listening Prayer: In this practice, Rabbi would spend time in prayer, not just speaking to God but also listening for responses. This intentional listening helped her to develop a sensitivity to the subtle nudges and guidance she felt.

A Personal Example of Discernment

One significant moment of discernment for Rabbi occurred during a particularly challenging time in her life. She was faced with a decision about her career path, feeling torn between stability and pursuing her passion. After engaging in her prayer practices, she felt compelled to seek God’s guidance. Rabbi dedicated a week to focused prayer, incorporating her contemplative practices and journaling. During this time, she felt an overwhelming sense of peace when she considered pursuing her passion. This peace was contrasted by anxiety when she thought about staying in her current job. After sharing her experience with her spiritual director, they discussed the importance of peace as a sign of God’s presence. Rabbi realized that the peace she felt was a confirmation of her calling. This discernment ultimately led her to make a bold decision to transition into a role that aligned with her passions, which has since brought her immense joy and fulfillment.

Conclusion

Rabbi’s journey illustrates the powerful impact of spiritual direction and prayer practices in discerning the Voice of God. GroundHovering provides a supportive environment for individuals to explore their spirituality, encouraging them to listen deeply and respond to Divine Guidance. As seekers engage in practices like contemplative prayer, scripture meditation, journaling, and listening prayer, they can cultivate a richer relationship with God, leading to transformative life decisions and a deeper sense of purpose.

Thank you, Rabbi, whose name has been changed for sharing your experience of Spiritual Direction with Mandy L. Gero at GroundHovering.rocks, Book today to explore Spiritual Direction