Article May 11, 2015 Issue

Yielding to our divine Parent

Mark Swinney

Not just trust. Childlike trust. That’s what Jesus encouraged his followers to foster in themselves in order to experience the presence and power of God. He said, “Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein” (Luke 18:17).

When a little child has a deep confidence in someone, trust and reliance become solid, even unshakable. So tenderly, Christ Jesus compared a child’s natural trust in a loving adult to the way anyone can develop an innocent and wise trust in God. This happens as we begin to know God, to know more about whom we’re trusting. God is ever-present, all-enveloping Love. Even the tiniest glimpse of God’s loving nature begins to engender confidence—and step by step, as we come to understand God more clearly, our trust in Him grows.

As a parent and child walk along together holding hands, the child will yield to the parent’s changes of direction. Along these lines, what happens when prayer actually becomes a yielding to the divine Parent who is God—whose wisdom never changes, but guides us in His way? This earnest approach to prayer means devotedly making space in thought to acknowledge the authority and all-pervading nature of God, divine Love. It involves cultivating a willing, humble outlook, a readiness to become aware of the presence and goodness of God. 

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