He Knows My Name– Learning to trust in God’s love

^{“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine”  Isaiah 43:1}

By Sabella Morris-Olivier

 One simple but beautiful lesson that I am currently learning in the School of Spiritual Direction is to first invite the Holy Spirit to come during my prayer time. So, before getting into scripture, I ask the Holy Spirit to open my heart and help me to receive God’s words.

During the first week of training, one impactful grace given to us to pray for was: “I pray for the grace of a deeper trust in God’s love for me.” Having taken a deep breath and welcomed the Holy Spirit, I settled into prayer. Suddenly, the familiar words of Isaiah 43:1-7 stood out to me. No, it was not magical, but it was indeed powerful. The meaning started to unfold in my spirit and spoke directly into my soul. The word of God is certainly alive and active (Heb 4:12), but if you are like me, it may take some practice to interact with His word to begin experiencing spiritual movement in prayer.

Who is God to you?

A transformative insight to develop my prayer life from Fr Jonathan Steele was to simply contemplate two simple but profound questions:

1. Who am I speaking to?
2. What am I saying/praying?

According to the Carmelite tradition, the goal of prayer is union with God. That concept almost immediately resonated with me. So, before asking the Holy Spirit to come to me in scripture, I first asked myself: What is my perception of God?

For me, God is surely a loving Father. However, I am aware of a misconception—that during His silence, to me, He is sometimes distant and neglectful. For example, I have, for a very long time, prayed for a resolution of a painful situation. Although I have not yet received what I prayed for, I now realise the good work He’s been doing and how He has been transforming me during the wait. This affirms that, even in what I perceive as His silence, He continues to work, by gently forming my heart regardless of how I feel and what I say in frustration.

God is the Creator of the universe, and I am one small atom in the context of creation. However, as I started to re-read Isaiah 43:1-7, my heart suddenly stopped beating in the stillness of the moment. My soul stirred, and the tears flowed. God, Creator of the universe, loves me.

What are you praying/saying?

What we are saying to God is equally important. Simply being aware of what we are praying, saying to Him, asking of Him, or even reading in scripture will enrich our intimacy with Him. Sit for a while with what you want to say to Him and direct your words intently.

A Heart Learning to Trust

Isaiah’s words offer us comfort and reassurance that our Creator and Redeemer has already acted on our behalf. Even though we may not see it, He has rescued us because He loves us. He has called us by name. He knows us personally, and He knows exactly what we are going through. We belong to Him. Even though we may endure the trials and difficulties of troubled water or fire, as highlighted in the verses, if we continue to walk with God, we will not be overcome by the difficulties of life.

This passage was more than a reminder for me—it was an invitation to take comfort in the fact that I belong to the Creator of the universe. Even as I feel small—one atom of creation—God sees me, knows me and loves me. Even in the waiting, He is near, and I am slowly and sometimes painfully learning to trust in His love.

Photo by Guille Álvarez on Unsplash