In the Presence... Introduction
Before we start with day 1, I want to give you the draft introduction to the devotional guide.
Welcome to the Sacred Practice of Everyday Presence
This Reflection guide is a result of a profound experience that was years in the making. I read the book “The Practice of the Presence of God” by Brother Lawrence many decades ago. At that time, I wasn’t ready for the message and meaning of the book. I recently read the book again and a question, deep in my soul, came to me: What would happen if I lived as if God was present in everything I do? This led to another question: What if all I needed to do was… notice?
In the book, Brother Lawrence, a French monk, shared his personal experiences of living in every moment and in every task of becoming aware of God’s presence. His letters and conversations became a spiritual classic. Brother Lawrence found incredible joy and connection with God in the common tasks in his life: cooking, gardening, walking through the monastery.
His book is still available to everyone, but there is a problem: very few people know about the book and even fewer people allow the message of the book to make a difference in their lives. This guide is a response to that problem
Relying on Brother Lawrence’s inspiration, I challenge you to join me on a 31-day journey to step away from the distractions and excessive demands of modern life for at least a few minutes a day. Let’s see what impact those minutes will have on our lives.
This 31-day Reflection journey offers more than inspiration- it offers practical steps. You will find reflections on Scripture, brief exercises, and a unique way of praying throughout each day. The goal is to create a habit of noticing and living in the divine presence of God in all you do.
A New Kind of Reflection Rhythm
Each day’s devotion is built around a theme and Scripture passage using guided practices to focus your attention on God’s presence in your mind, body, relationships, and work. We will explore how to:
Recognize every moment and place as holy ground
Transform ordinary tasks into acts of worship
Find new dimensions of God’s love within ourselves
Respond to others with divine compassion
Experience God's nearness in stillness, work, and movement
I invite you to begin noticing the reality that God is already here for you and that you can meet Him wherever you are. Not later, but now.
Take a breath. Set aside your busyness. This is not a race or a performance. This is a calm invitation to become more aware of the God who is already here for you.
Just begin the practice of noticing.
Beginning the Practice
For the first 3 days we will get comfortable with the rhythm and flow of each day’s devotion. We need to focus our attention more on God and less on the distractions of modern life.
After you read the Scripture passage and the reflection spend a minute or two practicing the practical step for the day. The journaling prompt that follows the practice is completely optional, but I invite you to at least consider what you would write even if you don’t. After that you will find a “Send Off Blessing,” my prayer to you for the day.
The last part of each daily devotion is an “As You Go Prayer.” These are brief, one-sentence prayers based on the theme and Scripture for the day. They include breathing prompts to engage your body and mind in the practice of prayer. Repeat these prayers throughout your day and see what a difference they make for you.
Let’s begin with day 1.
Well done!