Be Still and Know

Praying Scripture

Be still and know that I am God… (Psalm 46:10a)

One way of  praying is to transform a scripture reading into a prayer. Psalm 46:10 is a verse I pray often. I hope you’ll pray it with me today. The method I use is simple: focus on phrases; put the phrases back together to make the whole; listen to what God whispers over, under, around, and through the words.

Be still…

Most of us are busy with to-do lists longer than we can accomplish in a day or even a week. As a result we’re rarely still. Even when our bodies are still, our minds are busy planning ahead or looking back. In fact, we’ve forgotten how to be still. Here’s one way to be still.

• Get comfortable. I lie on the floor with my feet up on the piano bench or I sit in my recliner and lean back. The position doesn’t matter. What matters is that your body is relaxed position so your mind can be still.
• Close your eyes and listen to sounds around you–the ticking of the clock, the hum of the refrigerator, the rustle of the wind in the trees outside. Observe  what’s inside you–the racing of your heart, the shallowness of your breathing, the chatter of your mind. Slow your heart, deepen your breath, quiet your thoughts.
• Listen for God, for the still small voice that spoke to Elijah (Exodus 19:12).

and know…

Knowing God is different from knowing the multiplication tables, just like knowing your best friend is different from knowing the names of everyone at a party. In your stillness, ask yourself about this word know. “Who is this God I want to know?” “Why do I want to know God?” “What does God know about me that I need to know?”

that I am God…

When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and told him to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt, Moses asked what name he could tell the people for the One who appointed him leader. God answered, “I am who I am. Tell them the one who is called I AM has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14)

I AM is an odd name, so odd we rarely use it. We use many names for God: Jehovah, Yahweh, Lord, Father, or simply God. But if I AM is the name God claimed, it’s a name we should consider carefully. At first glance, it doesn’t seem to tell us much. It doesn’t tells us what God does, where God is, or how God acts. All it tells us is that God is present:  I AM. Only one thing–but it turns out that single fact takes a lifetime to comprehend.

A Treasure Trove of Prayers

Be still and know that I am God…

I’ve been praying this verse for a couple of years. I’ve experimented with different ways of chunking the words: one phrase only; one word only; word by word forwards; word by word backwards. Each time I learn something new about this God of ours who won’t be bound by any name except I AM.