Today, Deacon David speaks to obstacles that inevitably arise on our spiritual journeys and how we might address these challenges when they do show up. Diving further into this thing we call Spiritual Formation, Deacon David ask, “What might happen if I truly told God I was ready for Him to take charge of my life? What might that look like and feel like if I really began trusting Him…if I purposely began allowing Him to direct me in my whole life?

Today, Deacon David looks at two questions to ask oneself in discerning God’s will. As we continue to grow in our prayer life, as we continue to grow in love and in God’s love, we begin to sense our Maker’s presence more often and, in more ways, and it is here where we begin to daily reflect on and often ponder, “How present am I in His presence?” It is here that true spiritual growth begins.

And next, as we go about our days and begin looking for and seeing the face of Jesus in our brothers and sisters, we then can turn and ask ourselves, “How present am I in the other’s presence?” Deacon David goes on to suggest when we consider these questions, we move closer to living the life of prayer that Jesus showed us and continue to move closer to this unceasing prayer life St. Paul taught us; our discernment continues.

Recalling what Mother Teresa once wrote, “My secret is very simple: I pray. Through prayer, I become one in love with Christ. I realize that praying to Him is loving Him.” Today, reflecting on Mother Teresa’s words, Deacon David reminds us - to pray to God is to love God. It is in our prayer, in our discernment, in our love of God where we will learn what God indeed wants for and from us. Deacon David encourages us to begin or renew our discernment journey by asking where might we begin? How do we stay committed? And how might we build a daily habit of prayer making it the center of our lives and grow in our relationship, our friendship, with God?