Luther's Little Instruction Book
(The Small Catechism of Martin Luther)
Translated by Robert E. Smith
May 22, 1994
The Our Father
The Simple Way a Father Should Present it to His Household
I. Introduction
Our Father, Who is in Heaven.
Q. What does this mean?
A. In this introduction, God invites us to believe that He is our real Father and we are His real children, so that we will pray with trust and complete confidence, in the same way beloved children approach their beloved Father with their requests.
II. The First Request
May Your name be holy.
Q. What does this mean?
A. Of course, God's name is holy in and of itself, but by this request, we pray that He will make it holy among us, too.
Q. How does this take place?
A. When God's Word is taught clearly and purely, and when we live holy lives as God's children based upon it. Help us, Heavenly Father, to do this! But anyone who teaches and lives by something other than God's Word defiles God's name among us. Protect us from this, Heavenly Father!
III. The Second Request
Your Kingdom come.
Q. What does this mean?
A. Truly God's Kingdom comes by itself, without our prayer. But we pray in this request that it come to us as well.
Q. How does this happen?
A. When the Heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that we believe His holy Word by His grace and live godly lives here in this age and there in eternal life.
IV. The Third Request
May Your will be accomplished, as it is Heaven, so may it be on Earth.
Q. What does this mean?
A. Truly, God's good and gracious will is accomplished without our prayer. But we pray in this request that is be accomplished among us as well.
Q. How does this happen?
A. When God destroys and interferes with every evil will and all evil advice, which will not allow God's Kingdom to come, such as the Devil's will, the world's will and will of our bodily desires. It also happens when God strengthens us by faith and by His Word and keeps living by them faithfully until the end of our lives. This is His will, good and full of grace.
V. The Fourth Request
Give us our daily bread today.
Q. What does this mean?
A. Truly, God gives daily bread to evil people, even without our prayer. But we pray in this request that He will help us realize this and receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.
Q. What does ``Daily Bread'' mean?
A. Everything that nourishes our body and meets its needs, such as: Food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, yard, fields, cattle, money, possessions, a devout spouse, devout children, devout employees, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors and other things like these.
VI. The Fifth Request
And forgive our guilt, as we forgive those guilty of sinning against us.
Q. What does this mean?
A. We pray in this request that our Heavenly Father will neither pay attention to our sins nor refuse requests such as these because of our sins and because we are neither worthy nor deserve the things for which we pray. Yet He wants to give them all to us by His grace, because many times each day we sin and truly deserve only punishment. Because God does this, we will, of course, want to forgive from our hearts and willingly do good to those who sin against us.
VII. The Sixth Request
And lead us not into temptation.
Q. What does this mean?
A. God tempts no one, of course, but we pray in this request that God will protect us and save us, so that the Devil, the world and our bodily desires will neither deceive us nor seduce us into heresy, despair or other serious shame or vice, and so that we will win and be victorious in the end, even if they attack us.
VIII. The Seventh Request
But set us free from the Evil One.
Q. What does this mean?
A. We pray in this request, as a summary, that our Father in Heaven will save us from every kind of evil that threatens body, soul, property and honor. We pray that when at last our final hour has come, He will grant us a blessed death, and, in His grace, bring us to Himself from this valley of tears.
IX. Amen.
Q. What does this mean?
A. That I should be certain that such prayers are acceptable to the Father in Heaven and will be granted, that He Himself has commanded us to pray in this way and that He promises to answer us. Amen. Amen. This means: Yes, yes it will happen this way.
12/23/2009
Thank God For The Communion of Saints - Matthew Henry
For the communion of saints, that spiritual communion which I have in faith and hope and holy love and in prayers and praises with all good Christians.
I bless you that if your people walk in the light, they have fellowship with one another, 1 John 1:7(ESV) even with all those who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and mine. 1 Corinthians 1:2(ESV)
That your people, who are many, are one bread and one body; 1 Corinthians 10:17(ESV) and that though there are varieties of gifts and service and activities, yet there is the same Spirit, the same Lord, and the same God, who empowers them all in everyone. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6(ESV)
I thank you that all the children of God who are scattered abroad, John 11:52(ESV) are united in him who is the head of the body, the church; Colossians 1:18(ESV) so they are all my brothers and partners in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus. Revelation 1:9(ESV)
I bless you that if your people walk in the light, they have fellowship with one another, 1 John 1:7(ESV) even with all those who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and mine. 1 Corinthians 1:2(ESV)
That your people, who are many, are one bread and one body; 1 Corinthians 10:17(ESV) and that though there are varieties of gifts and service and activities, yet there is the same Spirit, the same Lord, and the same God, who empowers them all in everyone. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6(ESV)
I thank you that all the children of God who are scattered abroad, John 11:52(ESV) are united in him who is the head of the body, the church; Colossians 1:18(ESV) so they are all my brothers and partners in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus. Revelation 1:9(ESV)
11/23/2009
Meditative Prayer: Filling The Mind
Meditative Prayer: Filling the Mind
Winfield BevinsActs 29 Pastor - Outer Banks, North Carolina
"We have some idea, perhaps, what prayer is, but what is meditation? Well may we ask, for meditation is a lost art today, and Christian people suffer grievously from their ignorance of the practice. Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God."—J.I. Packer
Let God Speak to You
In personal prayer we speak to God, but in meditative prayer we allow God to speak to us through his word and his Spirit. Never before has there been such a need to rediscover the quiet art of meditative prayer.
If we are not careful, the many distractions of this world will drown out the quiet voice of God within our hearts and make us numb to our spiritual needs. We need to find a quiet place to be with God and hear his word. In stillness and solitude God speaks to our hearts and fills us with the refreshing presence of his Spirit.
Emptying vs. Filling the Mind
What do we mean by meditative prayer? Is there such thing as Christian meditation? Isn't meditation non-Christian? According to Richard Foster, "Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind. Christian meditation is an attempt to fill the mind" (Celebration of Discipline). Rather than emptying the mind we fill it with God's word. We must not neglect a vital part of our Judeo-Christian heritage simply because other traditions use a form of meditation. Christian meditation has its roots in the Hebrew tradition of the Bible.
There are numerous Biblical references to prayerful meditation:
•"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night" (Joshua 1:8).
•"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:2).
•"I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways" (Psalm 119:15).
•"I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes" (Psalm 119:48).
•"O how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97).
•"My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise" (Psalm 119:148).
•"I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands" (Psalm 143:5).
To be continued. ( This article was taken from the Resurgence blog.)
