Truth of the Spirit host Patti Brunner shares the story of her prophetic prayer journal and how she recognizes the voice of the Lord. Spiritual experiences are normal for Christians as they are open to the power of the Holy Spirit. This episode, Prophetic Prayer Journals and More Advice on Following the Way, also shares more simple advice on following the Way of the Lord given to her as private revelation through the charism of prophecy and discerned using the teachings of the Catholic Church. For audio, video and blog please continuing reading.
Suggested episodes:
TOS084 Listening to the Voice of the Lord
TOS085 Recognizing God’s Voice
TOS149 Lifting the Veil between Heaven and Earth
My producer has asked me to share a little about how I started writing the prayer journals I use for Truth of the Spirit. The first time I heard the voice of the Lord I didn’t write it down. 20 years later I started having amazing spiritual experiences after attending a Cursillo Retreat. At that time, the Lord prompted me to tell a friend, who attended the same retreat, to “write it down”. When I shared the amazing message with her, she felt like it was affirmation for her to write a children’s coloring book with shopping coupons, an idea for her free-lance job. I didn’t really agree with her discernment but I kept quiet; I thought it was about spiritual experiences she might be having. I then decided that if she wasn’t going to write down her spiritual experiences then I should write down mine.
Welcome to Truth of the Spirit. I am Patti Brunner. Today I am sharing a little about my Prophetic Prayer Journals and More advice on Following the Way. Our cover picture is the bookshelves of my “Of the Lord” Prayer Journals from the last 25 years.
I wrote the spiritual experiences of my retreat and the following days in a sort of diary. During the next couple of weeks the Lord surprised me each day with dreams and promptings. I shared a printed copy of my diary with a couple of people who I thought could tell me what was happening but they had no advice. Six months later I met other Spirit-filled people, who, themselves, had spiritual happenings in their lives, and so I began to realize that spiritual experiences were ‘normal’ for various followers of Jesus Christ. Dr. Dennis Holt, an old friend who was a gifted speaker and writer, frequently stated, “The Lord told me this” as he taught. I wondered if the Lord might again speak to me, too.
I attended prayer meetings where others had words of Prophecy from the Holy Spirit, and I talked to people who could regularly hear from God, I longed to hear his voice every day. But nothing was happening. I prayed for the Lord to speak to me. About a year later the Lord spoke to me briefly and said: “Do not give up. So says the Lord: listen and be fed, listen and be forgiven, listen and receive my love and peace”. After hearing that I didn’t give up!
In 1998, I heard his voice a couple of times in March and a couple of times in April. In May 1998 I went to a Charismatic Women’s Retreat where I was sure I would hear the Lord’s voice. I heard nothing personally, but several women heard the Lord’s voice and shared prophetic words for the whole group. One of the private revelations was, “You are My handmaidens, picked by Me—do not despise small beginnings.” Another was, “Be open to receive all that I have for you.” And “Be open to my love and I will fill you.” A few days after the women’s retreat, I was at home and I heard a voice in my heart say: “Sit down and listen.” So I sat down. I then heard, “Patti, I have been watching you. You want to do my work but you won’t listen to me for instruction. I want you to set aside an hour a day to listen. It can be anywhere you choose but should be free of distraction. Quiet your heart, it’s OK.” Right then and there I made the commitment to get serious about listening for the voice of the Lord and made a commitment to the Lord to listen for an hour a day for 30 days.
At first I kept two notebooks, one for all the busy thoughts that entered my head and teachings I heard from others and another notebook titled “Holy Hour” that I kept to write down any words the Lord might say. Thirty days became two years, and without a break I set aside an hour, usually in church, especially at the one hour of adoration on weekdays that my parish had just started. If I was travelling I waited until my family to fall asleep for my hour of listening. I struggled at first with inner distraction. But over the weeks and months, I learned to set aside my own plans and distractions so that I could hear what the Lord wanted me to hear. Once I was able to set aside the worries of the day and truly listen, I was surprised how quickly I could hear.
