Imagery in Prayer and Worship
One of the greatest untapped resources that God has given us is our imagination. Think of the imagination it took to make all creation. From the largest galaxies, to the atom, molecules, the strange underwater creatures that glow that after thousand of years we are just now discovering. This took imagination on a scale beyond our imagination. So, if God gave us the gift of creativity and specifically our imagination, why would we not use it to glorify Him, to grow closer to Him, and help others to do the same?
I think there are many who pray to and worship a nameless, faceless God. This was never meant to be the case since God had fellowship with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Our sin brought a separation between us and God. Where man once walked and talked to Him like we are here, we no longer have that type of interaction but God did not leave us with nothing. Has anyone of you ever a relationship with someone you have never seen before? I’ve talked to people online before but once I knew what they looked like; it helped me connect with them better. It brought a new dynamic. God gave us a picture too. He gave us two things: His Word and our imagination. Let’s look at an example:
Psalm 18
1I love you, O LORD, my strength. 2The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3I call upon the LORD, who is (D) worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
4(E) The cords of death encompassed me;
(F) the torrents of destruction assailed me;[a]
5(G) the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6(H) In my distress I called upon the LORD;
to my God I cried for help.
From his (me) temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
7Then the earth (J) reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
8Smoke went up from his nostrils, [b]
and devouring (K) fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9He (L) bowed the heavens and (M) came down;
(N) thick darkness was under his feet.
10He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on (O) the wings of the wind.
11He made darkness his covering, his (P) canopy around him,
thick clouds (Q) dark with water.
12Out of the brightness before him
(R) hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
13The LORD also(S) thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his (T) voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
14And he sent out his(U) arrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and(V) routed them.
15Then(W) the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your(X) rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of(Y) the breath of your nostrils.
16He(Z) sent from on high, he took me;
he(AA) drew me out of(AB) many waters.
17He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were(AC) too mighty for me.
18They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the LORD was my support.
19He brought me out into(AD) a broad place;
he rescued me, because he(AE) delighted in me.
20The LORD dealt with me(AF) according to my righteousness;
according to(AG) the cleanness of my hands he rewarded
Can you see the imagery taking place here? This is how David saw God moving on His behalf in the circumstances he was in. He saw God in this way. God allowed this imagery to be placed in the scriptures so we could understand different aspects of who He is. The scriptures give us an image of Him that we can trust of who He is. We should be careful to stay within the context of the scriptures cause I have heard some really far fetched stuff, including people being intimate with Jesus and things of this nature so we do have to be sure that the way see Him doesn’t go outside of scriptural contexts. When I pray or I am in the midst of worship, I picture in my mind that I am standing before Him worshipping or talking or being hugged or comforted by God. All these things are scriptural, and they allow us to see the charcter, the greatness, and the love of God and therefore helps us to have a greater connection with Him.
So I want to challenge you during your prayer, and your personal and corporate worship time to use the scriptures to draw on a picture of God. His scriptures were given to reveal Himself and His plan for your life. If you have never done that before, it might seem a little weird at first but I believe that it will bring a whole new dynamic to your relationship with Him.
