Editor's Note

A song that really connects with me is "Awake My Soul," sung by the group Phillips, Craig, and Dean. The words are so moving:

"When I close my eyes, I can see your glory …
"Awake my soul, prepare an entrance for your glory."

When we close off from the world's distractions to simply focus on God, to listen to his voice, to commune with him, we engage in the practice of contemplation. Contemplation is a spiritual discipline that has deep roots in biblical history.

Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." That's part of contemplation.

In this issue we look at the spiritual discipline of contemplation. The practice of closing off from all the distractions of the world to focus on the greatness and presence of God and engage him in it.

Our prayer is that this download will help awaken you to God's presence in and around you. We'll help you figure out what contemplation really is, why it's important for us as believers to practice, how we can do that, and what difference it makes in our lives. This is a special discipline for me and has meant a lot to my faith—you can read about it in my article, "When I Consider the Heavens." So I'm excited to share it with you. I hope you learn from our pages and begin this important biblical practice in your own life.

Read more articles that highlight writing by Christian women at ChristianityToday.com/Women