Meditations of Listening Hearts Ministries

If we love God, we want to live in harmony with God–
we want to hear what God has to say, and we want to act on what we hear.
-Listening Hearts, p 14

Before you begin…
You may want to print this guide in order to bring it with you to a comfortable place, where you will be able to sit quietly without interruptions. This exercise guides you in drawing as a form of prayer. You will need paper, colored pencils (or whatever drawing materials you have on hand), and a flat surface on which to draw.

1. Take a moment to become settled and quiet. Draw slow, deep breaths. Bring the circumstances of your daily life into your meditation with you, taking time to identify any question or issue with which you may be wrestling. Wait in silence. If nothing specific comes to mind that you would like to reflect upon, get in tune with the general state of your being.

2. Read the following scriptural passage, or if you prefer, select another passage that you’d like to meditate with today.

Glory to him whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.
—Ep. 3:20

Read the words over and over to yourself, allowing them to sink in to your body, mind, and soul. Invite God’s presence to wash over you. You may want to close your eyes. Take as much time with the passage as you like to become centered, attuned, and still.

3. Take out your paper and drawing materials. Express your feelings by the colors you select and through the movement of the pens. When you come to a stopping place, stop and look at your drawing for a while. Wait. Either continue drawing, or return to the scriptural passage and then go back to drawing when you feel ready – either returning to your original drawing or beginning on a new sheet of paper. Do not worry about what it looks like; the objective is to communicate with God from your center.

When finished, silently gaze at your drawing or series of drawings, that God may touch you through them.

If you feel so moved, you may write a few words that come to mind as you look at your drawing. You might translate your image(s) into a kind of poem or written prayer. Or you may feel complete and peaceful simply absorbing the experience and viewing the results of your prayer-drawing.

4. Take a moment to silently offer this expression to God.

After the meditation…

If you would like, share with the rest of the Heartlinks community in the “Responses” section below. You might describe your experience drawing, or share anything you may have written about your drawing. Sharing your meditation can add new meaning to your experience and enrich the meditations of others. Return to this website over the course of your week, deepening your own meditation and opening to the reflections of others.

We need to listen with our bodies as well as with our minds,
for God speaks to us through our pains and pleasures,
through our wills, emotions, and senses.
-Listening Hearts, p 31

Before you begin…
This week’s meditation takes you on a walk, in search of a stone. You might traverse city streets, wooded paths, or suburban sidewalks; most any kind of environment will work. Read over this guide once or twice, until you feel comfortable and confident setting out. You might decide ahead of time how long you’d like your walk to be; if so, bring a timepiece with you. If your health and/or the weather aren’t cooperating, you might try (indoor) silent contemplation today instead.

1. Take a moment to become settled and quiet. Draw slow, deep breaths. Bring the circumstances of your daily life into your meditation with you, taking time to identify any question or issue with which you may be wrestling. Wait in silence. If nothing specific comes to mind that you would like to reflect upon, get in tune with the general state of your being.

2. Read the following scriptural passage, or if you prefer, select another passage that you’d like to meditate with today.

Be still, and know that I am God.

–Psalm 46:10

Read the words over and over to yourself, allowing them to sink in. Take them into your body, mind, and soul. Allow God’s presence to wash over you. You may want to close your eyes. Take as much time with the passage as you like to become centered, attuned, and still.

3. Set out for a good long walk. Use a prayer ring if it helps you to stay centered.

While walking, try to feel a sense of reverence for the ground beneath you, the air around you, the sky above you, and the wonders of God’s creation.

Well into your walk, begin looking for a stone that seems to speak to your deepest thoughts and feelings. Gaze at it. Notice its shape, color, texture, cracks, crevices, and angles. Sense the qualities it suggests such as strength, energy, movement, or stillness. Feel its history and weight.

Hold it reverently. You might want to sit down and look at it. Consider how your stone represents the discernment issue you identified at the beginning of your meditation. Ponder what God may be saying to you through it.

4. Carry your stone with you back to your starting place. Decide what you would like to do with it as your time of meditation comes to a close. You might return it to the outdoors, add it to a flowerpot, or place it on a windowsill where you will see it often. What you do with your stone may suggest something more to you about your discernment issue.

5. Take a final moment of silent prayer, giving thanks to God.

After the meditation…

If you would like, share with the rest of the Heartlinks community in the “Responses” section below. You might describe your experience walking, meditating with your stone, or offer some general reflections. Sharing your meditation can add depth and meaning to your experience and may enrich the meditations of others. Return to this website over the course of your week, deepening your own meditation and opening to the reflections of others.