This week the 20’s heard from the prayer team on the topic of listening/contemplative prayer. The prayer team confessed across the board that this type of praying was especially difficult. I too confess that this type of prayer has been more of a discipline than a natural part of my relationship with God.
Contemplative prayer is difficult for me because it involves my paying attention to God’s activity over against my own activity. For some reason I continue to live out of a lie that what really matters in life is what I am doing. Therefore, when I sit down to listen to God, the temptation I face is that I am wasting my time. I am tempted to ask, “Isn’t there something better I could be doing to accomplish something?” Yet, this temptation serves as a reminder as to why I need to practice contemplative prayer. I need help seeing God at work in our world. When the work of redemption, mercy, grace, and love are up to me to fulfill on my own, then the greater temptation I face is one of despair and hopelessness. But when I spend time listening to God, I get a different picture altogether. God reveals the ways he is at work doing those things, and he invites me to participate with him in his work. Therefore, my contemplative prayer leads to freedom and hope. It transforms my discipleship into an act of joy.
Pray with me that our community would take the risk to engage in contemplative prayer. Pray also that when we come to God our main activity will be to cease our activity so that God can tell us what he is up to in the world around us.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment