Step #11 – Keeping in Touch(part 3)

Steps to the Spirit

In this episode, I will still be talking about step number 11 and this is part number three, in particular the part of this step that says, “knowledge of His will for us”.

I don’t believe there is much of a problem understanding that I must try to live my life by fulfilling God’s will for me. In step number three when I said I decided to turn my will and my life over to the care of God, I was truly sincere, but if the truth be known, a little confused. Where in the world, or how, what I ever be able to discern exactly? What God’s will for me is? Of course, it was many years ago that I asked this question, and now I have learned what the answer is.

For me, the way to discern God’s will for me is through my Spirit. Now, you may ask, “how in the world do you communicate with your Spirit?” Well, as I’ve mentioned before, my idea of prayer is not the conventional one. My idea of prayer is not to show or say words of adoration for God. My idea of prayer is not to ask for anything from God. My idea of prayer is not even to give thanks to God for all that I received from Him. No, I have developed the habit of giving thanks to God many times throughout the day. Now, you may consider this a form of prayer, and I would have a difficult time arguing that point. For me, I simply refer to them as moments of gratitude.

Prayer, for me, is simply listening. The listening that I do have certainly not come overnight nor is it anywhere perfected. I used to try to sit quietly in a quiet place and filter out the thoughts that were running through my head concerning my humanity. I slowly learn to separate those spiritual inspirations from the run of the mill, daily thoughts. Now, I need not be in a particular place or even be in a particular state of mind in order to hear but my Spirit has to say to me. These inspiration seem to come throughout the day. The only requirement is that I try to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak I know that a lot of what the Spirit has to say to me sort of goes in one spiritual ear and out the other! The important thing is that I am trying.

There are many ways and methods by which we can get ourselves into a quiet place, and prepare for meditation or contact with her Spirit. Some of these methods may be helpful at first. For me, I am slowly learning to filter out those thoughts which are not from my Spirit. Believe me, even though very frustrating at the beginning, it will eventually become second nature as long as we work for it.