As I continue to reflect back on our month of Prayer & Fasting, and as I seek out books which challenge my own prayer life, I came across Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr. He writes:
“Prayer is not primarily saying words or thinking thoughts. It is rather, a stance. It is
a way of living in the Presence. It is further, a way of living in awareness of the Presence,
even enjoying the Presence. The full contemplative is not just aware of the Presence, but
trusts, allows, and delights in it.”
Doesn’t this clarify Paul’s words that we are to pray continuously? We’ve talked before that praying continuously is more than speaking to God all the time. Prayer is so much more than mere words and it is even more than listening to God. Prayer is a way of living in the Presence of God, aware of, and dependent upon that Divine Presence. That is to say, we are to seek and acknowledge God’s presence at all times; when we wrestle with the bad news, celebrate the good news, and even when we find ourselves waiting for news (perhaps even more while we are waiting for news). With every breath we should be in prayer because God is with us every breath. The Holy Spirit of the Living God lives in us! We cannot escape his presence as David realized in Psalm 139:7-10. “Where can I go from your Spirit? …even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Trust, allow, and delight as you live in God’s presence…that is prayer.
3 comments:
As a teenager [many years ago] that awareness helped me make right decisions and not give in to peer pressure. I wasn't afraid my Mom and Dad would find out if I did something I shouldn't. Instead, I knew God would know if I did something I shouldn't! Now as a more mature Christian, I enjoy the peace of Him being apart of my everything.
Delighting in God's presence....what a wonderful place to be! Too many times I believe prayer is viewed as just a list of things God is to address with a 'Thank you' thrown in every so often. I'm not sure how long it took me to realize prayer is so much more!
Yeah, so much more and I think we've just found the tip of the iceberg!
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