Spiritual Discipline: Practicing the presence of God.
In our SheRises series we are dedicating one blog post a month to focus on a spiritual discipline that will help us to grow in our monthly theme. Today, on Come To The Table we are discussing the merits of practicing the presence of God.
What an opportunity we have to be able to keep company with God; to have access to the throne room to come and go as we wish. The God who created the universe and everything it includes, has made Himself available to us for relationship, counsel, comfort, help, and guidance. The question that comes to mind is, how available are we making ourselves to Him? There are so many things that can rob us of being mindful of His nearness and draw us away from Him. St. Francis de Sales left us with some excellent advice:
“ Several times during the day,…ask yourself for a moment if you have your soul in your hands or if some passion or fit of anxiety has robbed you of it….Quietly bring your soul back to the presence of God, subjecting all your affections and desires to the obedience and direction of His divine will.” ~ St. Francis de Sales
Don’t you love that? St. Francis reminds us that practicing the presence of God requires us to be intentional. We practice the presence of God every time we make ourselves available to God through mindfulness, being aware that God is always with us, and taking time to notice God in our every circumstance. Doing these things help us develop a daily rhythm of looking for God everywhere we go and in the people we come in contact with. Let’s make it a point to be “noticers” of the ways God is with us so that we may grow in our intimacy with Him.
We hope you will watch the video and gain some practical tips on how to practice the presence of God in your life. We would love to hear ways that you engage in the spiritual discipline of presence. Join our She Rises Facebook group here and be a part of the conversation!
Being Remade’s Recommended Reading List: (for developing various spiritual disciplines)
- Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun
- The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives by Dallas Willard
- Living The Spirit-Formed Life: Growing in the 10 Principles of Spirit-Filled Discipleship by Jack Hayford
