During the FOLLOW sermon series, The Daily Fill devotional will consist of four days of the regular devotionals, and the 5th day (Fridays) will include a “practice” section to help you go a little deeper with the subject studied this past week.
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Brother Lawrence, a 17th-century Carmelite monk, is one of the best-known voices on intimacy with Christ. He called this solitude of the heart, “Practicing the Presence of God.” Brother Lawrence was not a priest or teacher, but a lay brother. Following a near-fatal injury during the Thirty Years’ War, he entered a Carmelite Monastery in Paris, crippled, and became their cook. While his daily routine included the mundane tasks of a cook, he did so with a passion to know and be known; for his Lord to be ever-present in every part of every day. Lawrence was said to be “never hasty nor loitering, but did each thing in its season, with an even, uninterrupted composure and tranquility of spirit.” He claimed that this was not spirituality, but the “practice of the presence of God in all ways and in all times.” During his almost 50 years as a monk, he was sought out by monks and outsiders alike for the beauty of his soul.
Practicing God’s presence means “discerning and developing habits for discerning and awareness of God’s presence.” This comes in part through “noticing.” Noticing draws our attention to the creation that surrounds us and the Creator who has formed a beautiful tapestry of goodness, mercy, and grace right before our very eyes. Noticing takes our attention off ourselves and invites us into the presence of the Almighty.
Start your day by noticing God’s presence.
~ Go for a walk outside. Try not to think about anything in particular—just notice.
~ Breathe deeply and slowly.
~ Listen.
~ Smell.
~ Look.
~ Feel.
~ Ask God to reveal Himself.
~ Call out names of God.
~ Call out his blessings.
~ Be still and know.
The Bible uses phrases such as “abiding,” “remaining in Christ,” “walking with God,” and “keeping in step with the Spirit.”
The following are 13 images that portray what it means to practice God’s presence. These are not one-time actions but ongoing practices. Choose a few to read, ponder, and practice this week, then share your experience with someone.
~ Abide: John 15:4-5
~ Love: Matthew 22:37-40
~ Set your mind: Romans 8:5-6
~ Walk (in step with the Spirit): Galatians 5:16, 25
~ Set your heart: Colossians 3:1-2
~ Rejoice: Philippians 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:16
~ Pray: 1 Thessalonians 5:17
~ Give thanks (in all circumstances): 1 Thessalonians 5:18
~ Run (with endurance and perseverance): Hebrews 12:1-2
~ Submit/Offer (yourself): Romans 12:1-2
~ Press on: Philippians 3:12-14
~ Dwell: Philippians 4:6-8
~ Remember (God’s faithfulness and provision): Deuteronomy 8:2-3