Jesus said: "When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matthew 6:6).
If we need to develop intimacy with somebody, anybody, we need to spend time alone with them. We might meet someone we like at a party, but there is only so much we will get to know about that person in the midst of so many others. To further the relationship, a certain degree of privacy is required. It is the same with God. If we want to get to know him better, we need to get to some place quiet. Some place where we will be alone with him. Some place where nobody can see us or bother us.
And once there, what? Jesus has the answer to that too. "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him" (Matthew 6:7,8). Simply put, once there, shut up and listen.
Many of us are used to communication that involves using a lot of words, usually ours, and that is carried foward to our communication with God as well. There are times when it is okay, even necessary, to say things to God; but, if we are to develop a deeper relationship with God, we need to let him do the talking with us doing the listening. And it's best when this listening is done from the heart. That is contemplation.
Through it, we get to know the heart of the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The more we get to know them, the more we begin to love them, and the more we love them, the more we are prepared to do for them, which helps us immensely on our journey up the mountain. Contemplation also helps us to yield to the Spirit (see Surrender Your Life to God), achieving the purification that we all (hopefully) seek. And, thirdly, contemplation helps us discern his will and his plans for us. We often blunder through life without the faintest clue of what God wants us to do, and this applies even to "spiritual" people. Listening to God's voice in contemplative prayer helps to bring meaning and focus to our lives.
Next: The Pillars of Contemplative Prayer
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Thank you Bro. Aneel for these enlightening articles on Discovering Meditation and Contemplation.
ReplyDeleteTruly, contemplation from the "heart" is what our Lord is seeking from each of His children and once this 'communication network' is established and charged up daily, then His love begins to flow in and thru' us to others! We love because HE loved us first and HIS love is Constant and Everlasting...Thank You Abba Father, Thank You Jesus, Thank You Holy Spirit for loving us so deeply!