Alone with Him

“Vocal prayer . . . must be accompanied by reflection. A prayer in which a person is not aware of Whom he is speaking to, what he is asking, who it is who is

asking and of Whom, I don’t call prayer—–however much the lips may move.”

“Mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.”

—–Teresa of Avila

Teresa of Avila was a Carmelite nun, a mystic, and promoter of mental prayer. She knew the importance of being still in the presence of God. Teresa sensed the church of her day was talking without listening. Perhaps we should take a good look at the prayer practices of our day. Are we listening to God. Do we pray to God or pray at Him? The concept in Teresa’s words stress the importance of becoming intimate with God by giving Him your undivided attention. Attention that is not crowded out by our own words that interfere with His presence. Ultimately the goal of every Christian is to become a close friend of God. This is accomplished by quiet, intimate times that focus on Him and Him alone.