Winfield BevinsActs 29 Pastor - Outer Banks, North Carolina
"We have some idea, perhaps, what prayer is, but what is meditation? Well may we ask, for meditation is a lost art today, and Christian people suffer grievously from their ignorance of the practice. Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God."—J.I. Packer
Let God Speak to You
In personal prayer we speak to God, but in meditative prayer we allow God to speak to us through his word and his Spirit. Never before has there been such a need to rediscover the quiet art of meditative prayer.
If we are not careful, the many distractions of this world will drown out the quiet voice of God within our hearts and make us numb to our spiritual needs. We need to find a quiet place to be with God and hear his word. In stillness and solitude God speaks to our hearts and fills us with the refreshing presence of his Spirit.
Emptying vs. Filling the Mind
What do we mean by meditative prayer? Is there such thing as Christian meditation? Isn't meditation non-Christian? According to Richard Foster, "Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind. Christian meditation is an attempt to fill the mind" (Celebration of Discipline). Rather than emptying the mind we fill it with God's word. We must not neglect a vital part of our Judeo-Christian heritage simply because other traditions use a form of meditation. Christian meditation has its roots in the Hebrew tradition of the Bible.
There are numerous Biblical references to prayerful meditation:
•"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night" (Joshua 1:8).
•"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:2).
•"I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways" (Psalm 119:15).
•"I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes" (Psalm 119:48).
•"O how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97).
•"My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise" (Psalm 119:148).
•"I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands" (Psalm 143:5).
To be continued. ( This article was taken from the Resurgence blog.)
11/02/2009
Waiting On The Lord by John Wright Follette
(This article was taken from the Redeemer Church website.)
"They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength" (Is. 40:31 esv). To wait upon God is entirely within the reach of all, whatever may be the age, condition, or environment. All may not be able to preach, teach, go as missionaries, or enter into public service; but any Christian can wait upon the Lord.
Silence
The Bible tells us much about waiting upon the Lord. The first meaning of the expression is silence. Prayer has been made and now the soul is hushed and, bowing in silence (in faith), it waits before God.
Our souls are too noisy. In prayer life alone see how it hinders. Our hearts are much distressed and burdened, so we go to prayer and maybe spend much time pouring out our petitions before the throne. And too many times we get up immediately, rush out of His presence and often try to answer the prayer by some efforts of our own. We do the praying but not the waiting.
Let us not be afraid to be silent before Him, thinking it is wasted time. He does not want us to be all the time talking–telling Him so many things about which He already knows more than we do. Time is needed today for proper adjustment to Him, our vision properly focused, our hearts hushed, and minds subdued. It is in the silent hour before Him, quietly waiting in His presence, that the miracle is wrought.
Expectation and Hope
The second meaning of the word carries the thought of expectation and hope. "For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from Him" (Ps. 62:1, 5 esv). To wait upon God means to expect from God. It implies dependence.
How necessary today that we wait upon God in the sense of expecting from Him. The natural man is so self-sufficient. He turns here and there and expects help from his natural ability, from friends, or from circumstances, But in the spiritual life we are taught to distrust self and to depend upon the power of the Holy Spirit.
Watching
The third meaning of wait is to watch, observe, take notice. This means that all our spiritual senses must be alive, alert, and expectant. To wait means that we are to be near to Him and still, that we may catch the slightest intimation on His part. Our hearts are to be sensitive enough to catch the faintest reflection and be able to discern quickly His voice. The meaning is clearly shown in Prov. 8:34: "Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors." Here we have a man, maybe a servant or soldier, waiting at a door or gate. He does not know the moment his master may open the door to require his service, or maybe to give him a gift.
Be it one or the other, it matters not to the waiting man. His duty is to wait (to watch or take notice). It is not the waiting of an idler; it is not the waiting of a dreamer. It is the quiet waiting of one who is girt and ready.
We do not long watch or observe keenly the movements of God before He has some word for us. He bids us go or come on some mission, or speak, write, pray, visit, or sing for Him. Why? Because we were near enough to feel what is on His heart, and thus we were able to enter into fellowship with Him in service. Many today do not understand the movement of God in the world as He is speaking to us in present conditions because they are not near enough or still enough to observe Him.
Such wonderful blessings, then, hang upon this one condition: to wait. And to wait upon God is to have the heart silent in an expectant attitude, to hear what He might say–that we might do His bidding.
Wait means that we are to be near to Him and still, that we may catch the slightest intimation on His part.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:
JOHN WRIGHT FOLLETTE (1883-1966) was a Bible teacher, conference speaker, and author. This excerpt is adapted from his book, Broken Bread [public domain].
"They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength" (Is. 40:31 esv). To wait upon God is entirely within the reach of all, whatever may be the age, condition, or environment. All may not be able to preach, teach, go as missionaries, or enter into public service; but any Christian can wait upon the Lord.
Silence
The Bible tells us much about waiting upon the Lord. The first meaning of the expression is silence. Prayer has been made and now the soul is hushed and, bowing in silence (in faith), it waits before God.
Our souls are too noisy. In prayer life alone see how it hinders. Our hearts are much distressed and burdened, so we go to prayer and maybe spend much time pouring out our petitions before the throne. And too many times we get up immediately, rush out of His presence and often try to answer the prayer by some efforts of our own. We do the praying but not the waiting.
Let us not be afraid to be silent before Him, thinking it is wasted time. He does not want us to be all the time talking–telling Him so many things about which He already knows more than we do. Time is needed today for proper adjustment to Him, our vision properly focused, our hearts hushed, and minds subdued. It is in the silent hour before Him, quietly waiting in His presence, that the miracle is wrought.
Expectation and Hope
The second meaning of the word carries the thought of expectation and hope. "For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from Him" (Ps. 62:1, 5 esv). To wait upon God means to expect from God. It implies dependence.
How necessary today that we wait upon God in the sense of expecting from Him. The natural man is so self-sufficient. He turns here and there and expects help from his natural ability, from friends, or from circumstances, But in the spiritual life we are taught to distrust self and to depend upon the power of the Holy Spirit.
Watching
The third meaning of wait is to watch, observe, take notice. This means that all our spiritual senses must be alive, alert, and expectant. To wait means that we are to be near to Him and still, that we may catch the slightest intimation on His part. Our hearts are to be sensitive enough to catch the faintest reflection and be able to discern quickly His voice. The meaning is clearly shown in Prov. 8:34: "Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors." Here we have a man, maybe a servant or soldier, waiting at a door or gate. He does not know the moment his master may open the door to require his service, or maybe to give him a gift.
Be it one or the other, it matters not to the waiting man. His duty is to wait (to watch or take notice). It is not the waiting of an idler; it is not the waiting of a dreamer. It is the quiet waiting of one who is girt and ready.
