"There are times when I pray that I have said the same prayers for people I love over and over again, and for some people I may not even know, and I still don't see any answers. Then I feel like I have run out of things to say to God, and my prayers feel stale," this devoted Christ-follower said to me as she earnestly presented her concerns. "Is it ok to just sit in prayer and not say anything?" she asked.
"It's not just ok. It's advantageous!" I let her know. For me, that is the best part of prayer.
Growing up in church, there was a lot of emphasis, and rightly so, on having a Quiet Time with God. But I realized that spending time praying and reading God's Word can become a lifeless checklist of duty unless I am keenly aware of the power of God's presence, and I invite that presence into my life daily.
That becomes the first thing I do as I quiet my heart to hear from Him. After I have praised Him-I almost said, "Sufficiently," but that's not possible this side of heaven. Still, after I have offered Him praise and then let Him know my requests, I get to wait for Him to respond.
Sometimes it's a peace, a supernatural peace. I'm a stress-case, and if I am feeling deep peace, it's gotta be something I didn't muster. Other times it's a strong nudge to pray for someone. Later I find out that they really needed prayer at that particular moment. Then there are the times I feel a gentle correction about feelings of worry or resentment or complaint. Also, there are times when I feel the Lording giving me a direction, a way to go in answer to my prayers for His guidance. But always, I feel better for the time I have spent just letting His peace revitalize me.
Amy Carmichael, a missionary to India in the early part of the 20th century, wrote, "Do not be afraid of silence in your prayer time. It may be that you are meant to listen, not to speak. So wait before the Lord. Wait in stillness. Wait as David waited when he 'sat before the Lord.'
"And in that stillness, assurance will come to you. You will know that you are heard; you will know that your Lord ponders the voice of your humble desires; you will hear quiet words spoken to you yourself, perhaps to your grateful surprise and refreshment."
And here is food for thought from a popular preacher in London born in 1847, "Fall on your knees and grow there. There is no burden of spirit but its lighter by kneeling under it. Prayer means not always talking to Him, but waiting before Him till the dust settles, and the stream runs clear." F. B. Meyer.
Here's to clearer streams of understanding and clearer air for breathing.
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