My life has been to seek the Absolute Truth of God; to help others find the real purpose of their lives... Attempt to make this or where ever I am; better for my having been there! Amen!
Q: How did you start this way of listening to God through the Psalms?
I was getting ready to meditate on Psalm 23 at a retreat, and I remember
thinking that I probably wouldn’t get anything new out of it this time,
because I was so familiar with the psalm. It was as if God said, “So
you don’t think there is anything new to learn!”
I was bowled over. My experience of hearing God speak to me in the first
person through the Psalms was completely outside the box for me. I was
aware that it was God’s initiative with me. I don’t think I am smart
enough to dream this up. I felt like I was just a scribe writing down
what God was saying to me, without any thought process of my own. The
experience got me excited about incorporating this way of listening to
God into my life.
Q: You describe using your imagination when you are reading Psalms. What do you say to people who struggle with that idea?
Our whole being is sanctified. God has redeemed my whole being—mind,
body, and soul—and He lives in me. My imagination is just one way to
connect to God.
The process of listening to God in the first person through a psalm is a
very relational way of engaging with God. He is drawing me into an
intimate connection, and also incorporating my current life experience
into how He speaks to me.
Q: This is a slow process, listening to God through the Psalms. Talk about the pace.
I approach this kind of listening when I have at least an hour. It takes
time to sit and soak in the words. I usually start with 4-5 different
translations of the Bible, and read over the psalm again and again,
looking up words and cross-references. But it is more than study, this
is marinating in the psalm until I can begin to taste the words. I am
waiting for the answer to the question, “What would it sound like if You spoke to me in the first person?”
Q: Is this always an individual practice, or can it be used with a group?
In a group setting, each person can spend their own time with God,
listening, meditating, jotting down notes as to what they hear God
saying to them. Then, the group can come together to share what they
heard from the same psalm. This also allows a time for the group to
reflect on what other people heard. God will not speak anything that is
contradictory to His Word or His character, and in the group sharing
time there is an opportunity to ask questions and clarify.
Q: You are the National Prayer Director for The Navigators. What does that role entail?
I have the opportunity to interact with Navigator ministries in many
different environments—campuses, cities, military bases, neighborhoods,
and more. I get the privilege to encourage and teach staff about the
depths of prayer, that it is not just coming to God with our list, but
that it is profoundly relational, between us and God. Prayer is coming
into the presence of God. I often lead retreats that include four
elements: Scripture, worship, prayer, and silence. The last element,
silence, is something we often forget as we seek connection with God.
Vic Black is the U.S. prayer director for The Navigators.
Shhh! Listen. Do you hear it? Listen carefully. Focus. Heaven is
speaking, telling of My glory. ... — Psalm 19 in the first person.
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