We do not long watch or observe keenly the movements of God before He has some word for us. He bids us go or come on some mission, or speak, write, pray, visit, or sing for Him. Why? Because we were near enough to feel what is on His heart, and thus we were able to enter into fellowship with Him in service. Many today do not understand the movement of God in the world as He is speaking to us in present conditions because they are not near enough or still enough to observe Him.
Such wonderful blessings, then, hang upon this one condition: to wait. And to wait upon God is to have the heart silent in an expectant attitude, to hear what He might say–that we might do His bidding.
Wait means that we are to be near to Him and still, that we may catch the slightest intimation on His part.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:
JOHN WRIGHT FOLLETTE (1883-1966) was a Bible teacher, conference speaker, and author. This excerpt is adapted from his book, Broken Bread [public domain].
11/01/2009
Lection Divina - "Divine Reading"
(This article was taken from the Redeemer Presbyterian Church website.)
Lectio Divina, or "Divine Reading" involves meditative listening to the reading, out loud and slowly, of a short passage or a few isolated verses of Scripture. It can be down on your own or with a group. Those who listen are encouraged to set aside analysis, and what they "know" already about the passage, seeking instead to open themselves to God's Word, listen with their hearts and receive it expectantly and passively. They then attend to what they receive from God. God's Word is received personally, as an individualized gift to each person.
Lectio Divina, on your own:
Choose a short Scripture passage for your meditation, and it is to be read out loud slowly. Quiet yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to guard and guide your meditation.
First reading. One minute silent reflection before God. Take notice of whatever captures your attention in the passage or in your inner experience.
Second reading. One minute silent reflection. Listen for a single word or phrase that particularly strikes you.
Third reading. 3-5 minutes silent reflection. Listen to how the passage seems to touch your life experience.
Fourth reading. 3-5 minutes silent reflection. What do you feel the passage might be inviting you to do? What is God inviting you to be? How is God inviting you to change? Spend some time in prayer over what you received from God's Word, and give thanks for His gift to you.
Lectio Divina, with a group:
Begin
One participant opens with a brief, spoken prayer.
Read
Another participant reads the passage aloud, slowly.
Reflect
After one minute of silence each participant writes down an answer to the question: "What word/phrase caught my attention?"
Share
Each participant shares his/her word or phrase without comment.
Read
Another participant reads the same passage aloud from a different translation.
Reflect
After 3-5 minutes silence each participant writes down an answer to the question: "Where does this passage touch my life experience?"
Share
Each participant shares his/her answer in turn, without comment.
Read
A third participant reads the passage aloud from yet another translation.
Reflect
For 3-5 minutes participants write an answer to the question: "From what I have heard and shared, what is God inviting me to be? How is He inviting me to change?"
Share
Each participant shares, beginning: "I believe God wants me to..."
Pray
Each participant then prays aloud for the person on his/her right, praying only for what that person expressed in the prior step. (option: each person continues to pray for that person throughout the day or evening.)
Notes for Group Lectio Divina:
Leader preparation: Select a short passage of scripture. Having 3 translations available will add richness, but this is optional. Allow ~ 25 minutes for a group of five, longer with more participants. A digital timer or stop watch is helpful.
Group preparation: None, except access to pen and paper.
Source: Material adapted from Sacred Companions by David Benner, 2002 by John Smed, Grace Vancouver. Materials used with permission, Redeemer Prayer Conference, June 2006.
Lectio Divina, or "Divine Reading" involves meditative listening to the reading, out loud and slowly, of a short passage or a few isolated verses of Scripture. It can be down on your own or with a group. Those who listen are encouraged to set aside analysis, and what they "know" already about the passage, seeking instead to open themselves to God's Word, listen with their hearts and receive it expectantly and passively. They then attend to what they receive from God. God's Word is received personally, as an individualized gift to each person.
Lectio Divina, on your own:
Choose a short Scripture passage for your meditation, and it is to be read out loud slowly. Quiet yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to guard and guide your meditation.
First reading. One minute silent reflection before God. Take notice of whatever captures your attention in the passage or in your inner experience.
Second reading. One minute silent reflection. Listen for a single word or phrase that particularly strikes you.
Third reading. 3-5 minutes silent reflection. Listen to how the passage seems to touch your life experience.
Fourth reading. 3-5 minutes silent reflection. What do you feel the passage might be inviting you to do? What is God inviting you to be? How is God inviting you to change? Spend some time in prayer over what you received from God's Word, and give thanks for His gift to you.
Lectio Divina, with a group:
Begin
One participant opens with a brief, spoken prayer.
Read
Another participant reads the passage aloud, slowly.
Reflect
After one minute of silence each participant writes down an answer to the question: "What word/phrase caught my attention?"
Share
Each participant shares his/her word or phrase without comment.
Read
Another participant reads the same passage aloud from a different translation.
Reflect
After 3-5 minutes silence each participant writes down an answer to the question: "Where does this passage touch my life experience?"
Share
Each participant shares his/her answer in turn, without comment.
Read
A third participant reads the passage aloud from yet another translation.
Reflect
For 3-5 minutes participants write an answer to the question: "From what I have heard and shared, what is God inviting me to be? How is He inviting me to change?"
Share
Each participant shares, beginning: "I believe God wants me to..."
Pray
Each participant then prays aloud for the person on his/her right, praying only for what that person expressed in the prior step. (option: each person continues to pray for that person throughout the day or evening.)
Notes for Group Lectio Divina:
Leader preparation: Select a short passage of scripture. Having 3 translations available will add richness, but this is optional. Allow ~ 25 minutes for a group of five, longer with more participants. A digital timer or stop watch is helpful.
Group preparation: None, except access to pen and paper.
Source: Material adapted from Sacred Companions by David Benner, 2002 by John Smed, Grace Vancouver. Materials used with permission, Redeemer Prayer Conference, June 2006.
Meditation: Not So Mysterious by Jan Johnson
(The article was taken from the Redeemer Presbyterian Church website,)
Meditation: Not So Mysterious
Two ways to move Scripture off the page and into your life
Ever get sick and tired of old habits that won't go away? You find yourself whining when you should be grateful. You trash someone in your mind when you should care about his needs. You feel lazy when there are so many exciting things to do. What does it take to have the heart of Christ, to obey the commands that seem so difficult?
Trying to be good doesn't work because such efforts are about us, not about Christ. What works better is connecting with God in deeper ways that allow God to "[work] in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Phil. 2:13).
One important–but overlooked–way to connect with God is meditating on Scripture. Joshua wrote: "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it" (Josh. 1:8). As we invite God to move beyond the door of our inner being by meditating on Scripture, He works miraculous heart changes within us that lead to a more Christlike life.
