Each day is an opportunity to walk by faith and repentance, to press on to know Him more (Philippians 3, Hosea 6) and to be empowered by the Spirit to abide in the love of God and steadfastness of Christ (Colossians 1; 2 Thessalonians 3). Seek out the ordinary means of grace (the ancient paths), fellowship truly in your local Body of believers–using your gifts to serve, and allowing others to serve you with their gifts and callings; accept correction and encouragement, and likewise encourage others in their faith.
As we continue this series, we will consider one small way in which the Psalms help us pray.
Psalm 62:5 Psalm 62:5
My soul, wait in silence for God only,
For my hope is from Him.
6
He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
7
On God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
8
Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah.
Who knows the thoughts of man? That person, and God. We can communicate our thoughts–but even when we do, don’t we sometimes clean up our thoughts as we share them with others? Water them down, as we share with people who hate God, or who have made it clear that they don’t want to hear about God? And even out of fear of others? This is a rabbit trail we won’t go too far down; but consider for a moment that other created beings only know what you say, or write, or in some manner present. God alone knows the truth of all you think and feel. This is comforting in many ways–I have met false teachers who attempt to instill fear by claiming demons could know our thoughts, or that those who dabble in magic or other dark arts could access our hearts and minds.
God, who alone knows our hearts, invites us to pour out our heart so that we will more fully know His nearness, and delight in His protection and care and strength and love… As we pour out our hearts, we unburden ourselves, and rest in His yoke. We do not pray merely to ask and receive goods and services! Sometimes we wait in silence, many times we speak, quite often we sing.
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The Fear of God
We hear the call to pour out our hearts, and we respond with awe, we marvel. The King of kings, the True and Living God, the Fountain of all Life, invites you into fellowship, into intimate conversation. We respond in faith when we come before Him in humility and boldness. Not brash, not brazen, not demanding, yet bold, confident, assured of His love and help.
The posture we are called to have is the very one Jesus manifested while He walked among His people. The fullness of God in flesh was confident enough to declare “My Father is working, and I am working” yet prayed “not My will, but Yours” to His Father. As children of God, this is what we are called to live in–joining our God in His work, rather than asking Him to join in ours; and pouring out our desires and plans and then truly, heartily saying that yet, His plans are what we truly want. We recognize that the One who is Omniscient and Sovereign may have a different plan. We are filled with joy and peace, and delight in our purpose, when His Spirit is at work in us.
Remember who you are; who He has made you, and shown you to be. All through the Old Testament we hear God reminding His people of who they are. We are quick to forget, quick to turn away, prone to wander off and attempt to make meaning of our lives apart from the One Source of Life, Unchanging Truth, Goodness & Wisdom. Cling to the Fountainhead! Hold fast to the Word of life! Consider Ephesians 2:11-end and Titus 2:11-3:8; who does He say we were, what has He called us out of, who are we now-in Him? What is this regeneration and renewal?
“For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 3:6-7
“I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.” Jeremiah 24:7
Psalm 138:6For though the Lord is exalted,
Yet He regards the lowly,
But the haughty He knows from afar.7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
8 The Lord will accomplish what concerns me;
Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
Silence and Speech
Returning to our original Psalm, we see the Psalmist, he is both waiting in silence, and speaking as he pours out his heart to the LORD. Each has a time and place in the life of a believer. Notice he is not ‘listening’ as some moderns do, with an empty mind demanding a fresh, new word. We listen in His Word, not apart from.
We wait, we still our hearts that are quick to be churned by circumstances. We yield to His Spirit who comforts, and teaches, and guides, and takes what Jesus Christ has given in order to illumine our understanding. God has spoken to us in His Son, and the Spirit will illumine and teach; come to Him as a ready disciple, but not as a mindless one seeking something that has not been spoken in His Son.
Silence is not a complete emptying of the mind as taught by Eastern mysticism. We do not find a mantra, set our posture, control our breathing, and wait for the magic to happen. We do not try to be empty, to think nothing. Rather, we cease from our speaking and our striving, with an internal posture of sitting at His feet, listening. We rest in Him, as lowly–rather than continuing in haughty demands and actions. We know He is God, and that He will accomplish what concerns us.
The silence we are called to is both a readiness and attentiveness. When He shows us the way, we will walk in it. When He refreshes and revives, we will not miss it! We abide in His Word–silence is not turning our back on the Word or shutting out our remembrance of the Word. “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;” (John 8) When God calls us to silence it is also a call to listen. “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5)
We admit that He has shown in our hearts to give us light (2 Corinthians 4); we delight that He has called us to learn from Him, and we choose that as our portion.
Pray with the Mind
When we “pour out our hearts” it is not an invitation to separate heart and mind. Human beings attempt to live fragmented lives, but this is against God’s creation design. We are whole beings. When invited to pour out our hearts, it is a call to commune with Him in truth, not holding anything back: admitting all that you think or feel or need or fear etc. When we try to fragment or separate our whole being into parts, we are unfruitful.
“I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” 1 Corinthians 14:15
Let this be your determination as you love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and mind; as you serve Him and cling to Him with your heart, mind, and soul.
Just last week, my husband heard a mother telling her child that the way to approach a situation was to turn off your mind and pray. NO! We cannot lead our children astray in this manner! Jesus Christ came and has given us understanding that we may know Him who is true! Why attempt to turn that off? You have been led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ, and are leading others astray also. We are to come to Him and learn, not come to Him mindless.
To refresh yourself and grow in this Ordinary Means of prayer, add John Bunyan’s book on Prayer to your own Christmas list, or to your 2026 reading list. He begins with a straightforward definition of prayer, and then writes about each element. His teaching is encouraging, and this is a book I re-read often. You will enjoy it!
May His Grace and peace be with you as you persevere!