Monday, September 13, 2010

You don't create intimacy ...

An excerpt from Paul Miller's A Praying Life (Miller, Paul E. A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2009.):
Jesus' examples teaches us that prayer is about relationship. When he prays, he is not performing a duty; he is getting close to his Father.

Any relationship, if it is going to grow, needs private space, time together without an agenda, where you can get to know each other. This creates an environment where closeness can happen, where we can begin to understand each other's hearts.

You don't create intimacy; you make room for it. This is true whether you are talking about your spouse, your friend, or God. You need space to be together. Efficiency, multitasking, and busyness all kill intimacy In short, you can't get to know God on the fly. (47)
I really appreciated the line about not creating intimacy.

It is not something that can be fabricated when desired. Rather, it is the fruit of time spent together with someone; no quick fixes here.

I want my prayers to be saturated with an intimacy heretofore not yet experienced. And though I would like that reality now, I realize it is not procured or produced when desired. Rather it is created and cultivated in a relationship that requires time spent together.

I pray for God's grace in this.

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