Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Fully Attentive

Yesterday I wrote about the promise of direct communication--that the Spirit of God will teach us all truth and remind us of everything Jesus taught.  The reading today from Jesus Calling says this:

[Jesus speaking]: As you focus your thoughts on Me, be aware that I am fully attentive to you.  I see you with a steady eye, because My attention span is infinite.  I know and understand you completely; My thoughts embrace you in everlasting love.  I also know the plans I have for you: plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.  Give yourself fully to this adventure of increasing attentiveness to My Presence. 

When we pray, whoever thinks that God is "fully attentive" to us?  But His Love demands that it be so.  Love that is only half-or partially-attentive is not yet perfect, but we know His love for us is perfect love.  When our children are prattling and learning to talk, it may be that we are only half-attentive to what they are saying, but we are still fully attentive to their love for us and their relationship with us.  And maybe for many years, we only prattle as little children in our prayers to God.  But He is fully attentive that we are speaking with Him, and fortunately, he knows our hearts.

As our children grow, we are more and more attentive to their words, because their words reveal to us who they are and what they are feeling, even if they cannot express it very well.  So, too, in our relationship with God; He hears what we want to say, even if we do not say it very well, even if we ourselves do not know exactly what it is we want to say:

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what (or how) we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will (Romans 8:26-27).
 
The Holy Spirit prays with us, in us, and for us -- and the Father is fully attentive to the Voice of the Spirit crying out in us.  What comfort, to know that we ourselves do not have to know exactly what to pray for in order for God to hear us!

No comments:

Post a Comment