I’ve written several times on the subject silence and solitude. I’m a much more contemplative person, I would rather chew on a thought or piece of scripture for many hours or days than I would try and fly through a book. For me, a bunch of head knowledge about what a book (of the Bible) has to say isn’t as life transformational than what the essence of a small piece, or even a single word, has to say.
Contemplative practices include silence and solitude, lectio divina (a meditative repetition of a particular Scripture passage), daily office (prayers for specific hours of the day) and other liturgical activities that encourage a still mind and body but an active spirit. — relevantmagazine.com
I came across this article that I’d like to share with you. It has some really good insight into how to spend time with God through silence, solitude, and “just chewing on it” – contemplation.
For those of us who attend (or work at) Cumberland Church, this article pretty much validates much of what Alan spoke on this past weekend, particularly with the routinely practices of prayer.
- Find, develop, and keep a sacred usual place. Sit down, and for a moment, think about when and where you can develop a routine – an every day place.
- Have prayer partners – people who are close to you that will go through it with you.
- Follow Jesus’ example in prayer – be submissive to God’s will. Be totally honest with God and with your prayer partner – lay face on the ground and be honest.
- Gauge your prayer intensity! How earnestly do your pray for/about something? Is there a hunger there?
- Be proactive with your praying. How? Exercise steps 1-5 over and over.
- Rise up and get to action! Follow, do, move forward in the will of God, Abba Father, Daddy.
people are my art 