What is contemplative prayer?

Fourthly, we are instructed that if we are to receive strength it will only be as we “wait upon the LORD.” Does not waiting upon the LORD imply prayer, and yet more than prayer. In prayer we make known our needs, in waiting we seek to learn His mind in His presence. In prayer He hears our words; in waiting we sit in His presence and hear His words, like Mary of old who sat at His feet and heard His word.

Fellowship or communion (the two words are interchangeable) imply joy and peace in the presence of God. Prayer is a form of communion, or, to speak more correctly, it should be so. In prayer, we come into His presence to ask for grace to help in time of need, while in fellowship, there may be just delight in the Father and the Son, without bringing any petitions. The two may he distinguished, therefore.

We utter in prayer our wants, we give thanks for the gifts of God — His mercies and goodness; we praise Him for that which He has done, is doing and will do for our blessing — all this is in language articulate and audible, possibly, to the intelligence of men; but worship being the absorption of the soul in its glorious Object — the Father and the Son, may be beyond all possible expression. "The elders fell down and worshipped Him that lives for ever and ever" (Rev. 5:14). What they said (if anything) we are not told.

We utter in prayer our wants, we give thanks for the gifts of God—His mercies and goodness; we praise Him for that which He has done, is doing and will do for our blessing—all this is in language articulate and audible, possibly, to the intelligence of men; but worship being the absorption of the soul in its glorious Object—the Father and the Son, may be beyond all possible expression. “The elders fell down and worshipped Him that lives for ever and ever” (Rev. 5:14). What they said (if anything) we are not told.

Oh, that we may leave our "toys" and just sit in contemplation of our Lord and quietly enjoy His love! Let’s just let Him love us and then love Him in return. This - with His Word before us and our hearts overflowing back to Him in worship - is the ideal set of conditions for the formation of the dew of heaven in our lives. As we quietly sit in His presence to enjoy His thoughts and absorb His energy, we will feel His heart throb, and then (perhaps even unconsciously) radiate His love quietly to our brethren and the many lost ones about us. How wonderfully unifying this is!

The first requisite then for it is quiet or stillness of soul. Unless we are freed from care and anxiety, and indeed at rest about ourselves, we should scarcely be in the spiritual condition for waiting on the Lord. Alas! that so many of the Lord's dear saints are so filled with unrest; affected, it may be, by the spirit of a restless age. Such are not happy if they are not busy with various activities, or borne up by the excitements of meetings. They are the Marthas of the church of God - and lacking in the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price. The next desirable thing is the opened ear, and this can only be enjoyed where there is realised dependence. This was seen even in our blessed Lord, who, speaking in the prophet Isaiah, said, "He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth Mine ear to hear as the learned" (the "learner"). Thus quietly before His God, as the dependent One upon the earth, His ear was attentive to catch every indication of that will which He had come into this world to do. Ah! how much we miss because we are not thus quietly waiting, looking up, and meditating in the sanctuary.

From the psalms specified two subjects of meditation are expressly mentioned. The first is the Lord Himself. Let us examine the passage: "I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord." The psalmist, as will be seen, commences with praise: he is joyful in the Lord, and he makes melody in his heart. This leads him out in contemplation of the One before whom he bows in adoration, and filled with the sense of His beauty and excellency he will "talk with himself," with exquisite enjoyment, concerning the beatific vision which thus dawns upon his soul. If any are tempted to regard this as extravagant language, let them remember that it is when we draw near to the Lord that He draws near to us, that He delights to reveal Himself to the waiting heart, and to flood it with the sense of His presence and love. Would that we knew more of it; but do not doubt that if you get into His presence in this way your meditation of Him will be sweet, and that you will be glad in the Lord.

With the ever-increasing urgency of our daily lives there is some danger of losing sight of the need of quiet in the Lord's presence. We do not speak of stated seasons for reading the Scriptures and for prayer (which all believers will seek to have), but rather of that which was seen in David when, after the Lord's gracious communication to him concerning his desire to build the temple, he went in and sat before the Lord. It is true that his heart overflowed, while in this attitude, in thanksgiving, praise, and prayer; but this, we apprehend, was the result of his meditation upon the message he had received. Sitting before the Lord, Nathan's words sank deep into the king's heart, and he comprehended, as he otherwise could not have done, the greatness of the favour which had been bestowed upon him and upon his house. It is this posture of soul which we desire to commend for the consideration of the Lord's people.

It is exemplified in the scriptures at the head of this paper in the word meditation. The meaning of the word in the several places cited is "to talk to one's self" about the subject occupying the mind; and, as the matters in hand show, this would be carried on, as in David's case, in the presence of the Lord. Let another example be cited to show its value. In Psalm 73 we find that Asaph was troubled in his meditations upon the prosperity of the wicked. He talked it over with himself, and could not see any way out of his difficulty. It was a blot, he was tempted to think, upon the government of God, and he was filled with perplexity. Then he tells us, "When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end." The lesson is that, if meditation is to be of value and for blessing, it must be exercised in the presence of God - in the sense of dependence upon Him and upon the ministry of His Spirit. Otherwise we should be lost in the mazes of human thoughts and speculations.

PRAYER has ever been regarded as an appropriate instrument of communion with the Unseen; as such it is the counterpart of His voice to us. The Scriptures and Prayer together fortify believers against mere Mysticism (147A) on the one hand, and against pure Rationalism on the other (cf. Ritschl, "Theology and Metaphysics," p. 476). For the Spirit as the power of such communion, see Rom. 8:26, and Exposition of verse 14 f.

Another aid and stimulus to prayer is private reading - reading God's Word itself, and the valuable written ministry which in the present day He has supplied to His children so abundantly as to be within reach of all. Such reading, in a proper spirit, begets prayer. It awakes the sense of need, encourages confidence towards God, leading to prayer, with blessing as the consequence. In the Word, God is speaking to us; in prayer we are speaking to Him - in both together, the circle of communion with God is completed. Neither will do without the other. The Christian who prays without the Word tends to become mystic. He who reads much without a corresponding measure of prayer, will get his head stocked with barren knowledge, but his soul will be shrivelled.

Another aid and stimulus to prayer is private reading — reading God's word itself, and the valuable written ministry which in the present day He has supplied to His children so abundantly as to be within reach of all. Such reading, in a proper spirit, begets prayer. It awakes the sense of need, encourages confidence towards God, leading to prayer, with blessing as the consequence. In the word, God is speaking to us; in prayer we are speaking to Him — in both together, the circle of communion with God is completed. Neither will do without the other. The christian who prays without the word tends to become mystic. He who reads much without a corresponding measure of prayer, will get his head stocked with barren knowledge, but his soul will be shrivelled.