“God
be in my head – and in my understanding”.
The
classic prayer “God be in my head” has accompanied my through my
life, almost as much as the Lord’s Prayer or the 23rd
Psalm. Whether spoken or sung to the Walford Davies tune it always
hits home.
The
prayer was in the Sarum Primer of 1558, so it is certainly an ancient
prayer, yet the words do not date. It meets the Loveridge’s
personal history as Doug attended the theological college in
Salisbury Close for two years in the early 1980s.
Where
is God to be found? Everywhere. He is Lord of all. It is amazing to
think of God being present within one’s head, to be so very close
to one’s thinking and rationalising. God is not far away, but part
of our lives, a constant presence.
God
“in my understanding” flows from this, and it suggests that we
can ask the Lord to help us to understand the world around us, all
our experiences. God and his love infuses all we are, all that we
strive to make sense of.
Human
beings often think they not only know better than others around them
but they have an inclination to put their own may of seeing things
before insights from God, through prayer and Scripture. The story of
Adam and Eve in the garden conveys this sense that we people will
place our own preferences before following God’s way.
Our
personal spirituality must stem from allowing God to influence and
mould our understanding. The world’s way of living can be very hard
indeed to cope with if our minds are not truly open to God. His
loving presence can influence all our decisions and feelings, and
with God at the centre we can feel meaning and purpose in life, not
least in these times of isolation and uncertainty.
Proverbs 3.5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.…
God
be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in mine eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at mine end, and at my departing.
God be in mine eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at mine end, and at my departing.
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