I've been offline for a couple of days, attending a Silent Prayer Retreat in Waupaca.
It's the first time I've done this -- gone off for three days and not spoken to another soul. There were about 100 of us there and it was oddly comforting to sit at a table with three other people at a meal and not speak at all. The directions were to walk slowly thru the campus as you were going from place to place - stop rushing, both mentally and physically. There was also instruction not to even look at each other - almost monk-like. Just put your entire focus on God.
There were session breaks of teaching from a moderator - but other than that, we were instructed to take some simple guidelines and use them to interact with God, meditate, reflect, pray, examine, read ...
Very meaningful time.
One of the 'alone blocks' was an uninterrupted six hours. It was a challenge at first, but all in all, so beneficial.
Some of things that God impressed on me during that time:
- Prayer isn't a thing; it's a relationship. It's just being in God's presence. It's listening. It's waiting.
- Live a life of true submission. 'He is great; I'm not. It's HIS Kingdom come, HIS will be done, not mine.'
- I put my trust in You - my hope in You - my confidence in You - that You're able to sort out all the dumb stuff I ask for.
- 'Abide in Me, and I in you,' Jesus says. What does that mean if not submission? I surrender my wants.
- God is paying attention to me right now. He's not reluctant to meet me or give to me. He's closer than the air I'm breathing.
- Jesus is my real treasure - and I'm His treasure. He says, 'I dote over you. I watch over you. I think about you. (Have you ever heard a more exhilarating thought?)
And be blessed.
It's the first time I've done this -- gone off for three days and not spoken to another soul. There were about 100 of us there and it was oddly comforting to sit at a table with three other people at a meal and not speak at all. The directions were to walk slowly thru the campus as you were going from place to place - stop rushing, both mentally and physically. There was also instruction not to even look at each other - almost monk-like. Just put your entire focus on God.
There were session breaks of teaching from a moderator - but other than that, we were instructed to take some simple guidelines and use them to interact with God, meditate, reflect, pray, examine, read ...
Very meaningful time.
One of the 'alone blocks' was an uninterrupted six hours. It was a challenge at first, but all in all, so beneficial.
Some of things that God impressed on me during that time:
- Prayer isn't a thing; it's a relationship. It's just being in God's presence. It's listening. It's waiting.
- Live a life of true submission. 'He is great; I'm not. It's HIS Kingdom come, HIS will be done, not mine.'
- I put my trust in You - my hope in You - my confidence in You - that You're able to sort out all the dumb stuff I ask for.
- 'Abide in Me, and I in you,' Jesus says. What does that mean if not submission? I surrender my wants.
- God is paying attention to me right now. He's not reluctant to meet me or give to me. He's closer than the air I'm breathing.
- Jesus is my real treasure - and I'm His treasure. He says, 'I dote over you. I watch over you. I think about you. (Have you ever heard a more exhilarating thought?)
And be blessed.
2 comments:
The silent prayer retreats that I have attended were some of the most valuable times in my life.
I used to go on silent retreats every year offered through a former AG church I attended. I miss it immensely. There is nothing greater than silence in God's presence. It's in those quiet, uninterfered (is that a word?) with times when God's voice is heard the loudest. It was at a silent retreat when I first heard God audibly call me by name when I was walking the grounds outside. Amazing!
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