The Only Necessary Thing

“The Only Necessary Thing.”
The phrase kept churning in my mind until I couldn’t dismiss it any longer. It’s the title of a book on prayer written by Henry Nouwen, one of the best on the subject. I pondered his thesis; the four simple words of the title.
“The”—the one elevated above all;
“Only” set apart in it’s priority over every other;
“Necessary”—needed as distinguished from want or desire;
“Thing”—the stuff our lives consist of.
What Nouwen has tried to tell us, is that many things are part of our life in Christ, but only one has ‘indispensable’ stamped on it. Why? If you take the time to consider the nature of prayer, you’ll discover that it’s essence sits at the nucleus of our spiritual vitality. We can’t put the Word in practice without prayer. We can’t obey God’s will without first discerning it in prayer. We can’t step out beyond our fears, without knowing an invisible hand stretches out to grasp ours and pull us onward—through prayer. Prayer reduces the ambiguity of the untested and uncertain to faith in God’s resources. Prayer feeds intimacy with God, simply because prayer is being with Him. Prayer lets God know in every way possible, that we surrender, each time we bow our knees. When Nouwen says it’s “the only necessary thing,” it leaves no stone unturned that we might sneak under to find shade from the luminous visage of Christ’s invitation. “Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into Him and dine with Him and he with me.” O’ Hallesby in his classic book, “Prayer,” had it right—prayer is a relationship with God. Which in fact, is the only NECESSARY thing.