#1 in the Prayer Series by Barbara Epp
Walking and Talking with God
I have a memory. It is a clear memory that brings with it special thoughts and feelings. I have always welcomed this memory whenever it arrives. I am coming to see that the reason this memory is so powerful is that God was beginning to teach me something that I will spend the rest of my life plumbing the depths of!
As is God’s way, He began to appeal to me, draw me in winsome ways, giving me a glimpse into this deep topic, the topic of prayer.
My memory is this: I am a teenager. I have a good, dear friend with whom I walk. We walk to school and back. We walk to youth events. We walk to each other’s homes. We walk a lot! Because she is an alto and I a soprano and because our voices blend well, we do a lot of singing as we walk. We lose ourselves in our singing. The song I remember best and that made a lasting impression on me was: “He walks with me and He talks with me.”
We memorized the words and as we sang we walked in the garden with God – at least I did – I never asked her if she did, because I was just a beginner in being influenced by the Holy Spirit and it was a very private and new dynamic in my life. The words are written indelibly on my heart and I can still find myself in the “garden” when I sing them to myself. As Jesus drew me to want to walk and talk with Him, I was unaware that it would become a profound journey leading to learning to know my heavenly Father and His gift of prayer.
Enjoy my memory with me as I write the words to this song.
I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear the Son of God discloses.
He speaks and the sound of His voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me within my heart is ringing.
I’d stay in the garden with Him though the night around me be falling
But He bids me go through that voice of woe; that voice to me is calling
And, He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known.
As I mentioned, this wonderful memory is only the tiny beginning of a lesson on prayer that God has been teaching me. In subsequent articles, I will allow Him to share with you, through me, some of the facets of prayer He has shown me, though I know this is such a profound topic we are only scratching the surface. I am constantly amazed by the profoundly simple and simply profound ways of God!!