Reflections

Recognising God's Voice 

We turn to the question of how to develop the art of the listening side of prayer which is of great importance and value to every Christian. As the point I want to make has been put most expertly by Mrs Herman in her book Creative power, I can do no better than to quote her deeply  expressive comments: 

"The alert and courageous soul  making its first venture upon the spiritual life is like a wireless operator on his trial trip in the Pacific. At the mercy of a myriad electrical whispers, the novice at the receiver does not know what to think. And then, just as his ear has begun to get adjusted to  the weird babel of crossing sounds, there comes a remote and thrilling whisper that plucks at his taut nerves.... It is the expected message and he nearly missed it. The Christian who waits in silence before God must learn to disentangle the voice of God from the net of other voices-the ghostly whisperings of the subconscious self, the luring voices of the world, the hindering voices of misguided friendship, the clamour of personal ambition and vanity, the murmur of self will, and the song of unbridled imagination."

We learn to listen to God's voice in the same way as we learn any other art - by practice. Begin today to wait before God with your heart and mind fully open to Him. Don't be discouraged if for a few days  (or even weeks) all you hear is voices from your subconscious, or the muffled sound traffic in the distance. The more you practice the more perfect will become the art, and quietly, almost without realising it, you will one day recognise your Master's Voice.