Being and Doing

Paniym, (paw-neem)

This word in the Hebrew means to beseech, countenance, edge, employ, endure, enquire, face, favour, fear. It is the word for prayer.

I have been thinking a lot about prayer recently. Prayer to me, if I do it all, is kind of an endless loop of the same issues or sins (yup, still have an anger problem) or a PDA To-Do Prayer list of sorts where I ask God for wisdom about something, or to review what I am already doing to make sure that I am on track--a rubberstamp signature b/c I really don't want God to change what I am working on, do I?

I want to get down to business and not just enjoy being in God's presence.

Prayer is certainly about doing, the very act itself has doings (speaking, perhaps kneeling, bowing of the head). It also is "doing" in the sense that actions should often follow the praying (i.e. if I pray for someone to have food, I should see to it that they get fed). Yet, it is also about being; that is, "being" with God. The being and doing connection is inseparable. I just go over to the doing side of the spectrum consistently without first really being with God.

My buddy Phil posted a clip on You Tube about I'm in Love where the speaker talks about wanting to spend time with God. He admits to even having 20 minutes alone with God is difficult for him. He confesses that he has made time for a girlfriend in his past way beyond 20 minutes where he had to drive an hour each way. He wonders why it such a challenge to do so with God.

I want to learn to truly "be" with God before I try to "do" for God. Maybe my problems with the logic of prayer (God is going to do what He is going to do and who am I to advise Him?) is that I am much too focused on the doing side of prayer and its cause and effect nature versus just being with God.

God is answering the prayer of yesterday's blog. Cool!

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