The psalmists valued meditation; they mentioned it 16 times in Psalms. By inserting the word selah 71 times in Psalms, they encouraged resting in and reflecting on the Word. Though selah is sometimes dismissed as a mere musical notation, most commentators agree that it was used at points where the singer or psalm reader should pause to reflect.
But reflect on what? The objects of meditation include aspects of God's character (such as God's unfailing love, see Ps. 48:9), God's works (see Ps. 77:12), and God's precepts and ways (see Ps. 119:15). Beyond that, we are given little instruction. That's why I wasn't sure what to do in my early attempts to meditate. I turned to classic Christian writers for help. Just as there are many ways to pray and study Scripture, Christians throughout the ages have found many ways to meditate. Those who've gone before me have helped me connect with God in ways that have surprised me. Let's look at two specific approaches to meditation.
Spiritual Exercises
One of the best-known ways to ponder God's character, works, and ways is a format originated by Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. Loyola's methods, recorded in his book Spiritual Exercises, have been used for hundreds of years. He urged people to enter into Scripture with all five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell.
If this idea startles you (as it did me), consider A. W. Tozer's words:
The same terms are used to express the knowledge of God as are used to express knowledge of physical things. "O taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps. 34:8). "All the garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia, out of ivory palaces" (Ps. 45:8). "My sheep hear my voice" (Jn. 10:27). "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Mt. 5:8) . . . What can all this mean except that we have in our hearts organs by means of which we can know God as certainly as we know material things through our familiar five senses?
Using the five senses allows you to experience the text in a fresh way. For example, as you enter into the text of Mk. 10:17�22, you may take the role of the rich young ruler and see what he saw. In verse 21, Jesus "looked at him and loved him," then immediately challenged him to give up what he apparently loved best: his wealth. Years ago, I began meditating on that passage. Ever since, I have regularly had a sense of God looking at me, loving me, and then challenging me to give up ingrained habits I hold close: self-centered thoughts, judgmental attitudes, the need to be right. When nothing else has been able to persuade me to relinquish such things, that picture of Jesus' loving yet challenging gaze has resurfaced, and I have quietly acquiesced.
As I meditate on a passage, I often ask myself, What did the biblical scene look like? At first, this was difficult. But then I decided to pretend I was Cecil B. DeMille creating a scene for a biblical epic such as The Ten Commandments. When I meditated on the transfiguration of Christ, I tried to imagine Jesus' radiance. This passage required that I bring in Steven Spielberg too�adding the special effects of lightning-bright clothes. Then as I imagined the scene, I wondered (as a skilled movie director would), What was Jesus doing when His appearance changed? I peeked at the original script and found that Jesus was praying (Lk. 9:29). I immediately prostrated myself on the floor and said to God, "As I pray, change me, too. Make me the person You wish me to be."
Another meditation question I use is, How would I have behaved if I'd been a disciple standing by? As Jesus talked to Legion in that graveyard by the sea, how would I have responded to the screams of the demonized man and the smell of blood from his cut flesh (Mk. 5:5)? What would I have thought of my teacher, who was not intimidated by this naked, crazed man, but cared for him? Would I have wanted to run for the hills? Would I have gotten out of the boat to watch Jesus in action (which, according to the text, none of the disciples seems to have done)?
For meditation to work, you need to pay attention to the details of Scripture. Though this may seem similar to Bible study, meditation differs in technique. In Bible study, you dissect the text; in Scripture meditation, you savor it and enter into it. In Bible study, you ask questions about the text; in meditation, you let the text ask questions of you. In Bible study, you examine how biblical facts relate to each other; in meditation, you let God speak to you in light of the facts you've already considered. Meditation is about absorbing scriptural truth: seeing in our minds how God behaved in Scripture and being open to His leading to behave in the same way.
Lectio Divina
As I tried to meditate on the discourse and poetic texts, such as the New Testament letters and Old Testament poets and prophets, I found that another classical method helped me: lectio divina. This kind of meditation has been used widely among believers since the sixth century. Lectio divina consists of four parts: reading a passage, meditating on that passage, praying, and contemplating God. After the Scripture is read aloud, participants wait for a word, phrase, or image from the passage to emerge and stay with them. From this phrase or image, the participant asks, What does this passage say to me right now? (Bible study before meditating is important preparatory work because it asks, What did the passage say to listeners then? This keeps us from coming up with absurd answers to this question.)
Once while meditating on Mt. 11:20-30 (10 verses or fewer work best for lectio divina), I was struck by the word weary. I pondered that word for a while and began picturing weary people who needed Jesus for their rest. I was so grateful that Jesus was there for the weary. I read the passage aloud again, and this time I noticed the word gentle. I spent some time thinking about how much weary people need gentle people.
A few weeks later I found myself at a school reunion. I don't know why, but everybody there irritated me. I listened to the women at the next table yak endlessly, and I thought terrible things about them, such as, No wonder they couldn't stay married! At the same time, I was highly aware of my own judgmental attitude. I became so sick of myself that I got away and asked God to help me with this harshness. "Make me gentle," I prayed. The words of Mt. 11:28 immediately came to mind: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." I pictured one of the women who had annoyed me and prayed, "O God, she is weary and burdened. Give her rest. Help her come to You."
I did that with a few others until I felt strong enough to return to the gathering. In the midst of parties and sight-seeing, I kept praying Mt. 11:28 for each person I met. My attitude changed completely. I felt merciful and genuine in my heart and started having fun! I would never have prayed this way if I hadn't spent time with Jesus meditating on that passage.
Danger Ahead?
Some evangelical Christians are wary of meditation because it's practiced in other religions. But it's important to remember that Christians do not meditate the same way that practitioners of Eastern religions do. The goals are different. In Eastern religions, participants empty their minds and fill them with nothing. In Christianity, we seek to surrender our hurried to-do lists, our worry about today's appointments, and our obsession with what others think of us and focus instead upon the words and images of Scripture.
Other Christians object to using the imagination in meditation. But since I read Richard Foster's words about "sanctifying the imagination" many years ago, I've asked God to purify my imagination along with my heart, mind, and will. Isn't it wiser to give the imagination to God to be retrained than to ignore it? If we don't, our imagination finds entertainment of its own and gets us into trouble. When activated by the images and truths of Scripture, the imagination supports the penetrating Word of God's ability to become active in our lives.
Doing Nothing?
But what if you meditate and "nothing" happens? What if God doesn't confront you with a verse or you don't get a personal insight? That's normal.
