The Scripture ~ And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21
The Spiritual Focus ~ “Let us be silent so we may hear the whispers of God.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Devotion ~ One of the most sought after experiences for people of faith is to be able “hear” the voice of God. We wish to hear God’s voice so we may understand which way we are to turn in this journey called life. There are great obstacles to hearing God’s voice, one is our own distractibility. We have become great multitaskers. We also have the ability to only half listen, preparing a response before a person speaking is thru talking. But the most difficult obstacle for most of us is what some have called the inability to turn off the “yappy” little voices in our head. While it is not easy, it is true that with practice, in prayer and meditation, one can experience the sacred silence into which God speaks.
During lent many people make an intention to increase time spent in their prayer and meditation. Prayer is commonly understood to mean speaking to God. Meditation however, is understood as attentive listening, sitting in silence, listening for God’s voice. For most people meditation is the more difficult of the two and one that requires practice.
A favorite yogi once said telling people to shut down their thoughts is like saying pink elephant 3 times, we become focused on the thing we most want to let go of. But, there is a way to stay connected and open to hear the quiet voice of God and that is thru the use of a sacred word or mantra.
Contemplative prayer practices use the repetition of a sacred word or mantra to bring oneself back to the moment when thoughts spiral. When practiced with breath, the sacred word encourages silence and increases one’s ability to hear God. Rumi the great mystic reminds us, “There is a voice that doesn’t use words, listen.” A sacred word or mantra guides us to listen attentively.
Choosing a sacred word is a work of art. One must try it on to see if it both connects us and opens us to God. There are many sacred words to choose from but if you don’t have one for today/tonight a suggested sacred word is maranatha. The word is derived from 2 Aramaic (the language of Jesus) words that in modern translation mean, “Come Lord.” Maranatha combined with breath becomes a sacred invitation to be still and listen for the quiet presence of God, the God whisper.
Breath Prayer is Maranatha
