Week Seven - Shhhhhh!

"Be still and know that I Am God." Psalm 46:10

"The Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory." Isaiah 60:20

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."  John 8:12

     Since our move last year, I've been able to dabble a little in the Mills Family genealogy, thanks to the resources of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library and their free link to ancestry.com. I've gotten back far enough to find John Mills, Sr., who sometime around 1708 came from persecution in England to the colonies. He was persecuted because he belonged to the Religious Society of Friends, aka Quakers. (My line to the Quakers ended with his son, William, who had the audacity to attend the wedding of his sister to a (gasp) non-Quaker. He was disowned by the Friends. Guess my rebellious roots run deep!)
    
     Quaker worship is unique in that, in more traditional services, the people gather in silence, sit and wait for God's word to come. They feel that true worship comes from connecting with God, seeing Him as He is, and in awe of who He is, we praise, celebrate and give ourselves to Him. Prayer follows a similar pate, seeking to commune with the inner light that God has placed in each of us. It is not unusual to ask that someone be "Held in the light". Imaging holding a person in need in God's loving presence. Literally, taking them to the throne of God. Such a beautiful concept.

     I'm going to break the pattern this week just a bit, because prayer is more than just speaking. Truthfully, speaking should be the smallest part of prayer. I want us to focus on listening, waiting on the still, small voice of God to come. And while waiting, to simply focus on basking in the warmth of God's light. While in this light, remember to also "Hold them in the light" all those that you have been praying for. Take them with you to God's throne. Don't just leave them behind.

     When I was going through a troubling time in college, a dear friend took me to God's throne, and shared a passage of scripture with me, Psalm 37: 3-7. It has lead me through many hills and valleys in my life. Trust, Delight, Commit, Be still and Wait. All of these require we give up control, and completely trust God. Pray through these verses this week, then be still, expecting, listening, adoring. He will answer.