“Wisdom is a spirit, a friend to all.”

~ Wisdom 1:6

It is usually over time and with patience that we come to see the wonderful patterns of grace, which is why it takes most of us a long time to be converted. Our focus slowly moves from an initial preoccupation with perfect actions (“first half of life” issues), to naked presence itself. The code word for that is simply “prayer,” but it became cheapened by misuse.

Jesus will often call prayer “vigilance,” “seeing,” or “being awake.” When you are aware and awakened, you will know for yourself all that you need to know. In fact, “Stay awake” is the last thing Jesus says to the apostles—three or perhaps four times—before he is taken away to be killed (Matthew 26:38-45). Finally, continuing to find them asleep, he kindly but sadly says, “Sleep now and take your rest,” which might have been his resigned forgiving statement to the church itself.

It is not that we do not want to be awake; but very few teachers have actually told us how to do that in a very practical way. We call it the teaching of “contemplation.”

Adapted from Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality, p. 16

Starter Prayer:
Grant me wisdom.