Prayer is about being present to God, and allowing God to be present to you.
To explore the dynamics of a Christian prayer life, we’re going to be using the shape of daily prayer from our Book of Common Prayer (2019). The Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer begin with an opening sentence of Scripture, that act as a call to worship for us. In Morning Prayer, for instance, there are three given options on the first page:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:2)
or this
I was glad when they said unto me, “We will go into the house of the Lord.” (Psalm 122:1)
or this
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)
In addition to these, there are a number of options for other verses based on the seasons of the liturgical year listed at the end of the Daily Office. Whichever one you might choose, this opening Scripture verse serves to orient our hearts with the Word of God, attuning us to the presence of God.
This is the power and effect of God’s Word—these are not normal words, but they are imbued with the Holy Spirit, “God-breathed” so that the winds of the Spirit might fill us and draw us to the throne of heavenly grace. Our call when we come to prayer is to allow them to do this work in us—orienting us and attuning us to the presence of God.
This is a crucially important point: when we come to prayer, we are not asking God to come into our presence. We are coming into His presence. Because we are not the main character in this story! The Lord is the main character in all of life, He is the source of all things, the foundation of all of creation. His presence is all around us (Psalm 139:7-10), already with us (Matt 28:20), and so our job is to become aware of His presence, and to make ourselves present to Him (Romans 12:1).
Are you aware that God is with you, even right now as you read this? Take a pause and let yourself be mindful of His presence, in the room, and in your heart.
Brother Lawrence was a 17th century monk in France. He served in his monastery in the kitchen, washing dishes and preparing food—not a glamorous job, or a high-profile service. But he made it his practice and habit to be continually mindful of the presence of God, to truly “pray without ceasing,” even as he went about his menial work. Over the course of years, he diligently trained himself to give himself wholly to God and continually call his mind and heart to communion with his Lord. These habits and his practices were recorded in the book The Practice of the Presence of God (which you can purchase very cheaply, or find a PDF for free online).
While a lifestyle like that might seem out of reach for many of us, it doesn’t have to be. The Lord is inviting you to become more and more aware of His presence with you. And you know what? Jesus is good company. He is a pleasure to be around, to spend time with, to linger with because there is nothing better for you to move on to. Psalm 16:11 prays and reminds us that, “In Your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Your soul will be refreshed in the presence of God. Your heart will be filled and satisfied in the presence of God. Your mind will be renewed and sanctified in the presence of God.
So come to Him. When it’s time for prayer—at any point in your day—put aside distractions, quiet your heart and mind, take a deep breath and let your body be still, and present yourself to God—“Here I am, Lord.” Claim the promise of James 4:8 – “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
You are coming into the presence of the Almighty God, Lord of the Universe, the Holy One. You’re invited to join the communion of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. You do not come on your own merit or your own worthiness, but because of Christ’s atoning sacrifice and reconciliation on your behalf (we’ll explore this more next week). But when you are in His presence, this becomes a holy moment, because He is the holy one. You are on holy ground. Savor this moment. Treat it with the reverence it is due. Give your attention, your devotion to the Lord, above all other things. Be present to Him, and let Him be present to you.
And by His grace, we will grow more and more in His presence.
For your Reflections:
- Do you truly believe that God is always with you? That His presence is all around you, at all times?
- Do your habits, and the use of your time, agree with your beliefs?
- What are the biggest obstacles for you in being present to God, or in becoming aware of His presence? Is there an obvious obstacle you can remove this week?
- Brother Lawrence wrote, “We should feed and nourish our souls with high notions of God; which would yield us great joy in being devoted to Him.” Do you have a high enough notion of God to be nourished by His presence?