Thoughts for the Day

For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall never be shaken....

For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honour;
my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.....

Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
For you repay to all
according to their work.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Years ago I would run sessions for clergy, parishes, and school teachers on prayer, often using a simple demonstration of a phone call. Now I admit I was talking to myself as much as to those who attended the workshop. I would start by pretending to ring God, and would then spend a few moments asking God for a whole host of things before putting the phone down. The group and I would then tease out what was wrong with this kind of prayer by imagining I had been ringing a close family member instead of God. Those present would point out that such a phone call would involve listening to the other person, and that it would be a two way conversation. If we'd rug our mother and simply read a shopping list of demands well can you imagine the result!

Often we can find it difficult to find time for God, and when we do stop and seek Him out, our brains (or our mouths) are full of speech. We batter God with requests and petitions; we tell Him what we want; and we point out what would be best for us and our world! In doing so we fail to listen to God.

Psalm 62 reminds us that we need to try and find space in our busy lives just to be silent with God, and when our everyday life tries to intrude, just gently put those thoughts to one side, and go back to silence. For God speaks to us! Prayer is a two-way communication and sometimes God speaks to us through our thoughts and emotions, and occasionally as amazing as it may seem through a voice, or through someone else. As the Psalmist says 'For God alone my soul waits in silence'. Who knows what God will have to say if we wait in silence for Him to speak.

Almighty God
You have made us to be Your own,
yet all too often we forget You,
and when we do remember You
we are so full of requests
that we are unable to listen to You.
Help us just to be silent sometimes,
and like Elijah wait for the still, small voice,
that is You.
Amen.