The Conversation: startle me, God

A recent addition to my daily time in prayer has been a sort of conversational prayer with God arising from my reflection on Scripture and my life. After slowing down with a portion of Scripture, I often write out some of my own thoughts as a form of prayer in my journal. Then, I pause in silence for an undetermined amount of time, listening to God. Arising from that time of silence, I write out what I sense rising to the surface from God in prayer as a conversational response to my own prayer. What follows below is an example of that sort of prayer, that I call “The Conversation,” from the beginning of March 2025. You can read other examples with “The Conversation: at the river’s edge,” “The Conversation: the Humble King,” and “The Conversation: at morning’s opening.”

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“O God, you are my God, I seek you,
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1)

“Just as there were many who were astonished at him
—so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of mortals—
so he shall startle many nations;
kings shall shut their mouths because of him;
for that which had not been told them they shall see,
and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.” (Isaiah 52:14-15)

startle me, God, in the wonders of Messiah,
in the shocking revelation
of what never could be guessed.

awaken me, God, from the slumber of my senses,
with the jolt of crucifixion
by which the Messiah reveals Your ways.

pierce me, God, with unseen unveilings,
open me with unheard messages,
that I might contemplate Your grace and truth.

overthrow me, God, with depths of hunger
and unceasing thirst for You and You alone,
where all my life and hope are found.

You say to me there:
“My beloved, look to Me for vision,
listen to Me for hearing,
hunger for Me as food,
and thirst for Me as drink.
I AM the true Source
of all you truly need.”