"A New Season"
"Relationship" (Relational Love: part
2)
God's first priority with each of us is
a personal relationship-- an intimate relationship of two hearts sharing one
love--a relationship that penetrates the deep levels of my soul. In one's
formation as a contemplative intercessor relationship is not one thing among
others. Rather, it is everything! Everything hinges upon my entering into
this deep, loving, transformative, interpersonal encounter with the living God.
Because relationship with God is so
key, it is where the evil spirit will strike. As he did with Adam and Eve, the
evil spirit seeks to separate me from God. This is why my relationship with
God must be the priority of my life. Deep love will make this relationship
most significant--a "fortress strong".
God calls me to Himself in a 'dialogue
of two hearts': "There is nothing more natural than to converse with your
beloved, and most especially with your supreme Beloved" (Thomas Dubay S.M. Prayer Primer: Igniting a Fire Within, p.
15). It is only in the context of a vibrant relationship with God that I come
"to know" Him and come to know my goodness. It is where God becomes the one
"whom my heart loves" (Songs 1:7): The one who 'obsesses' both my memory and my
heart! It is where I learn to give my heart to Him completely.
Contemplative prayer is where I am
visited by God and where I discover that He loves me: "The most important of
all human activities is to be immersed in contemplative intimacy with God"
(Thomas Dubay S.M. Deep Conversion/Deep Prayer,
p. 73), where true freedom is found in belonging to "Another" completely.
"Prayer develops that conversation with Christ
which makes us his intimate friends" (Pope John Paul II. Apostolic
letter, "Novo Millenio Ineunte"
# 32). In Exodus 33:17 we read, "The LORD said to Moses, "You are my intimate
friend." The root meaning of the word, intimate, is "to make familiar
with". In 1 Sam. 3:7 we read, "At that time Samuel was not familiar with
the LORD, because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet." We
notice the connection between being familiar with God and revelation. The Lord
desires to reveal "deep and hidden things" (Dn. 2:2) to those who have come to
know him: "I have called you friends, because I have told you
everything I have heard from my Father" (John 15:15). Most importantly, God
desires to reveal His love to us. Through His love we become true 'intimates'.
In The Book of Wisdom we read, "And passing into holy souls from age to
age [wisdom] produces friends of God and prophets" (Wis. 7:27). In this
passage, 'friends of God' precedes 'prophets'. We have to learn to be with
God, to treasure His presence and receive His revelation before we can become
His 'prophetic voice' in the world.
Questions:
1) Truthfully
is God my first priority, and am I making the time daily for relationship with
Him to develop?
2) What
recent revelation has God given me about myself?
Scriptures:
Any scripture from the text; 2 Pet.1:20-21; 1John 1:1-3; Rev.
1:1-3
