The language of prayer and silence – nine more ways to seek the presence of God 

There are many ways to experience the presence of God. This book is mainly about praying, silence and contemplation. But you can meet God in very different places. Many people say, ‘I meet God mostly in nature’. Gary Thomas wrote a book ‘Sacred Pathways – Discover Your Soul’s Path to God’, 2010, in which he reveals nine distinct spiritual temperaments. It will encourage you to investigate the way you most naturally express yourself in your relationship with God. These nine paths aren’t really part of this course, I only want you to know there are more ways to meet God. Maybe I’ll come back to it later. For now I just mention them:   

  1. the spiritual language of nature, find God outdoor;
  2. the spiritual language of senses, find God in perception and experience;
  3. the spiritual language of tradition, find God in rituals and symbols;
  4. the spiritual language of simplicity, find God through dedication and asceticism;
  5. the spiritual language of ideals, find God by confrontation and action;
  6. the spiritual language of taking care, find God by helping other people;
  7. the spiritual language of enthusiasm, find God in joy and spontaneity;
  8. the spiritual language of deepening, find God in silence and contemplation;
  9. the spiritual language of thinking, find God with knowledge and understanding.      

Nine spiritual languages, nine paths to meet God. There really are more ways to meet God than in silence, prayer and contemplation alone.

Back to lesson 3

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