moved

God has shown me a lot lately about being in awe of Him. sitting in physics class. lying in bed. riding around town. always standing in awe of Him. constantly praising Him with every piece of my life. in order to that, i've got to be calmed by the Spirit and be quiet.

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations,I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10 ESV

i heard this analogy:
imagine a lake, calm and picturesque. an acorn drops from a tree and breaks the water's smooth surface. what do you see?...ripples.
now imagine a storm. the water's choppy and the air's gloomy. an acorn fall from a tree and breaks the water's rough surface. did you see the ripples?

when we come to God, we should come as the calm lake, empty, silent, and peaceful. when God speaks to us, we can hear what He's saying. we'll be able to see the ripples He leaves.
if we're restless and worried about what's happening in our lives and consumed with thoughts of our day, we won't be able to notice when He speaks. God calls us to come to Him still and silent.

And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:7,8

so often, when we pray, we heap up empty phrases like, forgive us of all our sins," and, "...in Jesus name, Amen." do we really think about what we're saying? do we realize that when we pray, we are standing before the throne of the Creator of the universe? so often, the weight of prayer doesn't hit me. we ask God to get us through the Gettysburg essay test and to heal aunt jenny's bunions (to use pastor Rob's example). i spend so much of my prayer time talking and asking. i don't just sit and listen to what God has to say. who are we to think our words are more important than what god has to say?

i heard an interview today where Matthew West talk about his album "Something to Say." he talked about how many of us just talk on and on in our prayers. we think we've got something to say. but when Matthew had surgery on his vocal chords and had to spend two months in complete silence to heal, he heard God speaking to Him saying, "I've got something to say. Be quiet and listen to Me."



God has also shown me that praying isn't just interceding. it's praise. it's worship. we are to thank God for all of who He is.

Creator.
Shepherd.
Father.
Mediator.
Savior.
I AM.
Provider.
Hope.
Way. Truth. Life.
Master.
Healer.
Helper.
Everlasting One.
Almighty.
Rock.
Strong Tower.
Strength.
Friend.




stop. listen. stand in awe.