In June of 1998 I purchased a journal and transcribed all the Words of the Lord I had recorded on little slips of paper and my original notebook in a new journal. As I filled one I purchased another. As of this recording, June 2021, 23 years later, I am writing my 60th ‘Of the Lord’ Prayer Journal. Now, almost every time I enter the adoration chapel, which is now open all day, every day in my parish, He speaks to me and I speak to him. The people around me don’t hear him speaking. He uses an interior voice, similar to when you talk to yourself interiorly. The first couple of years I struggled to discern if I was really hearing the Lord’s voice or if the devil was tricking me in some way, or if I was fooling myself. I learned that the devil tries to make us anxious but the words I heard always gave me great peace. Every time I tested the words they proved true and I was given affirmations. Every time I researched the teaching I heard—especially if I was stretched in my own thinking—it lined up perfectly with the teachings of the Catholic Church and with scripture. Eventually I began to recognize the Lord’s voice as our relationship and friendship grew just like you might recognize a friend’s voice on a telephone.
Different times I have used these journals to refresh my relationship with God as I take one down and read it, especially when I have trouble focusing or listening. Incredibly, what I read is often more meaningful to apply to a current issue than when it was first written. Other times the Lord has instructed me to use previous journals in writing books such as Advent Pearls and Lenten Logos. The Lord does speak to me other times and prompts me during the day, but my best listening with total concentration is at adoration. I know that the Lord has often assigned me to share parts of these journals with you and in various talks and teachings I have shared over the years.
On August 7th the Lord reminded me of when I shared a story with someone about breaking a jar of strawberry jam that she, in turn, shared with someone else. The Lord said to me, “When the witness begins you shall speak words of wisdom. Like when Therese shared your “strawberry jam on the kitchen carpet” story, many will find meaning in your responses to daily trials and tribulations as well as insights through visions and answered prayers. Your experiences shall comfort and encourage my people. Combined with scripture proclaimed the people will be blessed. Using your journals and talks given make a memory list of your experiences—this will help you call to mind the goodness of the Lord and the manifestation of glory, power, and love. The way I have guided you, the way you have trusted me, the answers to prayer and how the dark days of the soul bring the brightest of dawns. Fear not a lack of memory skills. Fear not when these shall be spoken. I have a plan.” He sure did!
Do you want to hear my strawberry jam story? One day a jar of jelly fell out of my refrigerator and broke on my kitchen floor which had kitchen carpet at the time. What a mess! As I got down on the floor to start cleaning up the glass and goo I remembered when I was a teenaged Girl Scout helping a poor mother of several young children who was in bed because she had just had a baby. Her husband had to be away from home to find work. As my troop helped clean her very dirty home, I cleaned the refrigerator. I was shocked that the only item of food in it was a jar of strawberry jelly. Immediately my leader did some shopping for her and brought groceries to them. Back to my own kitchen, as I cleaned up the sticky mess, I was thankful to God that I still had plenty of food in my refrigerator, I was thankful I had working arms and legs and could get down on the floor to clean it and I was thankful I had the money and transportation to go to the store to replace the jam.
On August 21st the Lord said, “Whenever I call your name, you answer “Here I am.” The dictates of the occasion shall indeed call for various methods of Words and sharing. Fear not, there shall be no doubt. I have come to set the children free and my Truth shall do that. Whenever I call you to Me, you shall hear my Voice. Listen. Be ready. Do not hesitate for the “perfect” moment. I Am.”
In my journal on September 29, the feast of the Archangels, I wrote down dreams that gave prophetic advice. I had dreamed about my young adult daughter and in the dream she was smoking. When I quizzed her, she admitted to me she had done “social smoking” and that she would stop! While I had a bad dream and was praying for her, she also had a bad dream but in the midst of it she saw me praying for her! I think it is interesting how the Lord allowed these dreams to connect us.
On October 5 the Lord gave me this good advice: “As you step forward with more clarity, keep your eye on the Church teaching. The world would have you think differently. Reform is a return to the Lord. It is not “new”; it is truth revealed and accepted. There are many ways to proclaim truth but none so blessed as the scripture. Even so, scripture can be misused. Cannot other writings and statements? Stay close to Me. Proclaim the Word. Heal the sick. Accept my Love. Share your witness. These things I ask you to do.
On October 29, after I had dropped out of a woman’s study because the study book seemed to include New Age overtones and focused totally on self rather than on God, the Lord gave me this advice: The difficulties faced in following my Way sometimes cause pain or discomfort yet the eternal reward shows the birth of the message. Following the path lighted by Jesus the Christ reveals a path of love and service and of surrender. Do not fear the loss of companionship. In my Kingdom brothers and sisters abound! This is the Day the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad in it!
