Entering into the Presence of God -- 3

As I read over what has gone before, I get discouraged, realizing that once again, I am trying to reduce prayer to a "How-to" formula.  And yet I know that everything begins with the move of the Holy Spirit.  He alone draws us into prayer, makes Jesus real to us, and reveals all that He wants to give us.  And yet, Scripture (in James, I think) says, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."  I think that is about all we can do if we want to pray well -- draw near to God and wait.

One of the Psalms says, "Enter His courts with praise and thanksgiving."  I think that is wonderful advice.  I have found that praise does draw us into the Presence of God, leaving all else behind except Him.  The problem is that, until we are instructed by the Holy Spirit, praise does not come easily to us.  Because we are by nature sinners, and self-absorbed, it seems difficult for us to really praise God, and when we make the attempt, it feels fake.  But that is only because we have not developed the habit of praise; it feels as if we have put on someone else's shoes and are trying to walk in them. 

In Advent each year, the church presents to us the ancient "O antiphons:" O Key of David! O Root of Jesse! etc.

I never really understood this form of prayer until I began spontaneously using it myself. When we come to pray, an excellent way to begin is to reflect on Who it is we are talking to.  Most of us begin addressing "God" without thinking about Who God Is to us.  When we allow ourselves to ask the question Jesus asked: Who do you say that I am?  the Holy Spirit descends to open our hearts and minds:  O Wisdom!  O Goodness!  O Truth!  O Gentleness!  O Mercy!  O Protector of the Innocent! O Helper! O Provider!  You are the Redeemer of the World!  You bend low to instruct the ignorant!
You have led me in right paths for your Name's sake!

As we recall Who God Is, Who He has been to us all the days of our lives, we enter into praise and thanksgiving, into His Presence.  To remember Who God Is is to stand before Him in Spirit and in Truth, just as Peter did when He confessed the Truth about Jesus.  Nothing more need be said if we remember Who God Is, Who He has been to us.  Prayer is worship, and worship comes from knowing God.

For those who do not know God, and who therefore cannot worship Him, we need to begin by asking Him to reveal Himself.  C. S. Lewis once wrote, "If there is a God, then He must be self-revelatory."  No one can reveal who God is except God. We cannot truly pray to someone else's God.  But God is ready and willing to give us His own Spirit so that we might know Him.  All we need to do is to ask---if you, evil that you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more is the Father willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask!

I don't know why we are so reluctant to ask God for the one thing He most wants to give us!