Living in God's Presence: A Transformative Journey

 

Summary

In today's reflection, we explore the profound concept of living in the presence of God, a practice that transforms our daily lives into a continuous dialogue with the Divine. This is not just a habit but the ultimate habit, the supreme practice that invites us to engage with God in every moment. The idea is to cultivate an awareness of God's presence, allowing it to permeate our thoughts and actions. This practice is not about mechanical repetition but about forming a genuine connection with God, making Him a constant companion in our lives.

We are reminded of the story of a seminary student who prayed for an elderly woman ready to meet her Creator. The unexpected immediacy of God's response in that moment serves as a powerful reminder of the unpredictability and wonder of God's presence. It challenges us to recognize that when God is "on the loose," anything can happen, including the miraculous and the unexpected.

Frank Laubach's "game with minutes" offers a practical approach to this practice. By turning our thoughts to God for at least one second every minute, we engage in a spiritual exercise that strengthens our awareness of His presence. This game is not about achieving perfection but about forming a habit that becomes second nature over time. It encourages us to see God in the mundane, to offer prayers for those we encounter, and to transform ordinary moments into opportunities for divine connection.

As we strive to keep God in mind, we are like infants learning to walk, wobbling and falling but rising again with each attempt. This journey is about persistence and grace, about allowing God to carry us as we seek to carry Him into every aspect of our lives. The ultimate goal is to walk in joy, power, grace, and strength with Jesus, forming a habit of love that transforms us from the inside out.

Key Takeaways:

- Living in God's Presence: Cultivating an awareness of God's presence is the ultimate habit. It involves a continuous dialogue with God, transforming our daily lives into a spiritual journey. This practice is not about mechanical repetition but about forming a genuine connection with God, making Him a constant companion in our lives. [01:06]

- The Unpredictability of God: The story of the seminary student and the elderly woman reminds us of the unpredictability and wonder of God's presence. When God is "on the loose," anything can happen, including the miraculous and the unexpected. This challenges us to remain open to the divine possibilities in our lives. [03:51]

- The Game with Minutes: Frank Laubach's "game with minutes" is a practical approach to living in God's presence. By turning our thoughts to God for at least one second every minute, we engage in a spiritual exercise that strengthens our awareness of His presence. This game is about forming a habit that becomes second nature over time. [05:07]

- Persistence in Spiritual Growth: As we strive to keep God in mind, we are like infants learning to walk, wobbling and falling but rising again with each attempt. This journey is about persistence and grace, about allowing God to carry us as we seek to carry Him into every aspect of our lives. [06:31]

- Transforming the Mundane: The practice of living in God's presence encourages us to see God in the mundane, to offer prayers for those we encounter, and to transform ordinary moments into opportunities for divine connection. The ultimate goal is to walk in joy, power, grace, and strength with Jesus, forming a habit of love that transforms us from the inside out. [08:51]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:35] - The Ultimate Habit
- [01:06] - Living in God's Presence
- [01:21] - Personal Prayer Journey
- [02:02] - Closing Off from God
- [02:17] - Story of the Seminary Student
- [03:24] - The Unpredictability of God
- [04:20] - Setting God Before Us
- [05:07] - The Game with Minutes
- [06:04] - Forming Spiritual Habits
- [06:31] - Persistence in Spiritual Growth
- [07:28] - Offering Prayers for Others
- [08:10] - Seeing Christ in Others
- [09:03] - Remembering God in Daily Life
- [10:27] - Walking with Jesus
- [11:16] - Conclusion and Invitation

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Living in the Presence of God

Bible Reading:
1. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 - "Pray without ceasing."
2. Psalm 16:8 - "I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken."

