From a Word from Becky, my monthly newsletter to my readers
Dear friends,
If you could be a fly on the wall in my spiritual direction sessions, you would hear me asking directees one of two questions frequently:
- What is the deep desire of your heart?
- What is the grace you seek?
I ask these questions to invite people to identify the movement of the Holy Spirit within them. God speaks to us through holy desires, planted within our hearts. These desires become known to us through the longings of our hearts.
As a spiritual director, I listen for the desires of people’s hearts. I might hear longings such as:
- To forgive or to be forgiven
- Growing in intimacy with Christ
- Knowing how to use my gifts
- Seeking meaning and purpose in my life
- For healing and freedom
I know that our deepest longings are also God’s longings for us. St. Ignatius teaches us that once we can identify the deep desires of our hearts, we can turn them into a grace we seek. Once I hear what a person is longing for, I can invite the person to begin praying for the grace they seek. For instance, if a person is longing to be able to forgive, I invite them to pray for that grace daily: Jesus, help me forgive. Or perhaps, a person is longing for answers in a discernment. I invite them to pray for the grace: Jesus, help me have clarity of call or Jesus, help me know how to serve you.
This simple practice of noticing the longings of our heart and turning our longings into a grace we seek is a life-changing prayer practice. It helps us align with the movement of the Holy Spirit within us. Suddenly, we are tuning into the very thing God is seeking to offer us. As a spiritual director, it’s breath-taking to watch this alignment happen between a person and the Holy Spirit. I have witnessed profound healing, freedom, hope and clarity come as a directee courageously honors the deep desires of their hearts and names them boldly to God.
What about you? What is the longing of your heart today? I invite you to pause and acknowledge your holy desire. Then turn to God and name the grace you seek. Name it in prayer every single day, and multiple times throughout your day to God. Stay with this grace until God invites you to begin praying a new one.
I am talking about grace all month on my social media. Know I will be praying for you as you name the grace you seek!
Peace,
Becky
Becky Eldredge
January 22, 2026