It is important that we have the proper focus when we pray. Christian prayer is not about introspection; Christian prayer is Christ-centered. And so our awareness as we begin to pray is crucial.
When we quiet our minds and hearts by relaxing and focusing on our breath, we are not preparing to naval-gaze; we are preparing to enter into a prayerful awareness of God’s loving presence in and around us.
A Common Mistake
Many people mistakenly focus on themselves at the beginning of prayer. I still fall into this trap at times. It’s easy to do, because when we pray we want to pour our hearts out to God. But authentic prayer is meant to lead us to deeper communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Yes, we should still pour out our hearts to God in prayer, but first our awareness ought to be on the Lord’s love for us.
Focus on God’s Love
Notice that our awareness is on God’s Love; it’s not an awareness of His anger, His judgment, or His discipline. Yes, Scripture speaks about all of these attributes of God, but for the purpose of prayer, it’s important to focus on how much He loves us. “God is love.”
Living in His Gaze…
What should this awareness “feel” like? I believe one of the most powerful ways to become aware of God’s love is to be aware of His gaze upon us. Think about the gaze of a parent upon their newborn infant sleeping in their arms. How tender is that gaze! And yet, as tender and loving as the gaze of a parent is upon their newborn, God’s gaze upon us is infinitely more loving and tender.
The Apostles experienced this loving gaze of Jesus. They learned to live in the gaze of Christ. After Christ ascended into Heaven, they continued to contemplate the face of Jesus in their prayer; and by continuing to remain in the loving gaze of the Lord, they became instruments of His loving gaze to others. By living in the presence of a loving God, they brought His loving presence to others.
…We Become His Gaze
The same is true for us: When we become aware of the Lord’s loving presence, when we allow ourselves to be captured by His gaze, we in turn bring His love to others. This is what authentic prayer does: it leads us to deeper communion with God which in turn deepens our desire to pour ourselves out in loving service to others.
Please share Live Holiness and help others learn how to pray and to live:
Follow Live Holiness