My long years of meditating on Zeph. 3:17 have helped during these times: "The Lord your God . . . will take great delight in you . . . [and] will rejoice over you with singing." When I don't receive any fresh insights while meditating, I imagine God delighting in me and singing over me. As I've tried to picture this scene, I remember how I used to rock my children and sing all three verses of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" until they fell asleep. (A friend of mine pictures God as a father standing on the sidelines of a soccer game and cheering whether or not he makes a goal.) These quiet "nothing" moments of meditation are valuable because we can enjoy the company of God without yammering about our 455 prayer requests. To simply enjoy God's presence is a delightful thing.
Over the years, I've noticed that meditation often results in "accidental obedience." I meditate on a passage, and without realizing it, I am "careful to do" God's will (Josh. 1:8). I meditate on Jesus challenging the rich young ruler, and I begin giving up obsessions. I meditate on Jesus' gentleness with the weary, and I am gentle with those around me. I meditate on being loved by God, and I am conscious of God's love in ways I haven't been before. This accidental obedience–or spiritual formation–works a lot better than trying hard to be good. This way, God comes into my soul and sits with me, teaching me to abide in Him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:
Jan Johnson is a writer and retreat speaker. As a trained spiritual director, she helps believers immerse themselves in God's Word. She also volunteers with a drop-in center for the homeless. Her book Listening to God (NavPress) includes 30 passages of Scripture and directions for meditating on them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Used by permission of Pray! Magazine. Copyright © 2006, The Navigators. Used by permission of NavPress. All Rights Reserved. To subscribe, visit www.praymag.com or call (800) 691-7729.
Meditation: Not So Mysterious
Two ways to move Scripture off the page and into your life
Ever get sick and tired of old habits that won't go away? You find yourself whining when you should be grateful. You trash someone in your mind when you should care about his needs. You feel lazy when there are so many exciting things to do. What does it take to have the heart of Christ, to obey the commands that seem so difficult?
Trying to be good doesn't work because such efforts are about us, not about Christ. What works better is connecting with God in deeper ways that allow God to "[work] in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Phil. 2:13).
One important–but overlooked–way to connect with God is meditating on Scripture. Joshua wrote: "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it" (Josh. 1:8). As we invite God to move beyond the door of our inner being by meditating on Scripture, He works miraculous heart changes within us that lead to a more Christlike life.
The psalmists valued meditation; they mentioned it 16 times in Psalms. By inserting the word selah 71 times in Psalms, they encouraged resting in and reflecting on the Word. Though selah is sometimes dismissed as a mere musical notation, most commentators agree that it was used at points where the singer or psalm reader should pause to reflect.
But reflect on what? The objects of meditation include aspects of God's character (such as God's unfailing love, see Ps. 48:9), God's works (see Ps. 77:12), and God's precepts and ways (see Ps. 119:15). Beyond that, we are given little instruction. That's why I wasn't sure what to do in my early attempts to meditate. I turned to classic Christian writers for help. Just as there are many ways to pray and study Scripture, Christians throughout the ages have found many ways to meditate. Those who've gone before me have helped me connect with God in ways that have surprised me. Let's look at two specific approaches to meditation.
Spiritual Exercises
One of the best-known ways to ponder God's character, works, and ways is a format originated by Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. Loyola's methods, recorded in his book Spiritual Exercises, have been used for hundreds of years. He urged people to enter into Scripture with all five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell.
If this idea startles you (as it did me), consider A. W. Tozer's words:
The same terms are used to express the knowledge of God as are used to express knowledge of physical things. "O taste and see that the Lord is good" (Ps. 34:8). "All the garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia, out of ivory palaces" (Ps. 45:8). "My sheep hear my voice" (Jn. 10:27). "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Mt. 5:8) . . . What can all this mean except that we have in our hearts organs by means of which we can know God as certainly as we know material things through our familiar five senses?
Using the five senses allows you to experience the text in a fresh way. For example, as you enter into the text of Mk. 10:17�22, you may take the role of the rich young ruler and see what he saw. In verse 21, Jesus "looked at him and loved him," then immediately challenged him to give up what he apparently loved best: his wealth. Years ago, I began meditating on that passage. Ever since, I have regularly had a sense of God looking at me, loving me, and then challenging me to give up ingrained habits I hold close: self-centered thoughts, judgmental attitudes, the need to be right. When nothing else has been able to persuade me to relinquish such things, that picture of Jesus' loving yet challenging gaze has resurfaced, and I have quietly acquiesced.
As I meditate on a passage, I often ask myself, What did the biblical scene look like? At first, this was difficult. But then I decided to pretend I was Cecil B. DeMille creating a scene for a biblical epic such as The Ten Commandments. When I meditated on the transfiguration of Christ, I tried to imagine Jesus' radiance. This passage required that I bring in Steven Spielberg too�adding the special effects of lightning-bright clothes. Then as I imagined the scene, I wondered (as a skilled movie director would), What was Jesus doing when His appearance changed? I peeked at the original script and found that Jesus was praying (Lk. 9:29). I immediately prostrated myself on the floor and said to God, "As I pray, change me, too. Make me the person You wish me to be."
Another meditation question I use is, How would I have behaved if I'd been a disciple standing by? As Jesus talked to Legion in that graveyard by the sea, how would I have responded to the screams of the demonized man and the smell of blood from his cut flesh (Mk. 5:5)? What would I have thought of my teacher, who was not intimidated by this naked, crazed man, but cared for him? Would I have wanted to run for the hills? Would I have gotten out of the boat to watch Jesus in action (which, according to the text, none of the disciples seems to have done)?
For meditation to work, you need to pay attention to the details of Scripture. Though this may seem similar to Bible study, meditation differs in technique. In Bible study, you dissect the text; in Scripture meditation, you savor it and enter into it. In Bible study, you ask questions about the text; in meditation, you let the text ask questions of you. In Bible study, you examine how biblical facts relate to each other; in meditation, you let God speak to you in light of the facts you've already considered. Meditation is about absorbing scriptural truth: seeing in our minds how God behaved in Scripture and being open to His leading to behave in the same way.
Lectio Divina
As I tried to meditate on the discourse and poetic texts, such as the New Testament letters and Old Testament poets and prophets, I found that another classical method helped me: lectio divina. This kind of meditation has been used widely among believers since the sixth century. Lectio divina consists of four parts: reading a passage, meditating on that passage, praying, and contemplating God. After the Scripture is read aloud, participants wait for a word, phrase, or image from the passage to emerge and stay with them. From this phrase or image, the participant asks, What does this passage say to me right now? (Bible study before meditating is important preparatory work because it asks, What did the passage say to listeners then? This keeps us from coming up with absurd answers to this question.)
