Being

Psalm 131, Psalm 90:12

Oh, Lord,

Teach me the simplicity of being in your Presence. Quiet me. Teach me to BE with you. Teach me to REST in you. Teach me intimacy with you. Teach me the JOY of your Presence.

So much of my life is busy. I multi-task all day long. As soon as I help to solve one problem, I race to write a letter, make a phone call, pray with a colleague, or lead a meeting. I live life at a hectic pace, and frankly, I don’t see an end in sight to that intensity. Teach me to make time to BE in Your Presence each day.

My day rushes on at such a rapid pace that I suddenly look at the clock and wonder where the time has gone. I remember working my first job as a youth and constantly watching the clock. Oh, how time seemed to creep! Today, the weeks, months, and years pass in a blink.

Teach me the slow and quiet pace of spending time in Your Presence. Left to my own fallen reason, I would misconstrue time with You into some sort of superstition, shrinking and deforming You into an idol of my control, conjuring You to perform my will, manipulating You to serve me. Save me from such evil, idolatrous, corrupted worship. Help me to long to enter my Quiet Place with You. Be my reward for time well spent.

I have experienced intimacy with the wife of my youth in which a whisper, a breath, or a tensed muscle communicated volumes to me. Teach me to listen to Your softest whisper, to sense the quickening of Your pulse, to feel Your intimate breath upon me, and to know the depth of meaning in a slight nudge of Your Holy Spirit. Teach me to be with You, to listen to You, to learn Your ways. I want to know You.

St. Augustine prayed, "You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you." Thank you for making me restless apart from You. Thank you for loving me enough to draw me into You, into Your Presence, into Your Person. I love You. I need You. I find myself sorrowful when I have to leave my Quiet Place with You. I want to remain in Your Presence. I long for more time alone with You.

But I must go. I must fulfill the tasks of Your calling. I go from the Quiet Place to BE with You throughout my day. I go with a simple faith that Your Presence will continue to BE with me and in me.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.