The “listening heart” – I love the sound of these two words whether they are spoken or read. They conjure up a quiet time, a space where you can listen to and hear what God is saying to you. Times like these can be in the middle of storms with the thunder crashing around you or in the silence of a sunrise. These are the times that are so very special and mean that we have taken the time to just “be” and simply nestle ourselves in the arms of God.
The listening heart, though, means so much more than that. It requires that we need to listen to anguished hearts of others which are not heard just as we hear God’s voice in the thunder and also the sunrise. We need to listen to the beating of another’s heart and also the silent cries of those who suffer, often in silence, and who mask their desperation from all around them.
No matter what we are doing or where we are we need to attune our “listening heart” to be aware for the need of God’s love, through us, to be shown to others.
Prayer:
Dear One, as we come to you, listening for your still, small voice, we ask that you help us also to listen for the silent voices of others so that we may bring your love and comfort to them. May your Holy Spirit fill us with compassion so that we may develop a “listening heart”. Amen
By Terry Stead
Used by Permission
Further Reading
• Prayer Series by Barbara Epp