By Brenda Jank
God speaks to us through creation.
He speaks to us through his Word.
God speaks to us through quiet hearts.
When I was little, I was baffled—BAFFLED—by Jesus’ desire to pray. “Why would Jesus want to pray? Prayer was about getting stuff. He was God,” I reasoned. “He didn’t need anything.”
Jesus needed nothing.
Jesus desired the presence of his Father.
Do you think he was homesick?
Maybe.
Am I ever homesick? Do I ever long for the presence of my Father?
Over the years, prayer for me has moved (and is moving) from getting things to getting God.
Part of that journey includes dialogue—embracing a relational attitude to prayer. It’s about learning to listen to God, not only in his Word (which is primary), but how to listen to God in stillness.
For me, listening to God in prayer is attending to his presence. It is being still. It is knowing he is present. It is entering into a stillness that is quiet enough to hear his heartbeat and his song. It is where I feel most deeply loved.
Zephaniah 3:17* rises up to spotlight this truth:
“The Lord your God is with you; he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”
Stillness reminds me I occupy a treasured place in the heart of God.
This promise is found in Psalm 46:10a.
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
I can not see God.
I can not hear God.
I can not feel God.
But I can know God.
And in knowing God, he assures me of my identity, directs my footsteps, and shapes my heart’s desires.
* For the warriors among us, visit this verse in the Holman Christian Standard Bible – Zephaniah 3:17.
Note: This post is part of our original series on rest. We are re-posting some of our favorite articles because we believe they are just as important today as ever. We hope to encourage and inspire you and those you love and lead to REST WELL through this time of COVID-19 crisis, comeback, and recovery. Onward!
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Ahhh! Things are chaotic. The world is in turmoil. The very air flashes with the fierce fightings in the heavenlies. Even alone, everything seems to be too much. Too hard. Not worth it. Ahh! But God…. You see, I can reach into His Word and speak His Word and know it’s true…..and I feel His closeness. I can look into the Word and see that the Words that go out from His mouth NEVER return to Him without accomplishing what they were sent to do. (Isaiah 55). He says and will He not do it? He has spoken and will He not fulfill it? (Numbers 23). How do I know? Well, there are all the times He came through before. And sometimes in the night, when I’m just done, I call His Name and ask Him to hold me, and I feel His presence as He covers me with peace. So, I cry out to the heavenlies Number 23:19, Isaiah 55:10-12, Habakkuk 3:17-19, Matthew 11:28-30. And I believe in my heart of hearts that a difference is made. I WILL rejoice in the Lord. I WILL joy in the God of my Salvation. (Habakkuk 3). And I find rest. Ohh! Well. Glory!