M. Fountaine
Someone told me, “I have two times during the week when I can have solid, relatively uninterrupted time to pray, hear from the Lord, and to meditate on and listen to Bible-based publications, and that’s the time I have each week driving to a place of business in another town and back again. It’s hard for me to get any concentrated time other than that, but I try to take small times here and there.”
It’s wonderful when you feel a hunger for Jesus. It’s good to feel the Lord’s conviction to strive to do all you can, but it’s important not to let yourself feel condemned if you can’t get as much time with the Lord as you would like.
Time spent with the Lord, in prayer and hearing from Him, delving into His Word and other inspirational writings, guided by the Holy Spirit, is a very important investment that we should be striving to make. But in today’s hectic world there are situations where we need alternative ways to be fed, guided, strengthened, and encouraged spiritually. We can ask the Lord to show us new ways to have closer communion with Him.
When praying about this dilemma, I was reminded of two books, one by Brother Lawrence, a seventeenth-century monk, called The Practice of the Presence of God, and a booklet by Frank Laubach called The Game with Minutes.[1] They both give examples of how we can do more to walk with Jesus, weaving His presence into our lives. Frank Laubach presents an innovative way to be spiritually refreshed and renewed by striving to remain in God’s presence.
“In the 17th century, a monk by the name of Brother Lawrence found that he could have as deep a time of intimacy with Jesus while alone washing dishes in the kitchen as when he knelt at the altar to pray. Some 300 years later, in the early 20th century, Frank Laubach began to experiment with turning his mind purposely on Jesus. He called his experiment ‘The Game With Minutes,’ where at least once every minute he would consciously think upon his Lord and Savior. Both of these men found that by turning their focus upon Jesus, the depth, intimacy, and oneness of their connection to Him increased tenfold.”—NR Johnson.[2]
I believe that many of us have built a deep relationship with Jesus. But it always helps to reemphasize the priorities to ensure that they remain in the place of importance that they deserve. Jesus can be an ever-present help if we’re interacting with Him, conferring with Him day by day. That ongoing connection with Him makes Him an active part of our lives rather than just a silent observer.
Everyone’s life is full of decisions and choices. Making Jesus an active part of those can go a long way toward bringing the best into our lives. It costs a little more in terms of effort to develop the habit and maintain that connection, but it opens up a whole world of potential that wouldn't otherwise be readily available to you. It makes His crucial communications with you accessible in real time. It makes your work more efficient, gives you access to instantaneous responses to your queries, and moves you into a whole new level of possibilities.
The question is, “How do we do this?” Here is a list of ideas based on concepts from an interesting book by Frank Laubach.[3] You may not find every idea useful or practical, but you can try out any that seem as if they might help you build or restore that ongoing awareness that Jesus is always with you.
These ideas might be valuable to suggest for those you are ministering to. You may also want to modify some of these ideas to use as a game for your children or grandchildren to help them form the habit of looking to Jesus in their daily lives.
Suggestions for ways to enhance God’s presence in your life:
Consciously include God in whatever you’re doing. Make your thoughts a conversation with Him.
Make it a habit to offer a quick silent prayer for those you notice as you pass people on the street or in your car. When you take a walk in your neighborhood, pray quietly for the residents of each house you feel led to pray for. (On a walk with children, you could make it a game by praying for the people living in houses of a certain color, etc.)
Imagine Jesus walking beside you on your walks and talk to Him in your heart. Ask Him about the people you meet; for example, “Lord, how do You want me to pray for [this] man?”
Put up pictures of Jesus around your house: in the kitchen, by your computer, in your bedroom, etc.
Try to see those you encounter the way Jesus sees them. See people both as they are and with the full potential they have in Jesus.
When you’re engaged in conversation with a group of people, be open to God’s voice in your heart by silently praying, “Lord, what are Your thoughts? What do You want me to say?”
When reading a book, read it to the Lord. Have a running inward conversation with Him about what you are reading.
When thinking deeply about a difficulty or challenge, instead of thinking to yourself, try to form the habit of talking to Jesus. When you’re quiet and open to His voice, He can seem to speak through your thoughts. His voice becomes so close and clear that it can almost seem to be coming from your own heart. The more He has control of your heart and mind, the more He can guide your thoughts.
When you’re surrounded by His creation, thank Him for the beauty of it all. See it as His voice speaking to you. Ask Him, “Jesus, what are You telling me through this, and that, and the other?”
At night when you go to bed, have a picture of Jesus where it will meet your closing eyes as you fall asleep. Whisper whatever is on your heart to Him.
Pray for dreams of Jesus. Ask Him to give you thoughts, impressions, and ideas in the night seasons as you sleep.
With every phone call you make or email you send, send a little prayer along with it.
Keep humming a favorite song about or to the Lord.
From the time you wake up, include Jesus in whatever you do, whether it's big or small. He is interested in every detail. He loves us more intimately than a mother loves her baby, or a lover his sweetheart, and is happy when we share every question or concern with Him.
When you’re writing anything, say, “Lord, place Your thoughts in my mind. What do You want to say? Here are my hands; use them.” God loves to be a co-author.
When reading the news, bring each situation to the Lord in prayer.
When you play a game, God loves to watch you having fun. So don’t ask to win, but pray, “Lord, let Your will be done. Help us to be good sportsmen and a good witness to others.”
When you think about someone you love, take a moment to pray for them, and when you can, pray together with them. When your relationship is centered on God, His love can enrich your life and theirs and create a bond that is built on something timeless.
It’s helpful sometimes to share with others the progress you are making in focusing on Jesus. So when you get together with others who are “practicing His presence,” you can exchange ideas and share your progress with one another.
My hope is that some of these ideas will inspire you in your fellowship with Jesus and help you find time for prayer, meditation, and reading His Word and other devotional writings. The more you’re able to place Him at the center of your life, the more your connection to Him will be enriched.
[1] The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence (1605–1691), is freely available in a variety of formats here. The Game With Minutes, by Frank C. Laubach, 1953, is available in part on the Web or in full from Amazon and other retailers.
[2] Book review posted here, accessed August 15, 2013.
[3] Letters by a Modern Mystic (Student Volunteer Movement, 1937). Available in various forms on the Web, and in print from Amazon.
