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What a year it has been: unexpected uncertainties, patterns and rhythms of personal and family life overturned, plans disrupted, usual ministry impossible, and new ways of ministry to learn. On the upside, greater dependence on God to do his work; unexpected opportunities for evangelism and practical support; increased realisation of how valuable it is to meet together; and greater thankfulness for many of God’s gifts that we take for granted. While many have had the challenge of doing ministry, family life and schooling in a confined space, my experience has been more time alone. This has provided an opportunity to grow my prayer life, as I have been learning to ‘practise the presence of God.’
The expression ‘practising the presence of God’ comes from a book by Brother Laurence. For me it means putting into practice, whenever possible, a conscious thankful awareness of God’s presence, meditation on God’s word, praise and thanks or lament and grief expressed to God, and intercession.
My prayer life has always been at set times. I have been learning to practise God’s presence and pray to him whenever I can. Many Christians do this; I am just catching up with other people! If you don’t already do this, I hope you will give it a go. If you already do this, you may find my experience encouraging.
‘Practising the presence of God’ is the usual expression. Its danger is its self-centredness. I think of it as:
- ‘Growing in being aware of and responding to God’s presence’,
- ‘Increasingly being consciously present in the presence of God’
- [More briefly] ‘Responding to God’s omnipresence’!
(n.b. ‘Practising = ‘putting into practice’, or ‘making a habit of’. not, ‘trying to make it happen’!)
- ‘The LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other’. Deut 4:39.
- ‘Can a man hide himself in secret place so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord?’ Jer 23:24.
- ‘In him we live and move and have our being’. Acts 17:28.
God is present whether we are believers or not. He is present everywhere even if we do not recognise his presence. God is omnipresent. God is present everywhere in his Son, sustaining this universe: ‘For by him all things were created … and in him all things hold together’. Col 1:16,17. Christ holds the universe together. We should honour and praise Christ for his work of creation, as well as salvation.
We can never escape God’s presence, and we can never invite him to be present. He is present everywhere, and he is present before we are present.
Question: ‘Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?’ (Ps 139:7).
To meet God in everyday life, to be aware of being in the presence of God all the time, is not subjective experientialism, it is reality.
Edited for length.