In Biblical times, people could speak to God. God spoke to Noah, Abraham, Moses, He gave them very clear instructions, this was a real dialogue.
We, the modern people, sometimes feel themselves relatively deprived: nobody appears to us in the form of a burning bush, does not send us the Archangels. The modern people say that it is possible to hear the voice of God, and here are some tips how you can do it from Father Mykhaylo Oliynyk:
If we heard the voice of God – we would be afraid and run away. He speaks as if He is so close to us. And this may be an unusual way.
We want to receive a response from God – but we always have our own answer we would like to receive.
Our will, what we want has a defect. It is “damaged by the virus.” We need to redefine it in order to get rid of it. We cannot afford it. This requires silence, “holy silence”, sacrum silentium. You need to be in this silence with God, a spiritual father. Not to be confused with whom we are.
Sometimes we think that we are speaking to God – and we are still talking to ourselves.
Talking with yourself is not a silence, but it’s the first step to talking to God.
At first you need to meet with yourself. Who I am, where I am, outside or inside. And then you can meet God.
How do we get to know someone well? If we do not go out, do not have dinner, do not spend the night in the same room – we will not know each other very well.
Читай українською: ЯК ПОЧУТИ ГОЛОС БОГА?
There is such a concept as Christian meditation. What does it mean? Come to the house of the Father who is in us. To see life, neighbours, God as the real person with whom I communicate, meetings.
The image of God in us is like a strong seal that is not erased.
Meditation and reflection on the Holy Scripture teaches the soul to speak to God.
Our prayer is never left unanswered. If we do not hear it – the problem is in us. “The radio station says”, but we do not have a radio receiver and are not configured.
How do you tune the piano? We need a tuning fork that will give a note La: if the string is well-tuned, the tuning fork starts to sound.
God tells us everything: who we are, how we live, which guy to choose.
Reference
Father Mykhaylo Oliynyk is the head of the Summer icon painting school in the monastery of St. Onuphriia in the village Lavriv, Chairman of the Commission on Church Art and Architecture of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Sambir-Drohobych, dean of the Church Art Faculty at the Drohobych Institute of the Holy Trinity.
Recollection of Silence and Prayer were held by Father Mykhaylo at the Lavriv Icon Painting School in 2017.
Noted by Marta Havryliv
Photo: Summer icon painting school in the monastery of St. Onuphriia – village Lavriv; stevedusek.com
