February Practice: Practicing the Presence of God
Making space by being with God in the regular and mundane...
You may have heard about the book The Practice of The Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. I’d long heard about this book and the friar who wrote it. How he was just as close to God while peeling potatoes as he was while engaging in prayer. I thought that sounded lovely. Freeing. But also hard. Maybe impossible?
I finally got around to reading the book. And I finished feeling inspired. Hopeful. Yes, I want this life where I am so connected to God that there is no difference between my set aside time in prayer and the rest of my life (in a monastery there are set rhythms of work and prayer. Brother Lawrence found that “the set times of prayer were not different from other times…when the appointed times of prayer were past he found no difference, because he still continued with God”).
But, Brother Lawrence is light on the practicals. I kept wondering, what does this look like? How do I do it? How do I cultivate this constant awareness of God’s presence? Life as prayer?
Brother Lawrence tells us in a letter he’d written to encourage a soldier to trust in God:
Let him then think of GOD the most he can; let him accustom himself, gradually, to this small but holy exercise; nobody perceives it, and nothing is easier than to repeat often in the day these little internal adorations. Recommend to him, if you please, that he think of GOD the most he can…
So. Brother Lawrence’s advise to us for practicing the presence of God is to think of God the most we can. Adore God internally.
He says in another letter:
And I make it my business only to persevere in His holy presence, in which I keep myself by a simple attention, and a general fond regard to God, what I may call an actual presence of GOD, or to speak better, an habitual, silent, and secret conversation of the soul with GOD…
It’s paying attention to God. Thinking of Him fondly. Having a constant conversation with Him.
So, maybe the invitation here is to stop separating our time as sacred and secular. Time in prayer and time in work. Maybe we stop having a morning “quiet time” and then forget God for the rest of the day.
Maybe we bring God to mind the most we can. We keep our conversation going throughout the day. We receive His love and love Him back.
But what might that look like in our actual lives? And how do we make it habitual like Brother Lawrence?
I’ve gathered a few ideas, but I’d love to hear what works for you. Please share any ways you’ve been able to cultivate awareness of God’s presence in the comments. But here are mine:
Choose a signal to remind you to bring God to your mind. Maybe it’s an alarm on your phone, a bracelet or piece of string around your wrist, a stone in your pocket, a lit candle. Or maybe it’s a certain activity that you do regularly (washing your hands, eating or drinking, walking the dog, etc.)
Once you’ve bright God to mind take a full minute to be silent in His presence. Maybe you try centering prayer or imaginative prayer. Maybe you just bring to mind an image of His loving face looking at you.
Or maybe you ask Him a question. Wonder with Him about whatever you are doing (“What do you think about this, God?”).
Or maybe you tell Him about what you’re thinking or feeling or grateful for in that moment (“This is hard, God…” or “Thank you for for this, God…”).
Or maybe you just take some space to listen (“Is there anything you want to tell me, God?”).
A moment to connect. To remember God’s always with you. To bring Him into the ordinary and mundane moments of your life. Like Brother Lawrence said, “a habitual, secret, silent conversation of the soul with God.”
So, when will you make space in your schedule to practice God’s presence? What is God inviting you to regarding this practice? Ask Him. Then think about giving it a try 😊
And may you encounter the God who loves you as you make space in your schedule and your soul.