My favorite state to pray is that of stillness. It does not mean quietness, although a lot of times it requires a peaceful place to achieve this desirable positioning of heart.
In these moments I just let me be me and let Him be Him. This free flow of spiritual conversing enables me to leave the world behind, unload my burdens, come to a place of safety and surrender. The place of surrender is costly, sometimes nerve racking and quite risky. But there is no other way, there is no going back, there is no quicker solution.
In Ezekiel’s vision even the cherubims (cherubim – to be near) had moments of stillness. These throne-bearers would lower they wings and pause, for the voice of El Shaddai was about to be heard. Cherubims are the ones who were placed to guard the garden after the fatal choice of Adam which brought the curse to all humankind. Cherubims were the ones carved on the ark of the covenant, and that’s where God promised to meet with his people (Ex 25, 22; Num 7:89). They were portrayed in the temple’s curtains, carved on the temple’s walls. The glory of the Lord was rising from above them(Ez 9:3)They were entrusted to overshadow the burning coals (Ez 10,2). They were present in the temple, while the cloud of God’s glory would fill it.
The phrase “enthroned between the cherubim” is repeated several times in the OT, describing the position the Most High takes. The eternal service of those angels is to cry “Holy” day and night without end, to worship unceasingly, to be present everlastingly before the Creator and to live in His presence. What an existence.
In my yet unredeemed imagination, I am thinking about some weird sci-fi looking hybrids (lion, ox, eagle, human), flying, singing constantly, watching, moving swiftly like a lightning, making noise with their wings that sounded like a voice or waterfalls… quite ecstatic scenes and all of that is going on in the throne room. I’m taking to consideration that these were the visions Ezekiel had. Which parts are literal and which are not, I will not know.
The only time mentioned in Ezekiel’s vision where cherubims are becoming still is, when Almighty Himself is ready to speak. They cease, they fold their wings, they pause in humble and holy attention. They quite down their holy songs, they calm down their swirl of worship and become still when the Voice of the Holy One is about to resound. That tells me one thing: the messengers and beholders of God’s glory, created and positioned before El Shaddai, having worshipping The Creator from everlasting timeless times, by gloriously expressing their adoration proclaiming: Holy, holy, holy! – they become still whenever the Adored One is about to reveal the Word. The reception of This revealed Word requires stillness.
Ez 1:24-28
When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell face down, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
St. Augustine in his sublime comment on Ps., lxxix, 2, “Who sitteth upon the Cherubim”:
Cherubim means the Seat of the Glory of God and is interpreted: Fullness of Knowledge. Though we realize that cherubim are exalted heavenly powers and virtues; yet if thou wilt, thou too shalt be one of the cherubim. For if cherubim means, Seat of God, remember what the Scripture says: The soul of the just is the Seat of Wisdom.
That comment is a striking one, for it implicates that through the ministry of the Holy Spirit within my heart, I can have an access to the same mystery as the Cherubim do: to behold the Most Holy One in the temple of my body, inside the inner parts of my spirit. The stillness is necessary on order to be attentive and to hear.
Stillness invigorates my spirit to receive with gratitude everything what comes from the All-and-better-than-I-Knowing God. It brings consolation.
by d ha rm e sh
I am praying trough these verses lately:
Exodus 14:14
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
I mostly worry, then panic.
1 Samuel 12:16
“Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!
I mostly try to do or say something before He does.
Psalm 37:7
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
I mostly do that, although it costs me a lot of internal discussion going between my spirit and the flesh.
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
I mostly expect that.
Psalm 131:2
But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
I mostly pray for this kind of trust.
Zechariah 2:13
Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”
I mostly probably surely don’t know what I would do if God would do that.
Psalm 4:4
Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah
I mostly meditate in my heart (while doing household stuff) and not upon my bed, but it still leads me to the same result.
God, help me.
photo by Lateefa
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