Discerning God's will every day

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Ignatius speaks of “consolation” and “desolation” as states that last a long time, that people are caught in, but other writers have extrapolated from that to say that once you find out what consolation and desolation feel like for you personally, you can use it all throughout your day. Here are some quotes:

The more we do it, the less difficult, and “easier” it becomes. That’s what Spiritual “Exercising” is all about.

And this one, from Christine Rossi:
However, discernment is not an art to be learnt only for major decisions. How precious an art it is to be integrated into one’s daily life: how to spend one’s time, what lifestyle one leads, how one chooses to react to events. The mere exercise of being aware of one’s reactions and consolations or desolations helps one grows attentive to the inner reality which can lead to finding one’s true self. Two methods of prayer which young adults in our world today must find challenging but rewarding are the Ignatian Meditation and Repetition. In a world of continuously changing stimuli these two methods of prayer are a challenge to stop and mull over something which has struck deep until all the meaning has been savoured

Consolation: When some interior movement in the soul is caused, through which the soul comes to be inflamed with love of its Creator and Lord; and when it can in consequence love no created thing on the face of the earth in itself, but in the Creator of them all. The reliable realizations, feelings, and proposals that occur to good people have the quality of water penetrating a damp sponge. They begin without notice, quickly and softly filling consciousness and easily directing our attention to what is true and worthwhile.

Desolation: A temporary darkening of the mind and disturbance of the will and emotions. The unreliable inner movements have the quality of water falling on a stone. They are violent, noisy, and disturbing; they seem to head off in a variety of directions at once

What I have been doing is phrasing things this way: “Dear God, is it your will that ____.” And then I will say the word “Father” and one of two things will instantly happen. I will either feel a brightening of my mind and a lightness and openness of mind as my brows lift (which I interpret as consolation), or my brow will immediately furrow and I will feel closed-off and concerned (which I interpret as desolation).​

My question is- has anybody else tried Ignatian discernment in this way (multiple times a day), and could you offer me any advice as to if I’m doing it right, if I could do it any better, different techniques, etc.?
 
desolation now means that I do not trust myself anymore. I am scared of myself. Not good.
Now more than ever, I wonder what His will is, while always having been a fan of His will; I pray that I don’t that I don’t go against it in a way that I can no longer control.
Odd how this thread came about now.
 
Joseph73 said:
Ignatius speaks of “consolation” and “desolation” as states that last a long time, that people are caught in, but other writers have extrapolated from that to say that once you find out what consolation and desolation feel like for you personally, you can use it all throughout your day. Here are some quotes:

The more we do it, the less difficult, and “easier” it becomes. That’s what Spiritual “Exercising” is all about.

And this one, from Christine Rossi:
However, discernment is not an art to be learnt only for major decisions. How precious an art it is to be integrated into one’s daily life: how to spend one’s time, what lifestyle one leads, how one chooses to react to events. The mere exercise of being aware of one’s reactions and consolations or desolations helps one grows attentive to the inner reality which can lead to finding one’s true self. Two methods of prayer which young adults in our world today must find challenging but rewarding are the Ignatian Meditation and Repetition. In a world of continuously changing stimuli these two methods of prayer are a challenge to stop and mull over something which has struck deep until all the meaning has been savoured

Consolation: When some interior movement in the soul is caused, through which the soul comes to be inflamed with love of its Creator and Lord; and when it can in consequence love no created thing on the face of the earth in itself, but in the Creator of them all. The reliable realizations, feelings, and proposals that occur to good people have the quality of water penetrating a damp sponge. They begin without notice, quickly and softly filling consciousness and easily directing our attention to what is true and worthwhile.

Desolation: A temporary darkening of the mind and disturbance of the will and emotions. The unreliable inner movements have the quality of water falling on a stone. They are violent, noisy, and disturbing; they seem to head off in a variety of directions at once

What I have been doing is phrasing things this way: “Dear God, is it your will that ____.” And then I will say the word “Father” and one of two things will instantly happen. I will either feel a brightening of my mind and a lightness and openness of mind as my brows lift (which I interpret as consolation), or my brow will immediately furrow and I will feel closed-off and concerned (which I interpret as desolation).​

My question is- has anybody else tried Ignatian discernment in this way (multiple times a day), and could you offer me any advice as to if I’m doing it right, if I could do it any better, different techniques, etc.?
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one of the best ways to discern daily the will of God is the examen prayer. This prayer allows us to see where God is active in our day and see where the evil spirit is active in our day. When we begin to better know the voice of both we will be more inclined to do God’s will through out your day.

I’ve felt with this recently. I still consider myself very immature in this understanding and knowing these voices, but when i look back on my past I know myself better and know how the evil and good spirit pull me.

Example: I planned to do a divine mercy at 3pm on Friday, than at 2:55 that little voice in my head says you have lots of work to do, you shouldn’t do the divine mercy prayer. I know because I have discerned spirits that this is the voice of the evil one. I should go against this go directly to the chapel. (note for my privacy this is a fictional story but gets at the idea I want to get at)

This leads to another thing when you start to hear the evil one suggesting going against plans doing things you know aren’t good stop it now rather than later. The evil one will suggest many wall things that will lead to bigger things, if you reject the small thing first you won’t have to worry about rejecting bigger things. But if you accept these little ideas the evil one puts in your head it will be harder to reject it when bigger things come.
 
