Last week I ran out of space for my sharing about prayer. This week, I am late in my posting because Jettie and I were driving to Midland, TX, on Wednesday and then waiting for the birth of our fourth grandchild yesterday (a boy, Evan Josiah, my oldest son, Jon's first). So here I am writing on Friday.
Before I share from my journal what I promised in the last post, I want to let you know that I am still very much learning how to live what I describe here. In fact, I ran across a few lines in So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore that describe why I am hesitant at times to write what I do. The following dialog between Jake Colsen and the mysterious John is from page 132.
“I feel like I have more to teach now than I ever have, and that I have far fewer people to share it with.”
John laughed heartily. “If I had a dollar for every time I heard that…” Then he put his hand over mine. “It’s not about teaching, Jake. It’s about living. Learn to live this life and you’ll find no end of folks to share it with. Teach it first, however, and that will be your substitute for living it.”
So just be aware that I am indeed living this out and not really trying to teach you at this point, just putting things out there for your consideration and comment. I am learning, though, to pray from that place of awareness of His presence. From my journal, October 11, 2008.
Papa, can prayer be as “easy” (yet hard) as it seems? I look back at my words on July 3 and I consider what I am learning right now, and it seems that prayer is becoming simply the lifting up of people and the listening to your heart. Surely it is in some respects this simple, but there’s more here, I think.
“Child, it is obedience that comes from faith and love that I am looking for, not effort or sacrifice but obedience. From the obedient, tender life and heart come prayer to me that touches my heart. Indeed because it comes from my heart first, it will always touch my heart. I am waiting, child, for you to say ‘amen’ to my compassion, power, grace, blessing. I am waiting for the surrendered hearts of my people to invite my blessings that I have stored up for so many. It isn’t effort, child, it’s obedience that allows me to guide you with a glance. I have more to show you but not right now. You are still not ready, but you can ponder this for a while and more will come."
Papa, I paste here entries from July 6 of this year that are profoundly relevant to what you are saying to me right now. I cannot lose the uniqueness of your call to me to live in your presence continually in the middle of these new discoveries about disciplines! And I feel your presence descend on me strongly as I write this as if to confirm things! Thank you, Abba Pai!
Ah, Papa, as I am drawn again to Brother Lawrence’s words on page 67 I realize more than ever that you are more than enough. I cannot try to build faith, pray better, etc., as a reason to come to you. Rather, living in you, inundated by your love and returning ever more faithfully my love to you, I am changed, I am infused with your love, light and power!
Brother Lawrence quotes. (From page 51) “Remember what I advised you to do: Think about God as often as you can, day and night, in everything you do. He is always with you. Just as it would be rude if you deserted a friend who was visiting you, why would you be disrespectful of God by abandoning His presence?” (From page 67) “My friend says that by dwelling in the presence of God he has established such a sweet communion with the Lord that His spirit abides, without much effort, in the restful peace of God. In this center of rest, he is filled with a faith that equips him to handle anything that comes into his life.”
Papa, you remind me also of what you said to me on July 7, 2005, and I paste it here. “Listen, this is very important: whenever you feel my presence lift because of stress or sin, stop! At that moment I will prepare the table, make the way for you to return, but you must stop and quickly return! That is how you must walk in the Spirit! This is the next step for you; don't forget this one!” I am undone…
So what do you think? I welcome your thoughts. Am I being hopelessly idealistic here? I clearly don't think so, and I think I am hearing Papa God say the same. I invite and welcome your prayerful reflections.
Stay lost in Papa's love, live aware of His presence!
Tom, Daddy's little boy.
3 comments:
"... it is obedience that comes from faith and love that I am looking for, not effort or sacrifice but obedience. "
Why do I feel like I need to relearn some words, like "obedience." It seems like so many of these classic terms have lost their true meaning and been replaced with special religious language that the enemy uses to beat us over the head. I think of the words of Samuel to Saul, "Obedience is better than sacrifice." However I think for many obedience means sacrifice of self to the dictates of "the Rule." But rules replace knowing, and finding fresh understanding for the day. I am struck that even following the dictates of Scripture is not sufficient to hearing the active voice of the Father speaking Life unto one's soul, and responding in loving submission. But this is what many of us have been trained to do, and have trained others to do - follow Scripture mindlessly (and heartlessly) because this is what "obedience to God requires."
I think of Screwtape sharing with Wormwood that one of their tricks is to rob the meanings from important words in the Christian faith so that they can trap people with them. And what a trap it is to think that it is actually God who has you cornered, like some school-yard bully, and you must comply for Him to let you go. When we will see this is completely counter to how He works in our lives? God is calling us out of our darkened corners, to run free with Him in His' glorious light ...
I need to find new ways of describing what has become loaded terminology: obedience, faith, church, righteousness, sanctification, justification, etc. Every time I use them people get exactly the wrong meaning from them ...
Hey, Alex,
You are once again "spot on" with your comments. Papa God wants relationship with us that enables us to value Him and His purposes so much that we by His power "do His will." Doing God's will is so very different from "obeying the rules" or even "obeying God." It speaks of moment by moment attentiveness, dependence upon Him, continuing awareness of His life and presence, etc.
And yes, we need to come up with new words for all of this. Just a couple of days ago I was with a 30 something who stated that very thing: postmoderns like her are put off by words like obedience, etc., yet as a believer she knows that we were created to do Papa's will.
Hi, Tom,
Congradulations to you, Jon and his wife on the baby!
We need to renew our minds with His word, which means we must understand His word, what He is saying, the definitions and meanings in order to gain the proper understanding of what God is saying to us (Rom.12:1-2; Eph.4:23; Col. 3:10). This requires diligent study being dependent on the Holy Spirit to teach us, leading and guiding us into all truth (John 16:13; 1 Cor.2:10-16; 2 Tim 2:15). This is why we need to pray for wisdom, understanding, and revelation in our knowledge of Him (Eph. 1:17-19). Terminology will always change, but the Lord, His word, and His meaning will remain the same ( Matt. 5:17-20; 1 Peter 1:22-25). Therefore, His word can be understood when we seek Him and search for Him and for understanding with all of our hearts. (Proverb 2:1-5; 14:6). We need to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord, knowing Him through developing an intimate relationship with Him, so we know Him through experience and not just head knowledge knowing about Him (2 Peter 3:18). Hope it helps.
God Bless!
His nothing,
Jeff
Post a Comment