Quick Charge Your Faith - Centered
Inspired by Kyle Strobel’s teaching on watchful prayer.
The still soul before God
In a recent video, theologian
described prayer as the place where all our temptations, strategies, and spiritual evasions rise to the surface. It can be a disorienting place, he reflected—sometimes lonely, sometimes painful—yet always revealing. That image stirred something in me: the memory of the old Puritan practice of meditative, or what we might now call centering, prayer.The Puritans didn’t use that term, of course. But they knew what it meant to still the soul before God—not to empty the mind, but to fix it. Not to drift into a mystical state, but to anchor the heart in revealed truth. They taught that real prayer begins not with speaking, but with stilling.
Thomas Watson called meditation “the bellows of the affections.” It stokes the heart so that when we finally speak to God, we’re praying from the depths.
Richard Baxter wrote, “In meditation, your aim is to warm your heart with the things of God... to awaken holy desires and resolve your will to obey.” That’s the work behind true watchfulness—the act of slowing down to notice, and of noticing to obey.
In a world obsessed with noise, performance, and endless activity—even in our spiritual lives—the Puritans offer a wiser path. They prepared for prayer by meditating on Scripture, examining their hearts, and lifting up their souls in quiet readiness. Not to gain leverage with God, but to see Him more clearly.
Strobel's point still rings true: our deepest errors in relating to God often surface in prayer. So let them rise. And then sit still. Let the Word of God search you (Hebrews 4:12). Let grace, not guilt, lead your soul into the light.
Watchfulness in prayer isn’t about vigilance against distraction alone—it’s about attentiveness to God. And sometimes the best way to pay attention is to slow down, speak less, and center the whole self on Christ.
The words of the Prophet still ring true: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” - Isaiah 30:15
If you haven’t yet, please consider subscribing or upgrading to paid. When you subscribe, even free subs, it helps support my work. I keep paid subs at the minimum Substack will allow. Every new subscriber is greatly appreciated.
This free weekly devotional is made possible by paid subscribers and readers who generously gave one-time gifts via PayPal. Thank you for supporting my work.
Thank you for your support!
You can also email comments or suggestions to: mail@christiansoldier21.org