Chaplains Corner
God Alone
“One thing I ask of the Lord. This I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. To delight in the beauty of the Lord and have sweet communion with him in his temple.”
(Ps 27:4)
This article is not an invitation to an intellectual exercise or a theological debate of the mind. It is an invitation to a spiritual discipline of prayer, to open our minds and hearts to the heart of God.
God pursues us at every turn, even when we are not interested. Prayer is our way back to Home, God, our dwelling place. God waits for us to open our eyes and hearts – like a parent yearning for his/her beloved child to come home.
What is prayer? How should we pray? When should we pray? Where should we pray? What should we pray for? Why do we pray? Is it an exercise of talking to the wall? God will reveal the answers to us as we journey into prayer. We can't rush God. God is slow in this respect.
The object of prayer is to speak to God from our hearts and to hear God talk to us in the depths of our hearts. It is a dialogue, not a monologue, like a child always asking for things from the parent without much listening.
Prayer is not about changing God; it is about changing ourselves. One of the best ways to know God is through prayer. We cannot remain the same after a close encounter with the Holy One.
What is contemplative prayer? Again, I do not want to define; I just want to share my experience.
As a contemplative retreat leader and a spiritual director, I often say: "It takes me 5 min to teach, but it takes a lifetime to practice." It is the difference between the head and the heart.
The more we learn to listen to God's voice within us and pay attention to God's guidance, the more we experience life at a different level and get closer to God. Listen to God with the ears of our hearts.
Prayer makes us more aware and sensitive to the truth, beauty, and goodness around us. We then grow in awareness and love.
When we pray, we make God our resting place, even a hiding place. We feel calm amid chaos, consolation in sadness, confidence in anxiety, and forgiveness when overwhelmed by shame or guilt. God becomes our shelter from the storms of life.
A defining biblical scripture for contemplative prayer is Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God." Contemplative prayer involves stillness, centering our mind and heart in the Divine.
How to practice contemplative prayer (more commonly known as mindfulness)?
1. Find a private place without distractions.
2. Sitting with your back straight, feet touching the floor, hands resting on your lap, body relaxing, and closing your eyes.
3. Focus on your breaths. Our breath is God's breath in us (as in the creation story in Genesis).
4. Don't think. Don't react to distractions, including pleasant or unpleasant thoughts. The sensations/emotions will come and go.
5. Don't move. (Still the body to still the mind). God can use this time to heal you (body, mind, and spirit) in mysterious ways.
St. Augustine once said, "You have made us for yourself, O Lord and our hearts are restless until they rest in you." One way to address this universal human restlessness is to find our way back to God through prayer.
Let us go to a quiet place where we can be alone and rest for a while. By entering periods of prayer and solitude, we allow ourselves to be drawn to the heart of God with intense longing.
God Alone!
May your heart overflow with joy!
Chaplain (Lt. Col.) James Law
Northeast Region Chaplain
