Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Center on Gift of God
Today’s Name of God surprised me. Almost shocked me, even. Not the Name, itself, but where it was located. The situation where I found it.
I’ve mentioned before that I’ve committed to Centering Prayer each day in September. And, to aid me in this prayer method, I’m choosing a Name of God found in the Bible. I’m using that for my word of the day. My word—Name of God for today is Gift of God.
I had quickly glanced at my list of Names of God (and there are quite a lot of them!). This was as I settled and quieted myself to pray. I noted that “Gift of God” was found in the Gospel of John, and then I started in to pray. I had a peaceful time of prayer, with occasional thoughts of Jesus handing me a wrapped present, or looking at a table piled with presents (almost like at a wedding reception or something). I felt open, receptive, and it was a good time of prayer.
However—after my time of prayer when I checked out exactly where the Name of God came from, I saw right away it was included in the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. John chapter 4. “10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
I find the Gospel of John fascinating. How John uses such simple, straight-forward language to get across such deep thoughts! Here in verse 10, the Gift of God could mean a metaphorical gift. Or, Jesus could be referring to Himself. (As this list of Names of God suggests.) Regardless, this phrase makes a fruitful foundation on which to pray and meditate.
Thank You for my times of Centering Prayer. Thank You for the phrase “Gift of God.”
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