10/06/2020
By Pastor Vinnie Cappetta
"Be Still"
Psalm 46:10 says,
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Kallistos Ware shared some insightful thoughts on being still and prayer:
As soon as we make a serious attempt to pray in spirit and in truth, at once we become acutely conscious of our interior disintegration, of our lack of unity and wholeness. In spite of all our efforts to stand before God, thoughts continue to move restlessly and aimlessly through our head, like the buzzing of files (Bishop Theophan) or the capricious leaping of monkeys from branch to branch (Ramakrishna). To contemplate means, first of all, to be present where one is - to be here and now. But usually we find ourselves unable to restrain our mind from wandering at random over time and space.
We recall the past, we anticipate the future, we plan what to do next; people and places come before us in unending succession. We lack the power to gather ourselves into the one place where we should be - here, in the presence of God; we are unable to live fully in the only moment of time that truly exists, now, the immediate present. This interior disintegration is one of the tragic consequences of the Fall. The people who get things done, it has been justly observed, are the people who do one thing at a time. But to do one thing at a time is no mean achievement. While difficult enough in external work, it is harder still in the work of inner prayer.
Kallistos Ware from The Power of the Name
· Are you aware of your interior disintegration, lack of unity and wholeness? What have you noticed about that lately?
· What practices have served you well to help you slow down before God and know that He is?
· As you reflect on what is happening in the world today, how do you see God being exalted among the nations? Exalted in the earth? Will you pray toward those goals?
I found today’s quote in a book called A Guide to Prayer for All People from Upper Room Books. If you need a devotional book to help you reflect on scripture and pray, I recommend you get a copy. During covid lockdown, this guide has been my constant companion and has led me each day to Christ.
