The Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt van Rijn, c. 1661–1669
NEXUS PRAYER | STEP 5 – BE
“Be …” Psalm 46:10
If Step 4 is the heart of nexus prayer, then Step 5 is the soul. We arrive at the final step of nexus prayer having previously…
- Acknowledged the presence of God (Step 1)
- Recognized the great I AM (Step 2)
- Ruminated on knowing God (Step 3)
- Chosen to be still (let go) with God (Step 4)
- With our final goal now being to simply “be” with God.
As mankind’s Creator (Elohim)¹, God made us human be-ings in His image. This comes as no surprise as God’s sacred name (YHVH) is derived from the Semitic root word that means “to be.”² Genesis 2:4 Here we are not speaking directly to God or even thinking about God, but rather just “being” with—listening to or resting in God.
So, whereas in Step 4 we were “still” (actively letting go of every thing in our life) with God, here in Step 5 we are simply “being” with God or receiving from God. In other words, having emptied ourselves, we are now allowing God the Father to “download” directly into our mind, body, soul, and spirit whatever He chooses and knows that we need.
Like the prodigal son (or daughter) of Rembrandt’s painting, we find ourselves kneeling at the feet of the Father and resting on his bosom of mercy as we receive his infinite love and every blessing from our heavenly Father’s hands.
- READY: Give God your full, undivided attention in this step of nexus prayer.
- SET: Set your prayer timer³ for five minutes, or the appropriate interval (5, 10, 15, 20 m)
- SIT: With your eyes closed during the fifteen seconds of preparation time, sit comfortably in a chair with the palms of your hands turned downward by your side or in your lap. Breathe normally, and just let your body relax, letting go of anything and everything that comes to your mind..
- PRAY: Begin by silently, or softly verbalizing (once): “Be …”
- VISUALIZE: For a few seconds, ruminate on the word “Be”.
- LISTEN: Then, simply be. Be still, silent, and listen to God, ignoring any and all thoughts, problems, memories, sounds, or distractions that may come your way. Should internal thoughts or external distractions arise, simply dismiss them by returning to the prayer word, “BE” of this step of Psalm 46:10. Continue in nexus prayer until the chime of your prayer timer signals you to complete your Nexus Prayer.
Regardless of the time interval I choose to pray, I like to complete my sessions of nexus prayer with a final request for God to “be with me”, to “be with we”, to help each of us to “be with Thee” – one for each chime of the fifteen second “cool down” session of nexus prayer.
NOTES AND CREDITS
- Elohim – the first name of God found in the Tanakh (Old Testament) – John J. Parsons | Hebrew for Christians.
- YHVH (Tetragrammaton) – God’s sacred name revealed in the second creation story Gen 2:4 | John J. Parsons | Hebrew4Christians
- Although you can use your watch, built-in phone timer, or even the the timer on your microwave., I recommend downloading and using Meditation Timer Pro for iPhone from the App Store. The free version (with ads) works perfectly fine, but for only 99¢ you can download and customize the timer without ads. I’ve used it since 2015 with zero problems and love it! Questions about setting up and using the timer? Contact me.
- Photo Credit: Original Church Communion photograph by Erin Theisen Photography. Used with permission. | Nexus Prayer International
