When we respond to Christ’s direction to “go into your room and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place,” what visualization of God forms in your mind? When we talk to another person face to face, we see the person we are talking to, and most likely that has some bearing on the conversation we have. When we talk to God, what image do we have in our minds? Undoubtedly the image will have some bearing on the quality of conversation we have.
We understand the Bible to be the Word of God. This written record provides great detail that comes to life for us through God’s Spirit opening our minds to the spiritual significance of who and what God is. However, God also reveals Himself in other ways as well. We just have to open our eyes to see around us what God reveals about Himself.
King David wrote of this experience: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1). As man is able to discover more about the heavens, we gain a sense of the extent and scope of the created universe. We are in awe of the sheer magnitude of the “heavens.” The firmament is the area of sky visible to the eye – especially at night when the stars are visible. If you have ever been in an area where man-made city lights are not a factor, you probably remember very vividly the mass of visible planets and stars.
David continued, “Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” (Psalm 19:2-4). From my office I regularly witness the sunrise as the earth rotates, giving day unto day and night unto night. The beauty of a sunrise or sunset constantly reminds us of God’s existence.
These nonverbal testimonies to God help us form an image of Him in our minds. This is true especially when we compare God’s handiwork to who we are as physical humans. “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You ordained, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:3-4). All of these “natural” things are a nonverbal testament to the One we talk to when we pray. We don’t need speech or language to be able to appreciate the special qualities of the Creator. And the same Creator is the One doing a creative work in us.
If we can “see” these special qualities of God when we close our eyes to pray, our conversation with Him will be greatly enhanced. “’To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal?’ says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these things, …” (Isaiah 40:25-26).
Brian Orchard