1:15 “How beautiful you are, my darling,
How beautiful you are!
Your eyes are like doves.”
1:16 “How handsome you are, my beloved,
And so pleasant!
2:1 “I am the rose of Sharon,
The lily of the valleys.”
2:2 “Like a lily among the thorns,
So is my darling among the maidens.”
2:3 “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
So is my beloved among the young men.
In his shade I took great delight and sat down,
And his fruit was sweet to my taste.
This exchange of affection reflects the true nature of lovesick prayer. The dialogue of the Bridegroom and Bride is a delight and not just to duty. In verse 3 the bride says that in His shade I took great delight. You can’t have shade, or shadow, without a presence creating it. Notice that it says HIS shade. Prayer is all about presence. Him being present to me, and me being present to Him. It’s the joy of presence, or the delight of presence, that dominates true prayer. Of course there is a place for intercession and lists, but it is the reality of intimacy that elevates even intercession, and its groanings into a time of this hoiy delight, because He is there and you are there with Him. Prayer should be intermittently filled with His expressions of affection towards us, and our responses of affection back toward Him. Even in the most serious times of prayer the Divine Romance is always prayers atmosphere. It is love that makes prayer such a delight.