Jason's Blog

In the previous post, I defined discursive prayer as the form of prayer we learn when we are young.  The focus is on wording whatever it is that is on our mind.  We thank God, we ask God, we tell God, and we might even complain to God.  There is, however, another type of prayer that is much more contemplative in nature.  Here, the focus is on being with God or even resting with Him.

Evan Howard has a tremendous definition of contemplation as “the conscious vision of the presence of God in as full a measure as possible here on earth” (The Brazos Introduction to Christian Spirituality, p. 325).  In this life, our ability to be with God has its limits.  In heaven, we will experience in a much fuller way the presence of God with us.

And yet the scriptures are full of teaching that we can draw near to God and He in turn will draw near to us.  Take these passages from the gospel of John:

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life (John 5:24)

I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live (John 5:25)

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you (John 14:18)

Remain in me, and I will remain in you (John 15:4)

These scriptures suggest a profound union between the Believer and the Savior—a deeper life together that surpasses imitation and quotation of ideas.  Almost shockingly, Jesus prays that the glory of the Father might be in us—“I in them and you in me” (John 17:22-23).

But if your life is like mine, the contemplative does not last long.  Pretty soon we are back to reality.