Brother Lawrence, in Practicing God's Presence, talks about his life with God being fueled by a continual conversation. A continual conversation with the Father.
I was reading about David this morning and was aware of how often he "inquired of the Lord." It was a natural conversation that he seemed to engage in on a regular basis. However, David got himself into trouble when he went to live with the Philistines... He entered into a season of compromise. Interestingly enough, this took place because David, instead of talking to the Lord in his usual manner, "kept thinking to himself." He reflected in his own mind that one day Saul would finally get to him, so he better run.
How much of my life do I spend "thinking to myself." It's the very antithesis of prayer and probably the greatest cause of grief in my life. I think to myself.
Prayer, on the other hand, is thinking outside of myself. How I need that! My thoughts, left to twist and turn inward upon themselves, will fuel emotions that create more twisted thoughts fueling more emotions, etc., etc. Thinking outside of myself, on the other hand, frees me from the inner twists and turns of my own processes and allows the greater perspectives, the bigger thoughts, the transcendent awarenesses to be seen.
How freeing to engage in ongoing and continual conversation with the Father-- to continually think my thoughts in His presence. To constantly think outside of myself and engage those thoughts along with the awarenesses and revelations that come from conversing with One imminently bigger and more glorious than myself.
I'm thinking that engaging in continual conversation with the Father is not some religious way to "get ahead" spiritually, rather it is the way to have thoughts, and thus a life, that has substance, wonder, awe, strength, hope, and beauty in it!
Father, let me just stop and turn this into a conversation with you. You are extraordinarily wonderful and how awesome it is that I can think thoughts of you, turn my attention toward you, and live my life within the context of a conversation as though you live as near me as the very words that I am here writing. I don't have to filter my thoughts, purify my thoughts, change my thoughts because of who you are-- you know all that I am and your love for me goes deeper than any superficialities. No, I can simply be who I am and yet converse everything that i am going through with you... knowing that you care, you hear, you delight in, you enjoy all that I am and have to say to you. I can speak selfishly or not. Either way, as I converse with you, it all becomes something more than it would have been and my darkest thoughts receive a touch of light upon them.I simply thank you that I can live conversantly with You. Expand this awareness. Expand my ability to enjoy more and more of my moments with You in this way.
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