The One Blessing We All Miss In Our Prayers

WHAT is the one thing that could transform our lives for the betterment of truth and understanding? How are we to be made mature in one swift movement? Why are we not brought to spiritual perfection this instant rather than in the celestial realm? When are we to realise the life that lies in wait of our discovery?

All these questions might be answered in the form of prayer, but not just any kind of prayer. An almost unimaginable prayer these heady days.

LISTENING, in one word, is the Blessing we miss in our prayers, because we have all fallen for the lie that prayer is speaking to God. Prayer has become something we ‘actively’ engage in — it’s like we must do something, like speak, initiate some way, and respond to the silence by darkening it with our very human thoughts in spoken ways.

Our ways are not God’s ways, nor are our thoughts, God’s thoughts. Yet we still darken so many of our prayer spaces in being loud and effusive. We must be vexations to God at times. All in the name of prayer.

We could, otherwise, find it our privilege to sit, lay or stand, and silently look within or without. We could order our moment solemnly. We could attest to the majesty of God and measure our praises out into the openness of a determined, silent wonder. Would we let such a prayer have any limit? No, limits of such there can be none!

Why will we insist on missing Blessing, when we would otherwise subterfuge the Lord’s amazing power and Presence with our spoken efforts? Our spoken efforts may be ordered or they may be unordered. We might pray them with poise or pray them in a plundering way. We might impress ourselves with our eloquence. Worse still, we might impress others.

But we still haven’t learned the first thing about prayer.

Prayer is divine when we are patient enough with God that we can simply sit, surrendered, and wait.

Prayer is at its obedient best when we are patient enough in ourselves that we can simply sit, surrendered, and wait.

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To spend time in silence is to spend time in respectful prayer.

God is worshipped solemnly when we attune ourselves to listen.

Prayer is listening keenly for the will of God.

To pray is to communicate to God. But it is just as much God communicating to us, through our reflections on our own lives.

Prayers that are spoken are like silver. And yet, silence is golden.

© 2015 Steve Wickham.