“Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into them, and will eat with them, and they with me.” (Rev. 3:20)

That sounds clear to me! It is the starting point, the summons to prayer.

To pray is to let Jesus come into our heart.

The prophet Isaiah, centuries before Christ was born into humanity, promises that God listens before we speak and answers before we call.

All we need to do is open the door and let Him in!

 This is where centering prayer gets the most benefit for us.

Beginning with a literal posture or stance of readiness in the privacy of your prayer space, assent to the coming of Jesus into your inner sanctum. “Speak, O Lord, your servant is listening”. It is being in fellowship with Jesus, the kind of fellowship that sometimes doesn’t need words. That holy, sacred presence is then more noticeable in our other relationships. Jesus is in companionship with us, and if memory serves, the origin of the word companion means “with bread”. Even if it doesn’t, it works for me!

I don’t think God gives a hoot about our technique. He doesn’t care if our “house” is messy. When we are at a loss for words, the Spirit intercedes, longs with, and communicates for us. Let God have His way, which is the best way, is it not?

We welcome Jesus as a guest into our heart, our home. It is a blessed interaction of fellowship, accepting the invitation to dine with him, to offer hospitality and welcome to the stranger who is, after all, Christ Himself. Loving us unconditionally.

Pastor Art