I found the first use of the word, “amen.” in the Bible – and it means “I agree,” “let it be,” “so be it.”
The woman shall respond, “I agree; may the Lord do so.” Numbers 5:22 GNT
It is about being in a place where God makes a commandment that needs to be accepted and I yield to His involvement in my life.
Those times become easier when I understand that my life is transient.
“Lord, how long will I live?
When will I die?
Tell me how soon my life will end.”How short you have made my life!In your light my lifetime seems nothing. Indeed every living being is no more than a puff of wind, no more than a shadow. All we do is for nothing; we gather wealth, but don’t know who will get it. – Psalm 39:4-6 GNT
I am becoming more aware of this as I get older and as I look at my suffering through a different set of lens. I pray that I might learn from these times and that I may learn well. In the past I would pray to be relieved and upon that happening I would revert back to the mindset that life will go on for a long time – that cannot be anymore. I cannot forget how transient I am.
Don’t punish me any more!
I am about to die from your blows. – Psalm 39:10 GNT
I cannot prevent the voice of prayer from being part of my life – it must never cease. I know the Lord will listen to my prayer to remove my troubles, especially if I am resigned to it. I am fully acquiescent to the divine will, yet my heart still can pray for Him to deliver me. It is when I am rebellious that I have stopped to pray about the trials in my life. Only when I turned to be submissive that I asked for mercy. I come close to being consumed from His blows but I know they are not meant to do so, they are meant to confront and discipline me from my sins.
That our wrestling is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12), we see plainly when we begin to take notice of the outward hindrances which are placed in the way of our prayers from day to day. When those hours of the day come in which we should be having our prayer- sessions with God, it often appears as though everything has entered into a conspiracy to prevent it, human beings, animals, and, above all, the telephone (and today – cell phones and computers). It is not difficult to see that there is a veiled hand in the complot. Woe to the Christian who is unacquainted with these foes! The first and the decisive battle in connection with prayer is the conflict which arises when we are to make arrangements to be alone with God every day. If the battle is lost for any length of time at this point, the enemy has already won the first skirmish. But even though we do gain the victory at the threshold of our prayer chambers, our prayer-struggle is by no means over. Our enemies will pursue us deliberately into our very prayer rooms. And here our carnal natures and Satan will take up the battle anew, though from a somewhat different angle. Now every effort will be concentrated upon making our prayer session as brief as possible, or upon distracting us so completely that we are not even now given an opportunity to be alone with God. My friend, do you know anything about this battle? As you kneel to speak with your Lord, it seems as though everything you have to do appears vividly before your mind’s eye. You see especially how much there is to do, and how urgent it is that it be done, at least some of it. As these thoughts occur, you become more and more restless. You try to keep your thoughts collected and to speak with God, but you succeed only for a moment now and then. Your thoughts flit back and forth between God and the many pressing duties which await you. Your prayer hour becomes really the most restless hour of the day. Your mind is literally torn to shreds. Joy, peace and rest are as far from you as the east is from the west. And the longer you prolong the session, the more you feel. – Prayer (Copyright 1931) By Ole Hallesby (Norway) Pages 91,92, 93
The Practice of Prayer 