“Prayer is the way that the life of God in us is nourished.” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest)
As soon as I read this, I had an image of God nursing the Spirit that is placed within me. We are used to viewing God in a paternal role. This analogy only works if we can also recognize God’s maternal nature. As we pray, we suckle at God’s breasts, while she holds us close in her arms. (I find it awkward to use the feminine pronoun in reference to God, but there is no other way to convey this image.)
What if we are unable to latch on, or lack the suckling instinct? The Spirit of God within us fails to thrive. Prayer feeds God’s Holy Spirit within us. It is a bonding experience between our soul and the Divine.
Consider the following verse from Isaiah:
He will say, “I have long been silent;
yes, I have restrained myself.
But now, like a woman in labor,
I will cry and groan and pant.” (Isaiah 42:14 NLT)
Many famous Christian authors have acknowledged that God may have a feminine side. They recognize that God is comforting, nurturing, nourishing, caring, sensitive, and gentle. These are generally seen as maternal attributes. I am not advocating that we start seeing God as a female. I just wonder if we might be limiting our understanding of God by dismissing parts of the Divine.
Here is an article from the BBC that delves into this subject. I don’t agree with all of it, but it is thought provoking.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/women/femininedivine_1.shtml
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