Contemplative Prayer

Devotion 12 - Contemplative Prayer

Mindfulness is not prayer, but it is a context in which prayer can occur; it can be an open door to contemplative prayer – a practice of conscious awareness of God’s presence with us and listening to God with intentionality.  As we intentionally become aware of God in the present moment and let go of distracting thoughts, God’s presence with us becomes more perceptible and tangible; not in the cognitive sense but in a deep, abiding sense, empowering us to become more connected with Jesus and experience the transcendence presence of the divine that awaken us spiritually.

 

Beholding His Beauty

Ps.27:4 – “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”

 

In Acts 13:22, David was known as ‘a man after God’s own heart’. However, we also know that he committed murder, falsehood, adultery and treason. So why would God still honour him as a man after His own heart?

 

The above scripture renders to us a part of the answer. It reveals to us where David’s heart laid. God consumed his desire and hope…the deepest and most urgent longing of his soul. His primary desire is to soak in the presence of God, to contemplate the awesome beauty of the Lord. He made God the top priority of his affection and attention.

 

The ‘One thing’ in David's life is not victory over enemies or peace in his kingdom or an end to troubles. The most important thing in David's life is not health and wealth or power. The most important thing in David's life is his relationship with God.

 

Above all else, he wanted to live a God-centred life; a life directed toward God and organized around God. Many of us live uncentered lives, without focus and a meaningful purpose, wandering aimlessly through days, and pursuing less important things, falling far short of God’s ordained best. Our life will only rise to the level of things we desire most in our hearts. Contemplative mindfulness arms us to pursue a God-centred life; a life directed toward God and organized around God, with God at its centre.

What is the one thing, above all things, that you most desire? What is the one thing, above all things, you most want to live for? Do we primarily see God as useful, or do we primarily see God as beautiful?

 

Waiting on God

Ps.46:10 – “Be still and know that I am God”

 

A foundational element for contemplative prayer is the capacity for interior silence, the capacity to remain in God’s presence in this moment in time – here and now.

 

Our culture has moulded us to focus on outcomes - not just outcomes but immediate outcomes. However, the outcome or fruits of contemplative prayer will not be immediate, but rather, they unfold in tiny increments. But if we are patient and persevere, we will begin to recognize the fruits of contemplative prayer in ourselves. We will experience the supernatural peace that transcends all understanding despite whatever situation we are in.

 

Isa.30:15 – “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength.”  

Sitting in silence slows us down long enough for us to listen, putting us in a position of readiness to notice and receive whatever God has for us in that moment. It allows us to take a step back from ruminative self-absorption, create mental clarity, and become more available to God. It moves us from thinking about our lives into being in our lives, just as God made us.

 

Value of Contemplative Prayer

 

We all long to be loved, belong, feel accepted and understood. In contemplative prayer, the mind is at a resting place, resting in the presence of God, and soaking in His love. This heart posture empowers us to know God in a deeper dimension and to experience His unconditional love and be transformed by it. It also empowers us to recognize God’s voice in our lives. We have many internal voices as well as external voices competing for our attention, and worse, many of these voices are negative for our emotions - they are judgemental and full of condemnation, accusing us of being ‘not good enough…”

 

It can be hard to listen to hear God when both our self-talk and the onslaught of the outer voice jam all the signals. Through contemplative mindfulness, we can better discern God’s desire for our lives - His love, His grace, His compassion, His mercy, etc, etc.  Interior silence is the first prerequisite for listening. For it is in the deep-seated stillness and silence that exist behind the noise of our distracting thoughts, that we can experience the deep presence of God.

 

Sadly, resting in silence may be the most difficult of all prayer practices for the twenty-first-century Christian as most of us struggle with a distracted, preoccupied and restless mind. Very often, we study the Scripture mindlessly and not enjoying His presence and beholding His beauty like the Psalmist of old. We are not mindfully focusing on knowing God through the process, but rather focusing on knowledge just enough to satisfy our souls.

 

Very often, we tend to give God scattered attention in our devotions. We need to give conscious awareness and pay prayerful attention to God’s presence in Scripture. Christian mindfulness cultivates a good spiritual posture towards God, it helps us to intentionally slow down our Bible reading so as to enjoy His presence in the process.

 

Spiritual Transformation

 

2 Cor.3:18 – “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

 

Christlikeness cannot be pushed or squeezed out of us.  The gradual transformation takes place through remaining and abiding in the Vine.  From this place of dwelling, resting and beholding, we are transformed from one degree of glory to another.

 

It is good and necessary to vocalise our needs, make intercessions and petitions in prayers, however, silence and contemplative prayers are equally important.  It is not just another prayer technique, but rather the depth of our love as a response to God’s immense love for us. We need moments of silence so that we can let God’s tenderness touch our lives.

 

Many a time, it is only in silence that the word of God finds a home in us. Silence has the mysterious capacity to open a space in our inner being, a space in which God can dwell and let His word remain within us so that His love is rooted in our minds and hearts, animating our lives. In quietness, gratitude can be more deeply felt, and it also helps us to appreciate our surroundings and nature more, and thus, our peace and joy are also enhanced.