A short meditation to help us really listen to Jesus, taken from Richard Foster’s book, Celebration of Discipline, and which is based on this familiar story – Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand.

Close your eyes and sit quietly. Take a deep breath. Exhale slowly, Be still…

Begin by imagining yourself as the child who gave his lunch, or perhaps the child’s parents: at any rate, try to place yourself in the actual scene. Try to see the story – the grass, hills, the faces of the people. Try to hear the story – the sound of the water, the noise of the children, the voice of the Master. Try to feel the story – the texture of your clothing, the hardness of the ground, the coarseness of your hands. Finally, try to feel with your emotions – hesitancy at bringing your lunch, astonished at the miracle of multiplied food, joy at the gracious provision of God. (…)

Then in your imagination watch the crowd leave and Jesus go up into the hills. You are left alone. You sit on a rock overlooking the water re-experiencing the events of the day. You become quiet, and after a while Jesus returns and sits on a nearby rock. For a time you are both silent, looking out over the water perhaps, and enjoying one another’s presence. After a bit, the Lord turns to you and asks this question, ‘What may I do for you?’ then you tell Him what is in your heart – your needs, your fears, your hopes. If weeping or other emotions come, don’t hinder them. – Jesus is asking, ‘What may I do for you?’

I am going to allow five full minutes of silence for you tell Him what’s on your heart. (I will give you a 30 second warning before the five minutes is up.) When you have finished, become quiet for a little while.

Jesus is the great provider.

Now, still sitting on the rock, I want you to turn to the Lord and ask, ‘What may I do for you?’ And then listen with your heart quietly, prayerfully. No instruction needs to come, for you are just glad to be in Jesus’ presence. But if some word does come to you, take it with utmost seriousness. Often, it will be some utterly practical instruction about seemingly trivial matters, for God wants us to live out our spirituality in the ordinary events of our days. So again, in the silence ask Jesus, ‘Lord, what may I do for you?’ Again I am going to allow five minutes of silence so you can do this. Jesus wants you to follow Him; He wants you to listen. (I will give you a 30 second warning before the five minutes is up.)

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, 1989, London: Hodder & Stoughton, p.38-39