Amy Lynne Jung

There’s only one person I ever call at 6:45 a.m. on Wednesday mornings. It’s Suzanne.  I don’t remember the date it started, but we’ve been doing this for almost thirteen years. It’s become a part of my week’s spiritual rhythm…like going to church on Sunday morning.  It doesn’t cross my mind not to do it unless an act of God prohibits it. Although, I have been known to oversleep a few times!

We share our life’s story for the past week, hold each other accountable, and cry out to God for each other and our families. It’s one of the most beautiful moments of my week. There’s this one thing that Suzanne and I keep circling back to just about every week. How do we practice the presence of God throughout our day?  How do we remember, more often and consistently that God is with us and helps us? How do we more readily worship Him and thank Him throughout our day? If you’re a follower of Christ, you dream of days like this, yet I don’t personally know anyone who claims to have it down.

If we had this perfected, I guess we wouldn’t need Tuesday mornings.

So we’ve decided that our struggle to do this is a beautiful one because at least we’re struggling.  I mean, we could be lacking awareness to the need. Or we could be aware but without a care.  Instead, we’re aware and struggling.  And I think God loves that. He knows we won’t do it perfectly, that is why He gave us Jesus.  So a struggle it is, and a struggle it will always be on this side of glory.

But how can we make it easier?  How can we cooperate with Jesus? How can we practice His presence more and more?

A couple of years ago I stayed overnight alone in a little hermitage on a cliff that overlooked the Mississippi River in order to simply be with God. It was a stunning experience in continuous solitude. I was absolutely quiet for over twenty-four hours. How I wish there was a way to experience the peace from God’s presence that I had there in every moment of my life! Here is a picture that I took from the inside of my one-room cabin.

Most of us can’t run off to a cabin each day. I do believe, though, that we CAN experience peace and the abundant spiritual life as we turn to Him throughout our days. This turning becomes more streamlined and easier as we practice it throughout our lives.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).”Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

For the next six weeks, I’ll be focusing on a book by Brother Lawrence called The Practice of the Presence of God.  Perhaps you’ve heard of it?

“Brother Lawrence was a man of humble beginnings who discovered the greatest secret of living in the kingdom of God here on earth. It is the art of “practicing the presence of God in one single act that does not end.” He often stated that it is God who paints Himself in the depths of our soul. We must merely open our hearts to receive Him and His loving presence. For nearly 300 years this unparalleled classic has given both blessing and instruction to those who can be content with nothing less than knowing God in all His majesty and feeling His loving presence throughout each simple day.” (Amazon book description)

DISCLAIMER: Brother Lawrence and I may not hold all the same views on theology, but I do agree with him on his basic six points of practicing the presence of God. Please remember…we are not Brother Lawrence! Most of us do not live in a monastery, we live in the world. We may have spouses, children, many friends and family able to text us and call us at all moments of the day. We leave our homes daily and work and play with a variety of people. Our lives will not look like Brother Lawrence’s life exactly. And maybe that’s a good thing! We also can’t forget the importance of being lead, not merely by our experiencing God, but by His Word. We should look forward to Him interacting with us by His Word, not only in being mindful of Him. In this series, I’ve made an attempt to add God’s Word to guide and inform us through the points that He makes. I want to encourage you to allow God’s Word to guide and inform you in all your moments.

If you would like your own copy of The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence, please click on the link below. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

I will be focusing on the practices that brother Lawrence wrote were necessary to develop the spiritual life.

Here’s a quick list to peak your interest!

1. Finding constant pleasure in His divine company
2. Conversing with God in little ways while we do our work
3. Doing everything with great care
4. Stopping for a few minutes – as often as possible – to praise God
5. Adoring God in faith
6. Carefully examining ourselves

What are some ways you practice His presence? Will you join me for the next six weeks as I explore this book a bit and focus on ways that we can once again turn to Jesus, His grace, and His kingdom?  I’d love to know if brother Lawrence’s thoughts from about 400 years ago are consistent with your thoughts on this topic now! Let’s find out together!

Do you struggle to find peace? One of the reasons I created the course Overcoming Overwhelm was because I was going through a season of an overwhelming lack of peace. Click here to learn more about the course:

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