Give about ten minutes a day to this. You can do it in your shower!

 

God interacts with us in countless ways all day long, and especially when we pray. He inspires, invites, guides and cautions us. But he doesn’t shout or shove; he nudges and whispers. God respects our freedom too much to identify himself openly as God speaking until he knows we want to hear what he says. All we have to do to ignore him is just not listen very hard. The Awareness Exercise is a way to listen, to identify God’s action in our hearts and our response to it.

 

To begin, pause for a moment, clear your mind, recall the presence of God and ask God to help you.

 

Now,  get in touch with your feelings. Feelings are never good or bad, because they are not free acts. But they can be useful to tell us which way the wind is blowing in our hearts, and the wind may be the Holy Spirit. So look for any change you have experienced in your feelings during the day or during the prayer you have just made. "How did I feel when I began this day or meditation? How do I feel now? Did my mood change at any moment? Was it because of some thought I had? Did I make a choice I feel good about? Or do not feel at peace with? Has any thought been bugging me? Is there something I need to reconsider, look at more deeply?"

 

Next, make a judgment about the source of these feelings. Is there some obvious natural explanation? Or is God perhaps assuring you that you are on course by giving you peace, or disturbing your peace to warn you that you are getting off course? Have the courage to take a stance toward the decisions and choices of the day, to decide they were right, wrong or doubtful. You don’t have to be absolutely certain, but come to a decision and see if you feel at peace with it.

 

Then speak to God about what you are going to do now. Look to the future. Change any choice God is asking you to change.

 

Take a deliberate stance of faith, encouragement, love. Ask Jesus to be your Way. Surrender to him.