Category: Interior Life

Contemplation is simply gazing on something in order to absorb it, not to analyze it or figure it out. Other words that describe contemplation are attentiveness and watching. We could also call it quiet receptivity. An example of contemplation that many of us do is watching a sunset. Usually, when we watch a sunset we just gaze and enjoy. We don’t need to analyze the physics of a sunset or really think about anything; we are just observing and absorbing. You benefit from contemplation through experiencing whatever you contemplate. Contemplative prayer is simply contemplation directed at God. It is not meditation, which is ruminating over something and trying to gain understanding. Meditation is good but it is different from contemplation. In contemplation we simply become attentive to God or whatever we sense God might be doing inside us. In the Pentecostal/Charismatic tradition people sometimes use the phrase “being in God’s Continue Reading →

After turning away from the more obvious sins in our lives, we may begin to think that we are fairly godly. But that is when we face the real battle against sin. Sinful thoughts and attitudes remained buried deep within our hearts and control us in ways we don’t realize. If we saw all our sinfulness at once, it would overwhelm us and drive some of us mad…which is a warning against excessive self-examination. Yet we still desire to grow in godliness. We want to share in His nature and reflect it to others, and to do that we must continually give Him permission to uncover deeper areas of our lives. Better yet, we should eagerly ask Him to do so and pursue it with our whole heart. Then our heart will have an attitude of continual openness to His promptings. We will be more willing to open the door Continue Reading →