Once while meditating on Mt. 11:20-30 (10 verses or fewer work best for lectio divina), I was struck by the word weary. I pondered that word for a while and began picturing weary people who needed Jesus for their rest. I was so grateful that Jesus was there for the weary. I read the passage aloud again, and this time I noticed the word gentle. I spent some time thinking about how much weary people need gentle people.
A few weeks later I found myself at a school reunion. I don't know why, but everybody there irritated me. I listened to the women at the next table yak endlessly, and I thought terrible things about them, such as, No wonder they couldn't stay married! At the same time, I was highly aware of my own judgmental attitude. I became so sick of myself that I got away and asked God to help me with this harshness. "Make me gentle," I prayed. The words of Mt. 11:28 immediately came to mind: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." I pictured one of the women who had annoyed me and prayed, "O God, she is weary and burdened. Give her rest. Help her come to You."
I did that with a few others until I felt strong enough to return to the gathering. In the midst of parties and sight-seeing, I kept praying Mt. 11:28 for each person I met. My attitude changed completely. I felt merciful and genuine in my heart and started having fun! I would never have prayed this way if I hadn't spent time with Jesus meditating on that passage.
Danger Ahead?
Some evangelical Christians are wary of meditation because it's practiced in other religions. But it's important to remember that Christians do not meditate the same way that practitioners of Eastern religions do. The goals are different. In Eastern religions, participants empty their minds and fill them with nothing. In Christianity, we seek to surrender our hurried to-do lists, our worry about today's appointments, and our obsession with what others think of us and focus instead upon the words and images of Scripture.
Other Christians object to using the imagination in meditation. But since I read Richard Foster's words about "sanctifying the imagination" many years ago, I've asked God to purify my imagination along with my heart, mind, and will. Isn't it wiser to give the imagination to God to be retrained than to ignore it? If we don't, our imagination finds entertainment of its own and gets us into trouble. When activated by the images and truths of Scripture, the imagination supports the penetrating Word of God's ability to become active in our lives.
Doing Nothing?
But what if you meditate and "nothing" happens? What if God doesn't confront you with a verse or you don't get a personal insight? That's normal.
My long years of meditating on Zeph. 3:17 have helped during these times: "The Lord your God . . . will take great delight in you . . . [and] will rejoice over you with singing." When I don't receive any fresh insights while meditating, I imagine God delighting in me and singing over me. As I've tried to picture this scene, I remember how I used to rock my children and sing all three verses of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" until they fell asleep. (A friend of mine pictures God as a father standing on the sidelines of a soccer game and cheering whether or not he makes a goal.) These quiet "nothing" moments of meditation are valuable because we can enjoy the company of God without yammering about our 455 prayer requests. To simply enjoy God's presence is a delightful thing.
Over the years, I've noticed that meditation often results in "accidental obedience." I meditate on a passage, and without realizing it, I am "careful to do" God's will (Josh. 1:8). I meditate on Jesus challenging the rich young ruler, and I begin giving up obsessions. I meditate on Jesus' gentleness with the weary, and I am gentle with those around me. I meditate on being loved by God, and I am conscious of God's love in ways I haven't been before. This accidental obedience–or spiritual formation–works a lot better than trying hard to be good. This way, God comes into my soul and sits with me, teaching me to abide in Him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author:
Jan Johnson is a writer and retreat speaker. As a trained spiritual director, she helps believers immerse themselves in God's Word. She also volunteers with a drop-in center for the homeless. Her book Listening to God (NavPress) includes 30 passages of Scripture and directions for meditating on them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Used by permission of Pray! Magazine. Copyright © 2006, The Navigators. Used by permission of NavPress. All Rights Reserved. To subscribe, visit www.praymag.com or call (800) 691-7729.
10/31/2009
Prayer and The Gospel by Tim Keller
(The following article was taken from the Redeemer Presbyterian Church website.)
Principles
One of the most basic things that the gospel does is change prayer from mere petition to fellowship and the praise of his glory. Galatians 4:6-7 teaches us that when we believe the gospel, we not only become God's children legally, but we receive the Spirit in order to experience our sonship. The Spirit leads us to call out passionately to God as our tender and loving Father. The Spirit calls out 'Abba' (4:7). In the very next verse Paul refers to this experience as "knowing God" (4:8). We do not just know and believe that God is holy and loving, but we actually experience contact with his holiness and his love in personal communion with him.
No one had a deeper insight into the gospel and prayer than Jonathan Edwards. Edwards concluded the most essential difference between a Christian and a moralist is that a Christian obeys God out of the sheer delight in who he is. The gospel means that we are not obeying God to get anything but to give him pleasure because we see his worth and beauty. Therefore, the Christian is able to draw power out of contemplation of God. Without the gospel, this is impossible. We can only come and ask for things- petition. Without the gospel, we may conceive of a holy God who is intimidating and who can be approached with petitions if we are very good. Or we may conceive of a God who is mainly loving and regards all positively. To approach the first "God" is fearsome; to approach the second is no big deal. Thus without the gospel, there is no possibility of passion and delight to praise and approach God.
Pathologies
There are two fairly common distortions of prayer that arise from a lack of orientation to the gospel in our prayer lives. We touched on them above. Here is a more practical description.
1. On the one hand, our prayer can have "light without heat."
There can be long lists of things that we pray for, and long lists of Bible verses we read, and long lists of things we thank him for. Yet there is no fire. Why? If we lose focus on the glory of God in the gospel as the solution to all our problems, then we devolve into a set of "grocery list" prayers, made rather desperately. When we are done, we only feel more anxious than before. The presence of God is not sensed because God is really just being used – he is not being worshipped.
Instead, we should always remember that the first thing we need is a new perspective on our needs and problems. We should always intertwine with repentance over our unbelief and indifference to God's grace. On the one hand, we must "pray into" ourselves that the thing we are asking for is not our Savior or God or glory! But, (on the other hand) after we repent and refine our desire, we should "pray into" ourselves that God is our Father and wants to give us good things, so we can ask in confidence. Also, intertwined with our petitions should be praise and marveling that we are able to approach God, and be welcomed in Christ.
This is gospel-centered prayer, rather than anxious petitioning. Our desires are always idolatrous to some degree, and when we pray without dealing with that first, we find our prayers only make us more anxious. Instead, we should always say, in effect, "Lord, let me see your glory as I haven't before, let me be so ravished with your grace that worry and self-pity and anger and indifference melt away!" Then, when we turn to ask God for admission to grad school or healing of an illness, those issues will be put in proper perspective. We will say, "Lord, I ask for this because I think it will glorify you – so help me get it, or support me without it." If the overall focus of the prayer is on God's glory and the gospel, our individual petitions will be made with great peace and confidence.
