Day 19
A Shalom Prayer
Shalom. Peace be to all who read this. Peace from any form of conflict, but most of all for inner peace and fulfilment.
In Hebrew form, it is a greeting’ Shalom aleichem’, meaning ‘peace be upon you‘, with a returned response ‘ aleikhem shalom’ , meaning ‘ upon you be peace.’ The religious meaning for this is that one greets both body and soul.
I began my quest for the meaning of ‘shalom’ earlier this week , after reading my daily devotional *, where the word shalom was included as meaning ‘ to be in a state of ‘shalom’ is to find wholeness or completeness.
My next step was to search for a Shalom Prayer *- A prayer for wholeness ( completeness, nothing missing, nothing broken). True Shalom can only be attained in relationship with God, our Creator, our Father, our Saviour. My search found a wonderful but very long prayer, too long to include here. It is beautiful, moving and transforming, to be read slowly and prayerfully, meditatively.
The Shalom Prayer begins with the words;
” I come as myself.
Just as I am. This moment.
my feelings and my fears
my joys and my sadnesses.
You see me as I really am
You know me
through and through.
You see all
all that I am
or ever have been.
The prayer follows on in greater depth as if exposing the human soul to be as transparent as glass, it is a truly humbling experience to read and meditate on the richness of the heart of the prayer language.
Here are some of the key sentences from varying points in the Shalom Prayer, which have touched my soul;-
“Bring me now into the deep silence of your presence, I give you my body and ask that it may become your dwelling place.”
Deep silence? Do any of us experience this kind of inner silence in our busy material world.? I have come very close to this deep silence but it now feels like a butterfly, the lightest of touches on the skin and then gone.I think there is a longing in my soul for it’s return. I will pray this prayer with that longing.
” Help me to hear your still, small voice Lord Jesus. May I now hear your words- ‘peace, be still’. May all my storms subside as I accept your real presence.”
Stillness in the storm, that is truly a place to arrive at, a place of safety, while the storm rages and then subsides. A place to hear the still- small voice of calm from Jesus.
” Father may I feel the warmth of your fatherly love upon me, your child trusting, depending, loving, Help me to know what joy my response brings to you”
Can the simplicity of child likeness bring us closer into the Father’s embrace and warmth? It is a place I look for and put aside all my knowledge, to simply trust and depend, when I really struggle with independence. Telling myself the world wants me mature and responsible, yet the Father calls me to be as a little child.
The Shalom Prayer ends in praise to Father, Son and Holy Spirit;
” Glory be to you Father.
Glory be to you Lord Jesus Christ.
Glory be to you Holy Spirit.
Amen.
* Shalom- Prayer for Wholeness- To read in it’s fullness please go to;
http://www.maranathacommunity.org.uk/shalom.aspx
*Inspiring Women Every Day CWR ‘ The Names of God’ by Rebecca Lowe- Oct 16th ‘Prince of Peace’.
Shalom
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