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"In the morning, while it was still very dark, he [Jesus] got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed."
*Mark 1.35, NAB
Early African converts to Christian faith were zealous and regular in private devotions. Each one reportedly had a separate spot in the thicket; there he would pour out his heart to God. Over time the paths to the spots became well worn. Consequently, if one of these Christians began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to others. They would graciously remind the negligent one, "Brother, the grass grows on your path."
*Today in the Word: June 29, 1992.
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Whom is the most important person you will meet today? Each day, what is the most important appointment you have?
Prayer has varied aims. The chief intent in consistently, daily praying is to live so to engage in awareness of God as a Real Presence in your life, whatever you do or wherever you go.
This sounds central to faith, but would I be correct to say the typical confessing Christian lives practical atheism, an almost-total lack of vital connection to awareness of God? Am I correct that such a myriad of confessing Christians speak to God, or appear to, as some vague "being" in the sky, with little felt interaction in his or her daily choices and actions, and attitudes?
Many confessing Christians in our churches show little of the witness of vital, daily connection with God. Indeed, many of these show little resolve to be Christlike, which is the most solid witness to the experience of God as Real in your life.
This is a reason I refer to "confessing" Christians and "true" or "true, spiritual" Christians. Practical atheism within the churches raises the question of us each, "Do I really know God, or only about God? Do I have living faith, or merely religion?"
We could call this living, vital awareness "meeting God." Again, this is an awareness, a consciousness: a lived experience.
James Gordan Gilkey, in The Certainty of God, asks: "You want to meet God in your life?" To this any true Christian would reply, "Yes."
Is there a way to nurture this experience? Yes, prayer. Prayer, by its wording and meaning, through its affect, is an excellent way to share with your unconsciousness an intent to live in awareness of God's Presence.
Gilkey offers a morning prayer to help in living in awareness of Divine Presence throughout the day. I share it with you. May it inspire you, as it has me.
Some thoughts from God, old or new, will come to me to-day. Duties He has arranged and opportunities he has devised will stand before me. The strength, wisdom, and endurance He provides will emerge within my heart. Let me face these new hours open-eyed, open-eared, open-hearted. God Himself is seeking me. I may overlook Him in the disguise of the commonplace, or fail to recognize Him in simple tasks and familiar situations. But there God is, looking for me. Let me have Christ's faith, Christ's insight, above all Christ's unfaltering love. Then I shall see God, and God will be able to make full use of me.
God is everywhere. God's absence is only a temporary loss of a sense of Presence or a forfeiture of such felt-Presence by our neglect or sin. God can be met, and more so, as a general rule, when we consistently pray to engage that Presence as a Reality in the commonplace of our lives.
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*Charitable contributions would be appreciated to assist Brian in continuing his ministry. For contributions, contact Brian at barukhattah@embarqmail.com .
*Brian's book of spiritual love poetry, An Ache for Union: Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major booksellers or the Cokesbury on-line store, cokesbury.com .
*Brian K. Wilcox, a United Methodist Pastor, lives in Southwest Florida. He is a vowed member of Greenbough House of Prayer, a contemplative Christian community in South Georgia. He lives a contemplative life and seeks to inspire others to enjoy a more intimate relationship with Christ. Brian advocates for a spiritually-focused, experiential Christianity and renewal of the Church through addressing the deeper spiritual needs and longings of persons.
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