Prayer from Psalm 44: Glory Stories
God, we know the glory-stories. We encounter them on the pages of the Bible. We hear them in worship services. We read them in Christian… Read More »Prayer from Psalm 44: Glory Stories
Prayer
Prayer from Psalm 43: Solitude
My God, I felt forsaken by you. Forgotten by you. But then I withdrew to a lonely place. I sought solitude. And in that quiet… Read More »Prayer from Psalm 43: Solitude
A Primer on Contemplative Prayer
The Importance of Silence
Be quiet.
It’s one of the strong admonitions of the Psalms:
- Psalm 4:4 – Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.
- Psalm 23:2 – He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
- Psalm 37:7 – Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
- Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
- Psalm 62:1,5 – For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation..For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.
- Psalm 131:1, 2 – O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.
Prayer from Psalm 42: Have Hope
God, my soul is sad. My heart is hopeless. I’m frowning within and without. But I know the cure. The crack in my heart can be… Read More »Prayer from Psalm 42: Have Hope