From the book “The Power of Stillness”:. . . .Jacob Z. Hess, Carrie L. Skarda, Kyle D. Anderson, Ty R. Mansfield
Joseph Smith taught that part of the first principle of the gospel was “to know that we may converse with [God] as one man converses with another.” Jeffrey R. Holland explained: So often we make prayer a kind of laundry list of requests. It’s sort of like we go to the store and get this, and this, and this—and I need it right now and want it in the bag and I’m on my way. And we fail to realize that He’s supposed to speak back to us. We’ll finish a prayer and be up and on our way and back into the hubbub of the world. We need to let Him speak to us in a quiet setting, in a still setting. And that probably means after we’re through talking (and I hope it’s not just requests).
Listen to this next part: “When we’re through talking, we need His voice! We need to provide an environment for Him to speak to us. And that means . . .Stay quiet. Stay silent in a private setting, We often deny Him a chance to reply!”21
In an interview with Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Dan Rather asked, “What do you say to God when you pray?” Her answer seemed to surprise him: “I listen.” “Well then, what does God say?” he added. With a smile, she said, “He listens.”22
Thoughtful, mindful, reverent prayer is about cultivating a relationship with God as a real being to whom we can speak genuinely, intimately, and personally. That two-way communication is a big part of transforming “saying a prayer” into “being with God.”
President McKay’s habit was to go into a private room, not on a chair or against a bed—and he would kneel and say nothing. This is not at the end of the prayer. This is before the prayer started. He would say nothing for a matter of minutes until he felt like he was worthy to approach the throne of the Lord, to come before deity. . . . And then he would wait [after speaking] . . . and give the Lord a way to answer and speak back.”23
Sometimes this means sitting heartfully present with Heavenly Father, in a state of patient not-knowing, for many years before specific answers emerge. But this holding still is not wasted time. Along with cultivating, “general and loving awareness of the presence of God,” this prayer, as Thomas Keating writes, is about “consent[ing] to God’s presence and action within us” and “gently establish[ing] an attitude of waiting upon the Lord with loving attentiveness.” Working at this very real practice of prayer reaffirms our intention to place ourselves at God’s disposal.
In this way, we develop what Keating calls the habit of surrender to God’s increasing presence and action.” As Christian author John Backman writes, “By sitting in silence, focusing our attention on the present moment and the Spirit within it, we provide space for God to speak gently to, and move within our souls.” 25
This cultivation involves staying aware of the play of our own desires and hopes in prayer, with an intention of yielding to higher desires and hopes whenever a discrepancy comes into view. As Keating adds, “sometimes our own gentle activity predominates, and other times the Spirit takes over”—with the presence, influence, and power of the Holy Spirit growing over time in prayer.26
This shift in our prayers can be relieving and exciting. Rather than constantly trying to get God on board with Our Big Plans, we start to ground ourselves in the conviction that Father sees more than we do. It that’s true, then our time with God become a constant inquiry to better understand and align ourselves with a will whose boundaries are forever extending beyond our own finite perspective—like the horizon on a mountain hike.
When compared with a make it go away prayer, this kind of “mighty” prayer involves full presence that feels different: we are authentic and real with Him, even about our pain—but we are also quiet, humble and reverent in His presence.
Rather than the same old ritual, this kind of earnestness opens up a rich variety of prayer experiences. For instance, voicing the confusion or pain that brings us to our knees may have a heart-aching intensity. Or, in less stressful periods, we may notice our hearts just feeling tired or heavy with everyday concerns. In happier times, our hearts may be bursting with gratitude. But in all cases, as we sit in His presence, fully there, surrendering our limited understanding to His, a more subtle experience with God unfolds. As we make space in our hearts for His will, love, and wisdom, we begin to feel our way past our subjective biases, and we invite true intimacy with God. We begin to trust Him.
Rather than a duty or something to “get done,” prayer can thus become a communing act of intimacy. Instead of an instrumental “tool” toward our favorite ends and agendas, this kind of prayer becomes a unification or at-one-ment—a way to consistently bring our heart and mind into an alignment with God’s, over and over . . . prayer by prayer.
THE PRACTICE: It’s Justin’s thirty-minute lunch break, anew he’s dedicating half of it to sitting quietly in prayer. He decided to start this Monday and Wednesday habit when he realized were too rushed to be still, and in the evening, he was too tired to concentrate. After finding the quiet bench at the end of the duck pond on his work campus, he closes his eyes and makes note of what is happening in his mind and body. He takes some deep breaths and allows his focus to leave the work morning and after-work plans and settle into this moment. He thanks Father for the chance to be here with Him, pausing as he allows the sensation of loving attentiveness in God’s presence to grow. He hears the birds in the trees and the warmth of the sun on his back and as he lingers in this feeling. As his mind wanders he catches the distraction and gently redirects his attention back to the present. After fifteen minutes he ends his prayer, opens his eyes, and take a deep breath, feeling refreshed, and starts walking back to work. ~ Jacob Z.Hess, Carie L.Skarda, Kyle D. Mansfield, Ty R. Mansfield, The Power of Stillness (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2019), p.52-55
