One thing that we lack, and our souls long for in our western culture is spirituality. We are so used to the structure of religion that we forget the complexity of the spiritual being God has created us to be. We get so lost in the beautiful anonymity of the fast paced Sunday morning, that we forget to rest in His presence. I don’t know that we will ever understand the depth of the soul as God has designed it. But that is one thing I love about my Creator. He is a God of mysterious ways. He is a God whose ways transcend what we understand. And even though our human nature seeks to control and understand even the concepts of spirituality, the truth is we can only rest in the peace of faith.
The practice of contemplative prayer is very useful in both our relationship with God and our relationship with the world. Contemplative prayer is the act of resting our minds and focusing on God. Meditation is a very helpful tool to train our minds and mental functions to rest in order to focus on one central thing. Whether that is a verse of scripture, a prayer, or Christian chant, or a breathing exercise. There are many ways to clear away the busyness of the brain in order to best focus on Christ and scripture.
Contemplative prayer also allows us to acknowledge stressors and fears within us that we are ignoring, so that we can begin to heal and let go. I believe we can learn more about ourselves and God when we slow down and rest in His presence.
This is a controversial aspect with some Christians. Their concern being, should we as Christians “empty” our minds?
Yet, even mainstream yoga teachers and trainers today say meditation is not thinking on “nothing”. There is always an aspect of focus in order to aid you in finding a clear and restful state of mind. These practitioners sometimes focus on a candle flame, their own breath, or use icons representing their religions.
A further concern with contemplative prayer is the fear that leaving the mind still will allow demonic influences to enter and speak lies. But I say, if you have accepted Christ into your life and live by His Spirit, then we should not fear outside forces. Christ abides within us.
And His perfect love casts out fear. (1John 4:15-18)
Fear is an issue for a lot of Christians, myself included. I was a very fearful Christian growing up. But my understanding of God’s character grew and I learned a deeper meaning of grace and love. The Bible says that in Christ we are a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17). I have to constantly remind myself of my new identity and disregard the lies of the enemy.
Just think about what the tools of focus and stress control would look like in your life, in your workplace, in your home.
How would our Christian practices of prayer and communion benefit when we are now able to put aside the busyness of the brain to focus on the presence of God?
