Category Archives: Religion
Intimacy in Prayer
There is an intrinsic beauty to powerful prayer, but often we miss the depth that is made available to us by fixating on list of supplications we wish to be dealt with. Soren Kierkegaard, the famed theologian often hailed as the father of Christian existentialism, had a different view. Kierkegaard shared his perspective in the form of a story, saying that “a man prayed, and at first he thought that prayer was talking. But he became more and more quiet until in the end he realized that prayer is listening.”
Prayer is listening. This is a monumental concept if it can be grasped. Suddenly, rather than prayer becoming an avenue whereby we shout our wishes heavenward, it because an opportunity to enter into that perpetual love-stream which God pours out upon His children. It is our invitation to enter into intimacy with the creator, to immerse ourselves in the outpouring of His spirit, to align our will with His desires made manifest. Prayer is the heart of intimacy.
It is in the midst of such intimacy that our own concerns are made known… not because we are attempting to coerce God into meeting our preconceived demands, but because two beloveds reveal to one another their own heart’s desires. Prayer is more than shouting heavenward… prayer is the beauty of listening.