What Is Beholding?  

Beholding is the practice of intentionally gazing at God—not to receive anything, but to admire Him simply for who He is. It’s the art of holding God before us with an open soul, allowing Him to hold us in return. This practice transforms our relationship with God from transactional to relational, from consumer to friend.  

Key Aspects Of Beholding:

• Admiration Without Agenda: Beholding focuses on God's beauty, holiness, and goodness without seeking personal gain.  

• Deep Enjoyment Of God: It’s about discovering His unsearchable nature, allowing every day to reveal something new about Him.  

• Restful Surrender: Beholding relinquishes control, letting God reveal Himself on His terms.  

As Stratham Coleman writes, “Beholding prayer values its time with God even when none of that [emotion or understanding] is present.”  It’s a posture of trust, delight, and awe in His presence.

How Do We Behold?  

Beholding is both a mindset and a practice, requiring us to cultivate awareness of God’s presence in every moment and circumstance.  

Steps to Beholding:

1. Set Aside Agendas: Approach God with no demands, just an open heart. Let Him reveal Himself beyond your expectations.  

2. Be Still And Present: Create space to sit in God’s presence, letting silence and stillness awaken your awareness of Him.  

3. Gaze On His Beauty: Admire God’s character, creation, Word, and works. Meditate on His attributes and the gospel of His love.  

4. Listen, Don’t Lead: Prayer becomes a conversation where God speaks first. Like jumping into a river, we flow with His presence rather than forcing an agenda.  

5. Stay Attentive In The Mundane: Learn to process life with God, inviting Him into every moment, big or small.  

Coleman writes, “Prayer is the art of joining a conversation, not starting one.” Beholding invites us into God’s ongoing dialogue with creation.

Why Beholding Matters 

Beholding transforms us from within. It shifts our focus from what God can do for us to simply delighting in who He is.  

Key Reasons for Beholding: 

1. Deep Communion: Beholding anchors us in God’s presence, creating a relationship built on love rather than outcomes.  

2. Transformation: As 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, we are “transformed into His image” by gazing upon His glory.  

3. Freedom From Consumerism: Beholding frees us from measuring our spiritual lives by feelings or results, centering us instead on God’s unchanging character.  

4. A New Vision For Life: Beholding renews our minds (Romans 12:2), enabling us to see ourselves and the world through God’s perspective.  

5. Reflecting His Glory: The more we behold God, the more His light shines through us into the world (Matthew 5:14-16).  

In beholding, we embrace God’s mystery, trusting Him even in silence or spiritual wilderness. As Coleman reflects, “Beholding allows even suffering to coexist in our communion with Him.”

Beholding: Discipleship Without Agenda

Beholding is a countercultural practice. In a world driven by results, it teaches us to value relationship over achievement, presence over productivity.  It’s a lifelong journey of learning to see God not as a resource but as the source of all joy and love. In beholding, we discover that God Himself is the greatest gift, and His presence is enough to satisfy our deepest longings.  As Psalm 27:4 declares:  "One thing I ask from the Lord… that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple." 

Beholding is the essence of discipleship: to see God, to be transformed by Him, and to reflect His beauty to the world. It’s not about doing for God but being with God—a life lived in awe of the One who holds us in love.