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| Gray morning on Glen Lake, Michigan |
I have an old radio in my garage that I turn on when I'm working. I like to listen to classical music. There are a couple of stations I especially enjoy, but the signal is not always clear. Sometimes there is interference. Unwanted radio frequency signals "interfere" with the beautiful music that refreshes my soul.
In the spiritual life there are many voices that want to interfere with the beautiful voice of God. For this reason I recommend extended prayer times, for the sake of removing interference and getting dialed in with God. When the interference is gone the true listening begins.
Howard Thurman writes: "Once the interference that drowns out the hunger has been stilled or removed, real communion between man and God can begin. Slowly the hunger begins to stir until it moves inside the individual's self-consciousness, and the sense of the very Presence of God becomes manifest." (40-Day Journey with Howard Thurman, 52)
Spend many minutes in solitary prayer.
Any interfering voices and thoughts get removed.
The music of God gets dialed in.
