Day 5 – Practice God’s Presence

Brother Lawrence said that “we must establish ourselves in God’s presence by continually conversing with him, and that it was shameful to give up conversation with him to turn to foolishness. We must nourish our souls with an exalted idea of God, and thereby we will draw great joy from being with him.”

Here Brother Lawrence makes one grand yet simple discovery of the spiritual life. One spiritual practice he found especially needful and genuinely transformative – practicing or cultivating the presence of God.

Other authors and communicators, including myself, may talk about four essential spiritual experiences, or five steps to spiritual maturity, or six stages of faith, or a series of spiritual disciplines.

These are all good and worthy, of course. Brother Lawrence is saying, however, in his opinion, if you have to choose one way of establishing an ongoing, intimate relationship with God through Christ, choose practicing the presence of God.

He lived and taught that you and I can be present to God all day, every day, by becoming aware of God’s already presence. You don’t have to seek after it. It’s already there. He’s already there.

The way of faith is simple: establish ourselves in the presence of God.

A few suggestions how to practice God’s presence throughout the day:

•    Initiate short conversations with God.

•    Remind yourself that God is with you.

•    Pray a short prayer from a Bible verse.

•    Lift up a song of worship.

•    Reflect on one attribute of God.

Pick one and practice it throughout the day as often as you recall it. Set a recurring timer on your phone if it helps.

Become aware of God’s already presence. Practice the presence of God.

Action step: Which suggestion for practicing God’s presence are you choosing?

This is God’s Word for you today,
Pastor Dave