Practicing the presence of God is simple in theory but never comfortable putting into practice. Being mindful of God’s presence requires effort, discipline, and hard work to sort through the mindless thoughts and endless chatter that fills our minds.
Most of us can practice being aware of Christ’s presence for a few moments, but to let our minds focus on Christ for hours on end in the ongoing activity of life is one thing few followers of Christ ever experience. Calming my restless mind is a significant achievement.
However, practicing the presence of God is worth it, for it allows our hearts and minds to focus on Christ and the kingdom of God intimately. In the stillness, we encounter thoughts and emotions that lie below the surface of our conscious awareness.
It is there we get in touch with painful feelings and the bondage and havoc they can create in our lives. It is there we can become honest with ourselves and discover the liberating power of acknowledging our needs and hurts to God. There we can focus on who we need to forgive and release all who are unwilling to forgive us and be healed.
When we practice the presence of God, it empowers us to pay attention to Christ’s love by seeking his wisdom and life-giving spirit within us. It helps us become aware of the resurrected Lord and release the thoughts and feelings that keep us from inner peace. They lead us into silence to experience perfect harmony with God and all creation by guarding our thoughts and paying attention to them.
Practicing the presence of God helps us to sit back and not let the happenings of the world and our thoughts terrorize us. Practicing the presence of God is living mindfully in the moment. We release all the ideas coming and going in our heads with the one view of making Christ a home in the center of our heart that transforms our being and behavior by providing us eternal hope and purpose.