A couple of days before Christmas the Lord reminded me: “Sweet child, forget not the benefits of having the choice to overload: your resources and physical abilities are gifts from your creator. When you are tired, rest. Things can be excellent without perfection when done with love. If there is no love no matter how it ‘looks’ it can never be pleasing to the Father nor to your own heart.”
On July 3 the Lord said to me: “The interruptions that bombard your thoughts can be set aside by my grace. As they “list” give them to Me and look past them and trust Me.”
On July 11th I heard the Lord say: “As you drift through the “lazy days of summer” know that I am always with you. You are never from my sight, never from the “palm of my hand”. I love you deeply forever. As you seek, you shall find. As you ask for help it is given. Remember “avoiding injury” is a quicker solution than “providing repair”.
On August 11th I was praying about a particular priest scandal. I recalled that in scripture [Deuteronomy 19:15] the Lord set up adequate witness of 2 to protect us from injustice. Even so in Daniel chapter 9 had to send Daniel to prove the truth and to clear out the deceitfulness of two conspiring witnesses. I prayed for that same guidance in this matter. The Lord answered my prayer, saying: “Fear not the examination by truth seekers. In Christ Jesus truth is revealed. In darkness, deceitfulness and sin reigns. Jesus came into the World—Light came into the world. As the Light of Christ shines on the darkness truth will reign.” I’m sad to say, later on, the priest was removed from active duty.
In September after my husband and a friend’s husband both had bouts of fear about their health I prayed for the Lord to please send His angels to battle and remove this spirit of fear from our midst and renew the peace He had given us. And to help us to keep our eyes focused on the Lord, whatever happened next in our lives. The Lord told me: “As you see the need in others and pray, your own needs are thus taken by the Lord and freedom from fear and anxiety is now yours and your husband’s too if he accepts it. ‘The “pity party” that your friend’s husband is holding is a barrier to my grace but it is, sad to say, the likely reaction to pain. Should he give thanks for the opportunity to trust Me, and for the love his wife shows him, he will much more quickly find remedy. Pray for him to recognize my love for him and the gifts of my love he has received. Counting blessings is a great relief to pain. As you continue your own journey through the unknown, remember this too. Counting your blessings helps you to stay focused on Me. My Sacred Heart reminds you of the fire of my love for you. It burns brightly for you to always find me, despite the darkness that fear tries to bring. Fear Not. My peace is with you always. Accept it and it is yours! When you travel remember to find joy. Joy is a great companion to peace and can dispose, dispels darkness readily.”
On September 28th as I sat in adoration praying I drifted and thought of the movie “The African Queen” and how they thought all was lost but then the rains came and took them where they needed to be. Again it looked like all was lost but then the plan set in motion came to pass and it was “happily ever after’ for the couple. I read, that morning, that Juan Diego was 50 when he was baptized! How hopeful for us. Young and old are used for the Lord’s glory. I asked the Lord to use us. To set His plan in motion and send forth His rain of glory to send us on the right path when we are stuck. I want to stay true to the Lord’s course for me. I asked for His help to be better at this. The Lord said to me: “When life is difficult, rest in Me. When you don’t know which way to turn, turn towards Me. I shall always be waiting for you to ‘catch-up’ on the path that I lead you to. The Giver of Gifts does not take back the gifts given. They are only lost when they are dropped and kicked away. Pick up your gift as I picked up my Cross and follow Me. Both are part of the Father’s plan to bring salvation to the world. You are weak but I am strong.”
In the November after my husband was diagnosed with heart failure, I asked the Lord to fill me with His Peace and to send forth the Holy Spirit that I should be transformed. I was finding it more difficult those days. I asked the Lord to draw me into His arms and to help me to focus on good things instead of my weakness, and to please remove the stress which robbed me of my desire to do –anything. The Lord quickly responded: “The difficulty in your heart centers foremost on love. It is difficult to love beyond condition, without judgment, without selfishness, without recompense. Yet, you have been given this opportunity. Stay with Me a little while longer in this. It will bear fruit.” I can report that it certainly did bear fruit!
I hope you have enjoyed these excerpts from my Prophetic Prayer Journals and Simple Advice in Following the Way. No matter what our need, the Lord is always listening to our prayers. And when we can quiet our hearts and listen to His voice, He comforts us and leads us to the right path!
You can also find this episode on PatriarchMinistries.com/162. I put a few suggestions to other episodes in the description of this episode. I’m Patti Brunner and you’ve been listening to Truth of the Spirit. We invite you to come back for more. With the Holy Spirit there’s always more! Amen.