Thank you for your posts and the link. I am so excited right now! I asked if it was God’s will that I have a substantial locution at a particular time, and He said yes (through my consolation signs I outlined in OP) and it just came true exactly at that time, right on the dot! This system works!!

Another thing that works after you have found out what God’s will is, if you are unhappy with it, is to ask all the saints and angels to implore God ad naseum to have mercy on me and make His will different. Then approach God again and ask Him whether the problematic thing that He wanted is still His will. Sometimes it will be different because of your prayer!

That’s what I just did. I discerned that the locution would be tomorrow, but I didn’t want to wait, so He made it this evening. I still didn’t want to wait, so He made it this afternoon.

I can’t believe this just worked! This is amazing! St. Ignatius is the coolest saint ever!
 
Joseph73 said:
I am so excited right now! I asked if it was God’s will that I have a substantial locution at a particular time …

…That’s what I just did. I discerned that the locution would be tomorrow, but I didn’t want to wait, so He made it this evening. I still didn’t want to wait, so He made it this afternoon.
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Hi Joseph -

I think the question you asked in this thread is a good one but I think you ought to be careful where you’re going with this post. I know we talked a bit in another thread about locutions … stay close to St. John of the Cross’ teaching on that.

We should not desire them or ask for them. And certainly not impose our conditions and expectations on them to God … that begs the question of who’s voice we’re actually hearing. And mis-hearing is a common problem with locutions … look to his admonishments in The Ascent to those who go around thinking “God told me.”

And remember too that St. John of the Cross teaches that God will sometimes grant Divine favors to those who ask for them … but He isn’t pleased with the request. And importantly, if He were to give them of His own accord we should still be skeptical and hesitant to act upon them.

There are much more important aspects to doing God’s will than receiving supernatural favors. Please be careful here.

Many blessings,
Dave 🙂
 
DBT said:
Hi Joseph -

I think the question you asked in this thread is a good one but I think you ought to be careful where you’re going with this post. I know we talked a bit in another thread about locutions … stay close to St. John of the Cross’ teaching on that.

We should not desire them or ask for them. And certainly not impose our conditions and expectations on them to God … that begs the question of who’s voice we’re actually hearing. And mis-hearing is a common problem with locutions … look to his admonishments in The Ascent to those who go around thinking “God told me.”

And remember too that St. John of the Cross teaches that God will sometimes grant Divine favors to those who ask for them … but He isn’t pleased with the request. And importantly, if He were to give them of His own accord we should still be skeptical and hesitant to act upon them.

There are much more important aspects to doing God’s will than receiving supernatural favors. Please be careful here.

Many blessings,
Dave 🙂
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No, absolutely I appreciate your recommendation to be cautious. It so happens that this one was one that was badly needed at this time in my life, and it was like the other 2 in that it totally and fully engaged my senses, will, and intellect. I will look back on today years from now as a major life event.

I know the devil talks to people (and indeed, I have received communications from the devil before, as well as many successive and formal locutions and it’s not so easy to figure it out-best to discard all locutions except for substantial), but I feel 100% confident in the grace I have received.

And certainly not impose our conditions and expectations on them to God …
I tried to do this for a long time and I got burned. This latest incarnation of my discernment (Dear God, is it your will that ______.) was the result of many failed attempts whereby I tried to make God follow MY rules, MY framework, on MY time. It simply doesn’t work that way. It has to be all about GOD’S will

mis-hearing is a common problem with locutions
Not with substantial. I’m so sure on what I heard (not heard, more like…experienced) I could cut it with a knife.

look to his admonishments in The Ascent to those who go around thinking “God told me.”
Right.

And remember too that St. John of the Cross teaches that God will sometimes grant Divine favors to those who ask for them … but He isn’t pleased with the request. And importantly, if He were to give them of His own accord we should still be skeptical and hesitant to act upon them.

Here’s the thing, though- there is nothing to act upon. The locution’s purpose was to bring something about, and it has. There is no need to tell anyone what it was or what it did, and indeed I don’t feel the need to tell anyone in real life. I am simply extraordinarily excited, not only at the locution, but at the fact that the Ignatian discernment I had been practicing has been proven true by this. God is truly great.

P.S. The only thing is, I agree that God would have been happier if I hadn’t asked Him to make His planned locution sooner. I kind of regret it now that I know He was not pleased- but so happy I know the truth sooner rather than later.
 
Joseph73 said:
mis-hearing is a common problem with locutions
Not with substantial. I’m so sure on what I heard (not heard, more like…experienced) I could cut it with a knife…
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I know I’m digressing here but …

… being sure of what one heard is only one component of a substantial locution. Another characteristic is that it’s the voice of “another” … not our own voice. Another is that it is not the fruit of prayerful recollection that sometimes produce the inspired thought or stream of conscious flow of interior words that are called successive locution. Rather, substantial locutions more often than not come from out of the blue … when we least expect it. Lastly, and most important, is the effect. For example, we hear “Be at peace” and we are put at peace. That’s the deciding point.

A lot of things go into it. Again, please be careful.

Dave 🙂
 
Does anyone have any good resources on Ignatius’ teachings in regards to locutions… Preferably online.

Thanks
 
speaking of books on ignatious Fr. Timothy Gallagher has produced many good books. I was blessed to be able to hear this man speak and he knows what he is talking about and presents the rules the examen prayer, along with others in such a way that is simple to understand.
 
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