Guest post: Close your eyes

What is this act of surrender that solicits the move of God in your life? Sometimes you don’t feel it right away as you tell yourself to calm down, to let go of your worries that plagued you during the day and to focus on the task at hand. The hustle and bustle of the day is winding down and you find that your busy mind will do anything but be still. But slowly and surely as you think of how good, how great God is, His Spirit moves. The decision to close your eyes and to let God know that you’re ready; ready for him to move, speak and comfort you, opens the heavens.

Something radical, which in and of itself is hard to comprehend, is that God doesn’t need to hear words. Speaking to Him is not ultimately a string of words but a matter of the heart. It’s the constant murmurs and steady thoughts that flow from your heart such as anger, gratitude, or fear. Romans 8:26 reads “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. His Spirit will bring to light the words you cannot say out loud; the confessional speech that is constantly being replayed in your mind. His Spirit reveals the subconscious worries that need to be tested in order for your faith to grow. His Spirit will also enable you to sing praises to His Name, as you look back at all the wonderful things He has done in your life. But none of these things require words from you, just an open and willing heart.

A year ago I was lost for words, as I sat in a doctor’s office 4 months pregnant, listening to a doctor tell me that the child in my womb might have something abnormal in his heart. In that moment I had many questions for God but not many words to describe the pain and fear that I felt – of the possibility that my son might have a leaky heart. In the days that followed, many tears were shed along with wordless groans where God heard the silent prayers for my child to be healed.

One week later, the doctor was surprised to find that whatever was present beforehand was no longer there. God healed our child and we were grateful for the promise on this child’s life. While I was having a hard time mustering up the words to pray that God will heal this child, the Spirit was able to intercede on my behalf and plead with God to fulfill His promise. He proved that He didn’t need my words, all he required was my heart.

Whatever you may be going through is not worth going through alone, seek Him and He will answer. Just wait on Him and close your eyes.

 

-Laamina Nathan