When we really listen
“I don't know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention…”
- Mary Oliver
Paying attention, listening to the Inner light, is the foundation of Friends’ worship practice. Really listening involves attention and inner stillness — letting go of the many thoughts that often clutter heart and mind.
I find when I really listen or I am really listened to, the sound of the genuine rises. The God given longings of the heart begin to emerge. These longings emerge through stories of pain and joy which when held with attentive care point us toward what is true.
We are invited to, “Be still and know…” (Psalm 46:10). The Spirit is moving. Choosing presence through deep listening offers opportunity to recognize and join with Spirit.
The flow of God moves in and through ourselves and our world. When we choose to really listen to the heart of God, our own heart or the heart of another has the opportunity to broaden as it recognizes, touches, and joins the flow of the divine.
As I really listen I notice, I slow down. My breath becomes more expansive. My mind focuses on noticing: The things happening in my body, the things happening in the body of the person or people I’m with, the things happening in the world around me.
Careful attention changes how I perceive events, interactions, even my own thoughts and emotions. The mundane becomes sacred.
Practicing this type of attention, listening, is like exercising a muscle. The more intentional practice we offer ourselves the more we remain in a heart space of listening prayer throughout our day. We begin to notice when we have left this space and entered into a space of distraction. Over time, returning to a place of centered listening becomes more natural.
This place of listening attention is a place of opportunity. Attuned to the Spirit we have greater capacity to see, name and join the work of God. We are also promised that God listens to us, so deeply, in fact, that when we don’t know how to pray the Spirit prays for us (Romans 8: 26-27).
What happens when you really listen?
What happens when you are really listened to?