How to use the Listener's Journey...

The Listener's Journey should begin with prayer.  Prior to each new year, ask the Lord to reveal your personal verse for the upcoming year. This will set the tone for what God wants to teach, mend, or accomplish in you throughout the year.

Each month is laid out with several components.  First is a place to designate your word or theme for the month.  Again, this should be approached in prayer and sometimes is revealed immediately while other times it will be revealed through the different happenings of that month.  

Each day there is a torah reading from the Triennial Messianic Jewish schedule. 

Also listed is the Gospel reading from The Book of Common Prayer, so if you choose to, you will be reading the same verses with Messianic Jews and Christians on the same day all over the world.  

Additionally, each of the Jewish holidays and feasts are listed. It is important to pay attention to the same calendar Jesus followed during His time on Earth, and to be aware of our Jewish roots. Jesus partook in Jewish feasts, quite literally in fact, becoming the (Passover) Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. There is a key in the back of the calendar that discusses most of the Jewish feast days and their spiritual significance. 

We can learn much by studying Jewish history and holidays as well as learning about and following examples of Christian saints.  So each saint is listed on the perspective calendar day as well. 

There is a designated place to add the scriptures the Lord speaks which are significant to your journey during that month.  Finally, there is space for prayer requests and the names of those people you are praying for.

Each of these components are listed to deepen your knowledge and provide a common communication between you and The Lord.  You may feel the Holy Spirit prompt you to study one area or another.  A personal example of this was a time when I felt to go before the Lord in deep confession only to later learn that it was the Day of Atonement. Another time, I had a dream from the Lord, about a man named Paco. I had never known a Paco in my life and upon studying I learned that Paco was another name for Francisco, which brought me to realize the Lord was calling me study about the life of St. Francis of Assisi.  

On the daily examen page you will want to reflect back on your day and ask yourself one or two of the following questions... What am I grateful for today? What part of this day did I experience God's presence? For what moment in this day am I least grateful?  When did I give and receive love most in this day?  When did I give and receive love least in this day?  What was the most life-giving part of this day?  What was the most life-thwarting part of this day?  When did I have the deepest sense of connection to God, others and myself in this day?  When did I have the least sense of connection to God, others and myself in this day?

Lectio Divina is a spiritual practice of deeply exploring scripture.  Each month is a Lectio Divina exercise for a scripture passage of your choice.  I recommend using the last Sunday's gospel reading and an example is included.  

If you find there is particular color or number the Holy Spirit is revealing to you, The Listener's Journey has a reference section to explain the meaning and biblical reference to those as well.

As you view your significant happenings on a calendar, it will be easier to recognize those times that God is speaking the same message repeatedly. Sometimes you don’t understand fully what God is speaking to you until you look back over the week or month or even year.  Also, you may begin to see a pattern form, much like a story in a book and much like the stories of the bible – only as a first hand account. Imagine what Moses' Listener's Journey would have looked like!!.... 

Aug. 26th burning bush  Aug. 30th arrived in Egypt.   :)


Enjoy The Journey!