4 Tips to Improve Spiritual Communication

You want to be seen. But you feel all alone. You want to be heard, but you feel overlooked. Have you tried meditation? Prayer? Spiritual communication fills our souls and allows us to feel seen and heard by a higher power, an infinite source of love. Having an open spirit allows us to receive guidance and direction on our life’s path. Prayer provides peace unlike anything else. But what if your spiritual communication feels stagnant and stale? Don’t give up. We’ve all been there. Check out these three tips for a stronger upward connection:

Eliminate Distractions

Improving your spiritual communication starts with a simple step. Normally when I get a phone call from someone important, I’ll step into a quiet room and give them my full attention. If I forget or choose not to leave, I’m distracted by everything else going on and don’t completely listen and communicate during the call. Prayer is the same way. If you want to clearly hear and feel guidance from a higher power, eliminate any and all distractions. Turn off notifications on your phone. Write down all the tasks flooding your brain so you aren’t tempted to start working on your to-do list instead. Put a pause on everything else.Once you’ve cleared your mind, create a quiet space. Maybe you like to pray and meditate in your closet. Or maybe you’re the outdoors-y type and prefer a corner of the park. Whatever you choose, make it consistent. Your brain thrives off of patterns and routine.

Use Open Communication

We all have that one person who hears about everything in our life. Maybe a roommate, an old high school friend, or a significant other. We reach out to them in the hardest moments, but also when we have exciting news to share. They know your full spectrum of emotions. Make God your friend. Communicate and share exactly how you’re feeling. I used to think my prayers had to be really proper—because I was talking to a higher power. I felt like I couldn’t share the ugliest parts of my soul and that I would stifle my spirituality if I was truly transparent with my thoughts and feelings. But the exact opposite occurred! As I shared my vulnerabilities and my frustrations and my heartache, my connection with deity was strengthened. I learned to open my soul and be my authentic self. And I felt free. Open spiritual communication brought a lightness and relief to my life I didn’t realize I needed. It was cathartic, calming and a release from my entangled emotions. Try incorporating transparency when you speak to God. Give your thoughts, your passions, your heart.  And don’t be afraid to yell. Sometimes we think of spiritual communication solely as moments of stillness and serenity. But when life gets too hard to handle, a good yelling session towards the universe really does the soul good.

Ask Questions

Sometimes it’s easy to make our spiritual communication a one-sided monologue. We unintentionally close off any guidance from God because we forget to listen.  “Genuine listening has become a rare gift—the gift of time” (Forbes.com). If you are seeking direction from a higher power, you’ll need to dedicate time to receive that guidance. Tune in and listen.Active listening will show that you are really interested in open spiritual communication. Ask questions. Then pause and pay attention to how you feel. Maybe you’ll have a thought pop into your head or your heart will feel like it has new life. Maybe you can’t control the smile spread across your face or you feel uneasy and heavy. Active listening in spiritual communication is a great exercise for understanding your inner voice. Realize that tuning in to your intuition and receiving guidance from God is no easy process. It may take months, even years, to understand how a higher power speaks to you. But getting there is rewarding as well. Being engaged and having an open spirit are a great start.

Be Constant

As a child, I learned a phrase that has changed the way I view spiritual communication: “Live with a prayer in your heart.” Sometimes life gets too busy to devote time and space for lengthy conversations with God. Sometimes, when you really need some peace, your environment is too cluttered and chaotic to intently listen. And sometimes, you’re just too tired to stay awake to share the emotions that are heavy on your heart. Guess what? You’re human. It happens to all of us. Living with a prayer in my heart means I look to God in the normal, day-to-day events of life.  And looking to God means I look for God as I go about my day. Open your spirit and notice a higher power at work in the small details of your life. Clear your mind and hear gentle nudges to talk to someone or lend a hand. Breathe in the peace that can be found by living with a prayer in your heart—even in the noisiest of situations. Believe that you are heard. Believe that you are loved.