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Both of these prayers centre on me.
But... Jesus taught that our Heavenly Father wants us to put his kingdom first, above our own needs and wants.
So as an experiment last week, I shut my eyes and waited for quietness on the inside (which took some time!). Then I prayed a simple question, trusting in Jesus to be my Jacob’s Ladder up to heaven: “What’s on your list today, Papa? Who is on Your heart?” And then I waited some more.
The most surprising thing happened. I received a list of six or seven impressions. Some of these things were very personal and already on my heart; others were very far; others I had crossed my mind, but had not made it into prayer.
So I took this as my Father’s response, and I prayed about those things. It was amazing to be involved in His work this way, and I long to experience this again.
Have you tried praying this way? What happened?
5 comments:
Yes, I have tried this type of prayer, especially in silent services that I attended. It is wonderful, but such hard work! Even though I had possibly hundreds of opportunities I set aside to try prayer this way, most of them were wasted by my unwillingness or inability to do the work. I am so impressed with the work you must have done to get to the point where you received those impressions...especially while you have young children. :) When I did do the work, I had a similar experience to yours: impressions of what to focus myself on that seemed outside of myself. (Sometimes it wasn't anything I needed to do, either, just concepts or feelings that felt important.) Some of them were about what I was concerned with and some, like you said, were further away, while others seemed unlikely to have crossed my mind in normal circumstances.
I'm flattered that you think so highly of me!!! But truly, it's undeserved. I wish I prayed like this more often, and I think it's purely grace that allowed me to experience God's response that time.
I'm interested to hear you describe this type of prayer as 'work' though - can you expand on this for me?
Well, for me one of the hardest things to do in the world is to be still and receive instead of thinking, reading, or doing according to my own desires. That is why I call it work. Trying hard to have this type of experience doesn't help, of course, but getting into the right state to receive...that is what is necessary, I think, and that is what I find difficult.
Thanks Kristy, I understand you now.
I guess I never thought of stillness as 'work', but rather, as 'letting go' of all the thoughts and feelings, and mentally looking outwards and upwards.
Sometimes it helps me to have a scripture fragment, or a line from a worship song, or a mental image of Jesus, to focus on while I am turning away from myself.
Interesting discussion!
I am sure the way you worded it is the more helpful way! Sometimes my body relaxes just by my saying or thinking relaxing words. I think it works the same way with my mind. So thinking about "letting go" would be more helpful than thinking about "working to receive." This is reminding me of the idea in Babywise to teach the virtue, not the vice - to tell children to "touch gently" instead of "don't touch that!" for example.
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