Day 6... Quiet Conversations

Day 6 - Quiet Conversations

These next few days will all revolve around the work "quiet".  Our quiet conversations with God, quiet listening, reading, thinking, writing, simplicity and examination. 

The Bible verse for today is;

After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.  When evening came, he was there alone. Matthew 12:23

As you can see even Jesus needed to spend time alone, but he wasn't spending time really alone, he was spending time with his Father.  Although he would have liked to spend more time alone with his Father, he knew that he could not.  Jesus like us needs interaction with other humans.

I like how the author describes how differently people feel about being alone.

     People feel differently about being alone.  Some see it as a negative thing and feel lonely.
     Others see it as a positive thing and enjoy the solitude.  It depends on how you look at it.
     When you think about what you don't have - companionship - that is loneliness.  When you
     think about what you have - quietness - that is solitude.

What I will take away from this explanation is to think about what I do have, , , God, when I am alone, and I will spend my time speaking and mostly trying to listen to what He is trying to say to me.

Everyone these days talks about how busy we all are, even me, I have said it numerous times.  Jesus was just as busy even without the internet and a cell phone.  He was surrounded by crowds of people who either wanted to use him up or toss him out, but he could only be surrounded by this for so long before he needed to separate himself from it all and be alone with his Father.

"Jesus' prayer life must have been contagious, because His disciples wanted to learn how to pray as He did" (Luke 11:1).

I was comforted to know that the Bible gives us no preferable posture for praying.  We can sit, stand, walk, or whatever when we pray, because God is with us all the time.  However, Jesus said that our prayer time with God should not be a public performance to impress others, but rather a time to commune with God as easily as we breathe.  I like that.

Jesus taught us important elements to praying with the Lord's Prayer;

Our Father who art in Heaven (we must approach God as our Heavenly Father), hollowed be thy name (give Him honor and reverence), thy kingdom come, they will be done on earth as it is in Heaven (we pledge that we will follow His will here on earth as carefully as the angels in heaven follow it) give us this day our daily bread (we need to recognize out dependence on Him for life's provisions) and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us (we need His forgiveness and need to learn how to forgive others just as we are forgiven) lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (we need to recognize temptation and its pull, but seek His help in resisting) for thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever, Amen. (lastly we need God's help in maintaining victory over Satan and all the forces of evil).

So today as you get out of bed, and go on with your day, remember to find quiet time to spend in prayer with God, thanking him for the many blessings He has given you, prayers for your enemies, prayers for family and friends.  It is my understanding as a new Christian that it is when we are quiet, no only in our environment, but also quiet in our minds that God then has a path to speak to us, and sometimes it is in a whisper the He speaks, so if we want to hear Him, when we need to hear Him, find a way to quiet your mind.

Remember:  Jesus needed quiet conversations with His Father and so do we.

He went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Matthew 14:23.

God Bless