2. On the other hand, our prayer can have "heat without light."
Unlike the "light without heat" prayer, focused on anxious personal petitions, there is a kind of prayer which is its direct opposite – "heat without light." This is prayer with lots of "fire" and emotion. It focuses on boldly claiming things in Jesus' name. A lot of military and conflict imagery is usually used. Often the prayers themselves are said (either in your head or out loud) in a very unnatural, dramatic kind of voice and language.
Now, if (as stated above) prayer focuses on the gospel and glory of God, and if by the Spirit's help, that glory becomes real to us as we contemplate it, there will be passion, and maybe strong and dramatic emotion. But "heat without light" prayer always begins with a lot of drama and feeling automatically. I think that many people who pray like that are actually reacting against the very limp kind of prayer meetings that result from anxious personal petition. But they respond by simply trying to directly inject emotion and drama into prayer.
This kind of prayer is also not gospel-centered. Just as the anxious-petitioning is often legalistic and fails to base itself on God's grace, so the bold-claiming is sometimes legalistic and fails to base itself on God's grace. There is a sense that "if I pray long and without any doubts at all then God will surely hear me." Many people believe that they must suppress all psychological doubts and work up tremendous confidence if they are to get answered.
In addition, often personal problems are treated abstractly. People may say: "Lord, I ask you to come against the strongholds of worry in my life." Or "Lord, I claim the victory over bitterness," instead of realizing that it is faith in the gospel that will heal our worry and bitterness. Ironically, this is the same thing that the "anxious petitioner" does. There is no understanding of how to "bathe" the needs and petitions in contemplating the glory of God in the gospel until the perspective on the very petition is combined with joyful yet profound repentance, e.g. "Lord, I am experiencing such fear – but you are the stronghold of my life. Magnify your name in my sight. Let your love and glory ravish me till my fear subsides. You said you will never forsake me, and it is sheer unbelief that brings me to deny it. Forgive and heal me."
So, ironically, we see that "heat without light" prayer and "light without heat" prayer both stem from the same root. They come from works-righteousness, a conviction that we can earn God's favor, and a loss of orientation with respect to our free justification and adoption.
Practice
How can we very practically move toward a gospel-centered prayer life that aims primarily at knowing God? Meditation and communion.
This essential discipline is meditation on the truth. Meditation is a "crossing" of two other disciplines: Bible study and prayer. Meditation is both yet it is not just moving one to another – it is a blending of them. Most of us first study our Bible, and then move to the prayer list, but the prayer is detached from the Bible you just studied. But meditation is praying the truth (just studied) deep into your soul till it catches "fire." By "fire" we mean – until it makes all sorts of personal connections – with YOU personally, so it shapes the thinking, it moves the feelings, and it changes the actions. Meditation is working out the truth personally.
The closest analogy to meditating on the truth is the way a person eagerly reads a love letter. You tear it open and you weigh every word. You never simply say, "I know that" but "what does this mean? What did he or she really mean by that?" You aren't reading it quickly just for information – you want to know what lies deep in the clauses and phrases. And more important, you want the letter to sink in and form you.
Augustine saw meditation, "the soul's ascent into God," as having three parts: retentio, contemplatio, dilectio.
First, retentio means the distillation of the truths of Scripture and holding them centrally in the mind. This means study and concentration on a passage of scripture to simply understand it, so you see its thrust. "Retentio" is thus learning what a passage says. The many books on Bible study and interpretation can help us here.
Second, contemplatio, means "gazing at God through this truth." It is to pose and answer questions such as:
•what does this tell me about God; what does it reveal about him?
•how can I praise him for and through this?
•how can I humble myself before him for and through this?
•if he is really like this, what difference does this particular truth make to how I live today?
•what wrong behavior, harmful emotions, false attitudes result in me when I forget he is like this?
•how would my neighborhood, my family, my church, my friends be different if they saw it deeply?
•does my life demonstrate that I am remembering and acting out of this?
•Lord, what are you trying to tell me about you, and why do you want me to know it now, today?
Above all, the purpose of contemplatio is to move from a kind of objective analytical view of things to a personal dealing with God as he is. It is to deal with God directly, to stretch every nerve to turn this "knowing about" into knowing – to move from knowing a fact about him to actually "seeing" him with the heart – to adore, to marvel, to rest in, or to be troubled by, to be humbled by him. It is one thing to study a piece of music and another to play it. It is one thing to work on a diamond, cutting and polishing it; it is another to stand back and let it take your breath away.
Third, dilectio means delighting and relishing the God you are looking at. You begin to actually praise and confess and aspire toward him on the basis of the digested and meditated truth. If you have moved from learning to personal meditation, then, depending on your spiritual sharpness, the circumstances of your life at that time, and God's sovereign Spirit, you begin to experience him.
Sometimes it is mild, sometimes strong, and sometimes you are very dry. But whenever you are meditating ("contemplatio") and you suddenly find new ideas coming to you and flowing in, then write them down and move to direct praising and confessing and delighting. That is (as Luther would say) the "Holy Spirit preaching to you."
Principles
One of the most basic things that the gospel does is change prayer from mere petition to fellowship and the praise of his glory. Galatians 4:6-7 teaches us that when we believe the gospel, we not only become God's children legally, but we receive the Spirit in order to experience our sonship. The Spirit leads us to call out passionately to God as our tender and loving Father. The Spirit calls out 'Abba' (4:7). In the very next verse Paul refers to this experience as "knowing God" (4:8). We do not just know and believe that God is holy and loving, but we actually experience contact with his holiness and his love in personal communion with him.
No one had a deeper insight into the gospel and prayer than Jonathan Edwards. Edwards concluded the most essential difference between a Christian and a moralist is that a Christian obeys God out of the sheer delight in who he is. The gospel means that we are not obeying God to get anything but to give him pleasure because we see his worth and beauty. Therefore, the Christian is able to draw power out of contemplation of God. Without the gospel, this is impossible. We can only come and ask for things- petition. Without the gospel, we may conceive of a holy God who is intimidating and who can be approached with petitions if we are very good. Or we may conceive of a God who is mainly loving and regards all positively. To approach the first "God" is fearsome; to approach the second is no big deal. Thus without the gospel, there is no possibility of passion and delight to praise and approach God.
Pathologies
There are two fairly common distortions of prayer that arise from a lack of orientation to the gospel in our prayer lives. We touched on them above. Here is a more practical description.
