For my new friend Meredith Gould I will be brief :)
The practice of silence, stillness, listening prayer is not something that comes naturally for me. I am more of a assault the throne of God, Pentecostal, type prayer guy. I yell to and at God, often outloud, and I relate to the psalmist. But I also need to develop the part of me that hears that still small voice. This is what I am trying to learn now, and it isn't easy.
Every morning during the work week I wake up, light a candle, and spend twenty minutes trying to be still, and silent before God. This morning I managed maybe twenty seconds in a row at one time, which was a break through. But one thing I did "hear" while sitting, was that the Holy Spirit is at work. I watched the flame flicker, back and forth, and realized that God works in and among this world. And sometimes its outline would break from its tear drop and become anarchic, and wild, and unpredictable, yet it was the same flame. It made me want to look deeper, and be afire more.
Be still, know that I am God, then get your ass up and be my presence in the world.
rev
4 comments:
Glad to hear you making progress.. If "one day in his house is better than a thousand elsewhere" then 20 seconds of emptiness in his presence is better than 5.5 hours doing something else ;)
I am ADHD and stillness has always been hard for me..for me it seems God speaks to me most when i am moving and doing something..I know this is a bit backwards..but being still distracts me because of the effort it takes me to try to be still..to me my mind gets still when I am moving and it starts racing when I am too still. I may try again someday,but for me I have accepted that things work back words for me.
glad you have learned to connect in your own way brother. I pray better while moving myself.
may sound a bit weird but I silent pray a lot in the shower. there is no distractions. the only sound is the running water. for some, that sound may help them focus and 'be still'.
Post a Comment