Chapter Two: Launching Out

On praying the Scriptures and beholding the Lord

Let’s begin like this:
Imagine you're just starting out—not as someone who’s late to the journey, but as one who’s finally ready to begin it in earnest. You may feel unsure. Your desire may be tender, even trembling. That’s more than enough.

There are two simple, sacred ways I want to offer you as a starting point—both are quiet, both are ancient, both are rooted in love.

The first is praying the Scripture.
The second is beholding the Lord.

Each invites you into presence, but in different ways. Let’s begin with the first.

Praying the Scripture

This is not reading for information. This is not study. This is not racing through verses to collect spiritual insight. This is something slower, deeper, and more nourishing.

Begin by opening your Bible. Choose a passage that feels approachable—something simple, something grounding. Come to the page not as a student, but as someone meeting a friend. Come humbly. Quietly. Without rush.

Now read. But read gently. Let the words settle. Let them move from your eyes to your spirit. Taste them. Stay with them. Don’t move forward until something stirs—until a line catches, touches, or invites you.

When that happens, pause. Let the line become a prayer. You don’t need fancy words. Just respond to the Spirit in you. Let your soul speak back. Let it be honest. Let it be small.

Once that moment fades—once the sweetness of that line has been fully received—then and only then, move forward to the next portion. Slowly. Calmly. Again and again.

You may only read a few lines. Maybe only one.

That’s okay.

This is not about quantity. It’s about quality of presence.

You are not skimming. You are soaking.
You are not gathering. You are being gathered.

You are the bee that burrows into the flower—not flitting, but staying. You are drawing out the hidden nectar.

This is not study. This is union.

And if you practice it gently, without pressure, you will find—slowly, steadily—that a deeper kind of prayer begins to rise in you. One that is not spoken from the mouth, but from the heart. One that flows like breath, like light, like still water from within.

Beholding the Lord

This second way is different. Still quiet, still sacred—but instead of focusing on the words of Scripture, this is about resting in the presence of the Word Himself.

Think of it this way:
Praying the Scripture is about finding Him in the words.
Beholding the Lord is about staying with Him once He’s been found.

And yes, you can do this. Even as a beginner.

Here’s how.

Set aside time—not long, not forced, but intentional. Come to the Lord with no other aim than to be with Him. Not to produce, not to perform. Just to be.

If your mind feels loud, begin by reading a few lines of Scripture, just as you did before. But this time, let the words simply quiet you. Let them serve as an entryway. Once they have calmed your spirit and helped you turn inward—set them down.

You’ve reached the threshold.
Now wait.

Let your heart turn toward God, inwardly. Not with effort, but with awareness. Believe, by faith, that He is already here. That He is within you. That His Spirit and yours are not strangers.

You are not trying to achieve anything in this moment. You are simply holding yourself open.

This is the posture of beholding:
Stillness.
Faith.
Attention.

If your thoughts begin to wander (and they will), gently guide them back—not by fighting, but by returning. Don’t argue with your thoughts. Don’t wrestle your mind. Just return. Again and again, until your wandering is no longer frustrating, but part of the rhythm.

This is not about “doing it right.”
This is about staying near.

When you do this, something begins to shift. Not always dramatically, but deeply. You begin to sense Him. Not as an idea, but as a presence.

You are not thinking about the Scripture.
You are feeding on it.
You are not analyzing.
You are receiving.

And just as your body cannot live on food it refuses to swallow, your spirit cannot live on insights it refuses to dwell in.

So dwell. Swallow. Let it nourish you.

And when distractions come?

Don’t panic.
Distractions are part of being human.

Let your heart return. Not by willpower, but by willingness. You don’t need to chase your thoughts or clean them up. Just withdraw from them. Turn inward. Return to the still point.

You will not overcome distraction by wrestling. You will overcome it by resting deeper.

Over time, your mind will grow used to this kind of return. New pathways will form. Old habits will soften. And the turning inward will become more natural than you imagined.

Why?

Because grace is working in you.
Because the Lord wants to meet you far more than you want to meet Him.
Because He delights to reveal Himself to those who come quietly, humbly, in love.

So launch out.
Not with pressure. Not with fear. But with simplicity.
Begin where you are. Stay with what you receive. And let every turning toward Him be enough.

You are not too late.
You are not too much.
You are not too unspiritual.

You are already being held.
Just come.