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- The Reward of Prayer is God
The consistent testimony of Scripture is that God sees us.
He is not distant or absent, rather, his eyes are on us.
Recently, I’ve been struck while reading the Psalms, some of the most intimate prayers that we have in the Bible and a window into what it was like for David and others to build a prayer life, is the consistent awareness of God’s eyes on us.
Consider these verses:
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” Psalm 32:8
“Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love.” Psalm 33:18
“The LORD looks down from heaven on humankind, to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God.” Psalm 14:2
“But you do see!” Psalm 10:14
It seems that part of prayer is building an imagination that sees the loving gaze of God on us — not as one who is distant or absent, but as one who sees us and cares about us.
It has been said that prayer is simply looking at God to find that he is already looking back at us.
Teresa of Avila encourages anyone seeking to build a prayer life that she is not asking them to make long lists, fast, say or do all the right things, rather she says:
“I'm not asking you to do anything more than look at Him.”
Mystical writers have called this contemplation — the art of keeping our mind’s eye on God. It’s the art of cultivating a holy imagination that sees God, much like Paul prays for the “eyes of our hearts” to be enlightened (Ephesians 1:18 - does anyone remember that song, “Open the Eyes of My Heart”?).
And, more than that, I would argue that looking at God looking at us is the entire beginning and end of prayer. We don’t graduate from this!
The psalmist writes:
“For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.”
In other words, the very reward of prayer is that we see God.
I tend to make prayer about what I can get, yet the Psalms challenge me to make prayer about the One that I get to see. The reward of prayer is God Himself.
I want to invite us this morning to return to the simple beauty of looking at God looking at us.
John the Baptist introduces his followers to Jesus with an invitation to see: “Look! The Lamb of God!” (John 1:36). Then, as they look at him for the first time, the first thing the disciples experience is Jesus seeing them (John 1:38). Personally, I think this is a picture of prayer and discipleship: it begins with beholding. It begins with us looking at God to find that he is already looking at us, and that gaze is enough.
I think of my kids, especially when they were babies, with the pure contentment and joy on their faces when my wife and I simply looked at them. Now, it is still one of their greatest joys as toddlers for us to simply watch them play and enjoy life. It’s better for them when Mom and Dad see them!
The reward of loving God is God.
“It seemed so wonderfully true that just the privilege of fellowship with God is infinitely more than any thing that God could give. When He gives Himself He is giving more than anything else in the universe.”
I would love to invite us this morning to simply see, and to enjoy that seeing.
Pray this today:
Take a few deep breaths. Maybe as you breathe in, pray “Come” and as you breathe out, pray “Holy Spirit.”
As you breathe in and out, simply picture Jesus — perhaps he is sitting in a chair next to you, or perhaps you might feel drawn to see him on the cross or walking next to you in your mind’s eye.
As you picture Jesus, don’t say anything! Just enjoy the company of the One who sees you and loves you right as you are.
And maybe smile — this is what prayer is all about! :)