1. On the one hand, our prayer can have "light without heat."
There can be long lists of things that we pray for, and long lists of Bible verses we read, and long lists of things we thank him for. Yet there is no fire. Why? If we lose focus on the glory of God in the gospel as the solution to all our problems, then we devolve into a set of "grocery list" prayers, made rather desperately. When we are done, we only feel more anxious than before. The presence of God is not sensed because God is really just being used – he is not being worshipped.
Instead, we should always remember that the first thing we need is a new perspective on our needs and problems. We should always intertwine with repentance over our unbelief and indifference to God's grace. On the one hand, we must "pray into" ourselves that the thing we are asking for is not our Savior or God or glory! But, (on the other hand) after we repent and refine our desire, we should "pray into" ourselves that God is our Father and wants to give us good things, so we can ask in confidence. Also, intertwined with our petitions should be praise and marveling that we are able to approach God, and be welcomed in Christ.
This is gospel-centered prayer, rather than anxious petitioning. Our desires are always idolatrous to some degree, and when we pray without dealing with that first, we find our prayers only make us more anxious. Instead, we should always say, in effect, "Lord, let me see your glory as I haven't before, let me be so ravished with your grace that worry and self-pity and anger and indifference melt away!" Then, when we turn to ask God for admission to grad school or healing of an illness, those issues will be put in proper perspective. We will say, "Lord, I ask for this because I think it will glorify you – so help me get it, or support me without it." If the overall focus of the prayer is on God's glory and the gospel, our individual petitions will be made with great peace and confidence.
2. On the other hand, our prayer can have "heat without light."
Unlike the "light without heat" prayer, focused on anxious personal petitions, there is a kind of prayer which is its direct opposite – "heat without light." This is prayer with lots of "fire" and emotion. It focuses on boldly claiming things in Jesus' name. A lot of military and conflict imagery is usually used. Often the prayers themselves are said (either in your head or out loud) in a very unnatural, dramatic kind of voice and language.
Now, if (as stated above) prayer focuses on the gospel and glory of God, and if by the Spirit's help, that glory becomes real to us as we contemplate it, there will be passion, and maybe strong and dramatic emotion. But "heat without light" prayer always begins with a lot of drama and feeling automatically. I think that many people who pray like that are actually reacting against the very limp kind of prayer meetings that result from anxious personal petition. But they respond by simply trying to directly inject emotion and drama into prayer.
This kind of prayer is also not gospel-centered. Just as the anxious-petitioning is often legalistic and fails to base itself on God's grace, so the bold-claiming is sometimes legalistic and fails to base itself on God's grace. There is a sense that "if I pray long and without any doubts at all then God will surely hear me." Many people believe that they must suppress all psychological doubts and work up tremendous confidence if they are to get answered.
In addition, often personal problems are treated abstractly. People may say: "Lord, I ask you to come against the strongholds of worry in my life." Or "Lord, I claim the victory over bitterness," instead of realizing that it is faith in the gospel that will heal our worry and bitterness. Ironically, this is the same thing that the "anxious petitioner" does. There is no understanding of how to "bathe" the needs and petitions in contemplating the glory of God in the gospel until the perspective on the very petition is combined with joyful yet profound repentance, e.g. "Lord, I am experiencing such fear – but you are the stronghold of my life. Magnify your name in my sight. Let your love and glory ravish me till my fear subsides. You said you will never forsake me, and it is sheer unbelief that brings me to deny it. Forgive and heal me."
So, ironically, we see that "heat without light" prayer and "light without heat" prayer both stem from the same root. They come from works-righteousness, a conviction that we can earn God's favor, and a loss of orientation with respect to our free justification and adoption.
Practice
How can we very practically move toward a gospel-centered prayer life that aims primarily at knowing God? Meditation and communion.
This essential discipline is meditation on the truth. Meditation is a "crossing" of two other disciplines: Bible study and prayer. Meditation is both yet it is not just moving one to another – it is a blending of them. Most of us first study our Bible, and then move to the prayer list, but the prayer is detached from the Bible you just studied. But meditation is praying the truth (just studied) deep into your soul till it catches "fire." By "fire" we mean – until it makes all sorts of personal connections – with YOU personally, so it shapes the thinking, it moves the feelings, and it changes the actions. Meditation is working out the truth personally.
The closest analogy to meditating on the truth is the way a person eagerly reads a love letter. You tear it open and you weigh every word. You never simply say, "I know that" but "what does this mean? What did he or she really mean by that?" You aren't reading it quickly just for information – you want to know what lies deep in the clauses and phrases. And more important, you want the letter to sink in and form you.
Augustine saw meditation, "the soul's ascent into God," as having three parts: retentio, contemplatio, dilectio.
First, retentio means the distillation of the truths of Scripture and holding them centrally in the mind. This means study and concentration on a passage of scripture to simply understand it, so you see its thrust. "Retentio" is thus learning what a passage says. The many books on Bible study and interpretation can help us here.
Second, contemplatio, means "gazing at God through this truth." It is to pose and answer questions such as:
•what does this tell me about God; what does it reveal about him?
•how can I praise him for and through this?
•how can I humble myself before him for and through this?
•if he is really like this, what difference does this particular truth make to how I live today?
•what wrong behavior, harmful emotions, false attitudes result in me when I forget he is like this?
•how would my neighborhood, my family, my church, my friends be different if they saw it deeply?
•does my life demonstrate that I am remembering and acting out of this?
•Lord, what are you trying to tell me about you, and why do you want me to know it now, today?
Above all, the purpose of contemplatio is to move from a kind of objective analytical view of things to a personal dealing with God as he is. It is to deal with God directly, to stretch every nerve to turn this "knowing about" into knowing – to move from knowing a fact about him to actually "seeing" him with the heart – to adore, to marvel, to rest in, or to be troubled by, to be humbled by him. It is one thing to study a piece of music and another to play it. It is one thing to work on a diamond, cutting and polishing it; it is another to stand back and let it take your breath away.
Third, dilectio means delighting and relishing the God you are looking at. You begin to actually praise and confess and aspire toward him on the basis of the digested and meditated truth. If you have moved from learning to personal meditation, then, depending on your spiritual sharpness, the circumstances of your life at that time, and God's sovereign Spirit, you begin to experience him.
Sometimes it is mild, sometimes strong, and sometimes you are very dry. But whenever you are meditating ("contemplatio") and you suddenly find new ideas coming to you and flowing in, then write them down and move to direct praising and confessing and delighting. That is (as Luther would say) the "Holy Spirit preaching to you."
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Stand Firm In The Truth: A Prayer By Melissa Dougherty
“Lord, in a world filled with distractions, doubts, and deceptions, help me to anchor my faith in your unchanging truth. Grant me discernmen...
