“To pray, I think, does not mean to think about God in contrast to thinking about other things, or to spend time with God instead of spending time with other people. Rather, it means to think and live in the presence of God. As soon as we begin to divide our thoughts about God and thoughts about people and events, we remove God from our daily life and put him into a pious little niche where we can think pious thoughts and experience pious feelings. … Although it is important and even indispensable for the spiritual life to set apart time for God and God alone, prayer can only become unceasing prayer when all our thoughts —beautiful or ugly, high or low, proud or shameful, sorrowful or joyful —can be thought in the presence of God. … Thus, converting our unceasing thinking into unceasing prayer moves us from a self-centered monologue to a God-centered dialogue.”
-Henri Nouwen
Disclaimer: I am not endorsing Henri Nouwen or his teachings. I don't know enough about him to make that call. I just know that when I read this quote it really resonated with me, especailly the part in bold. (Emphasis mine) I know that for me personally, it's true that the majority of my thought life is a "self centered monologue" and my deisre is that it becomes a God-centered dialogue.
9 comments:
"self-centered monologue" hits me in the gut today. I want a God centered one too. Thanks for sharing Heth.
Love this. Thank you for posting it.
amen. Great quote.
The president of the college I went to reminded us of a quote (don't know who said it) "all truth is God's truth".
If a thought falls in line with what God's Word says... it is truth, even if it is an ungodly person that says it.
I like that.
He also like to remind us that the Bible says that since we are holy thru Christ blood, all we do is holy. Wish I knew the verse that says that, but anyway, it is clear. Whatever we do is holy, so we need to make choices and choose thoughts that honor the holy state Jesus blood has placed us in.
wow, rambling.
love you.
This is really good. I always find that when I "pray without ceasing" that my life is so much sweeter, no matter the circumstances.
Hope you don't mind...I'm going to add this to the Eireneuo page of my blog so I can refer to it again.
Wow. Thanks for posting that.
Emily
I'm so glad that God is able to handle all of my dialogue! He's so worthy of our gratitude, trust, and worship.
Great quote, Hez, thanks.
He knows it all anyway. Why do we ever hold back?
That was a beautiful quote...thanks!
My self-centered monologue threatens to block out God's voice completely at times. But to move to unceasing prayer? What a wonderful state to aspire to.
I like that a lot.
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