Observation Questions:
1. What does it mean to "pray without ceasing" as mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, and how does this relate to the concept of living in God's presence? [00:49]
2. How does the story of the seminary student and the elderly woman illustrate the unpredictability of God's presence? [03:24]
3. What is Frank Laubach's "game with minutes," and how is it intended to help believers cultivate an awareness of God's presence? [05:07]
4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that living in God's presence can transform ordinary moments into opportunities for divine connection? [08:51]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How might the practice of setting the Lord always before oneself, as described in Psalm 16:8, influence a person's daily decisions and interactions? [01:06]
2. What does the story of the seminary student and the elderly woman teach about the nature of prayer and God's response to it? [03:51]
3. How does the "game with minutes" challenge traditional views of prayer and spiritual practice? What might be the benefits and challenges of this approach? [05:07]
4. How does the sermon describe the process of spiritual growth as similar to an infant learning to walk? What does this metaphor suggest about persistence and grace in spiritual development? [06:31]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current prayer habits. How can you incorporate the idea of "praying without ceasing" into your daily routine? What specific changes can you make this week? [00:49]
2. Think of a recent situation where you experienced the unpredictability of God's presence. How did it affect your faith, and how can you remain open to such divine possibilities in the future? [03:51]
3. Try playing the "game with minutes" for one hour this week. What challenges do you anticipate, and how can you overcome them to make this practice a regular part of your life? [05:07]
4. Identify a mundane task you do regularly. How can you transform this task into an opportunity for divine connection by inviting God's presence into it? [08:51]
5. Consider a time when you felt like an "infant learning to walk" in your spiritual journey. What helped you persist, and how can you apply that experience to current challenges in your faith walk? [06:31]
6. How can you offer prayers for those you encounter in your daily life, as suggested in the sermon? Think of one person you can pray for this week and how you might do so. [07:28]
7. Reflect on the idea of walking with Jesus in joy, power, grace, and strength. What specific steps can you take to cultivate this habit of love in your life? [11:16]

Devotional

Day 1: Cultivating Divine Awareness
Cultivating an awareness of God's presence is a transformative practice that turns our daily lives into a spiritual journey. This is not about mechanical repetition but about forming a genuine connection with God, making Him a constant companion in our lives. By engaging in a continuous dialogue with God, we invite His presence to permeate our thoughts and actions, allowing us to live in a state of spiritual mindfulness. This practice encourages us to see every moment as an opportunity to connect with the Divine, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. [01:06]

"Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!" (1 Chronicles 16:11, ESV)

Reflection: How can you intentionally create moments today to pause and acknowledge God's presence in your routine activities?


Day 2: Embracing Divine Unpredictability
The story of the seminary student and the elderly woman serves as a powerful reminder of the unpredictability and wonder of God's presence. When God is "on the loose," anything can happen, including the miraculous and the unexpected. This challenges us to remain open to the divine possibilities in our lives, recognizing that God's ways are beyond our understanding. Embracing this unpredictability invites us to trust in God's plan and to be ready for the unexpected ways He may choose to reveal Himself. [03:51]

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord." (Isaiah 55:8, ESV)

Reflection: Can you recall a time when God surprised you with an unexpected blessing or lesson? How can you remain open to such divine surprises today?


Day 3: Practicing the Game with Minutes
Frank Laubach's "game with minutes" offers a practical approach to living in God's presence. By turning our thoughts to God for at least one second every minute, we engage in a spiritual exercise that strengthens our awareness of His presence. This practice is not about achieving perfection but about forming a habit that becomes second nature over time. It encourages us to see God in the mundane, to offer prayers for those we encounter, and to transform ordinary moments into opportunities for divine connection. [05:07]

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV)

Reflection: How can you incorporate the "game with minutes" into your daily routine today? What reminders can you set to help you turn your thoughts to God regularly?


Day 4: Persisting in Spiritual Growth
As we strive to keep God in mind, we are like infants learning to walk, wobbling and falling but rising again with each attempt. This journey is about persistence and grace, about allowing God to carry us as we seek to carry Him into every aspect of our lives. The process of spiritual growth requires patience and perseverance, trusting that each step, no matter how small, brings us closer to walking in joy, power, grace, and strength with Jesus. [06:31]

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own." (Philippians 3:12, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your spiritual life where you feel like you're "wobbling"? How can you lean on God's grace to persist in growth today?


Day 5: Transforming the Mundane
The practice of living in God's presence encourages us to see God in the mundane, to offer prayers for those we encounter, and to transform ordinary moments into opportunities for divine connection. The ultimate goal is to walk in joy, power, grace, and strength with Jesus, forming a habit of love that transforms us from the inside out. By inviting God into the everyday, we allow His presence to infuse our lives with meaning and purpose, turning the ordinary into the sacred. [08:51]

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17, ESV)

Reflection: What is one mundane task you can transform into a moment of divine connection today? How can you invite God into this task?

Quotes

"and the idea here is to live in God's presence to live in the awareness of God in continual interaction with God and that happens primarily in my mind in my thoughts as I speak to God I invite God to be with me right now I'm here with you but he's here with us and so I don't depend just on me" [00:01:01]

"and what I've come to learn particularly in this series on habits is she was inviting me to make the events and circumstances of my life cues that would cause me to want God to think about God and then to respond by seeking God and and have that habit and the experience of God's presence in my life" [00:01:42]

"and then this young seminarian asked well have you ever had somebody pray for you about this have you ever told God that you are ready to be done with this life and ask him if he would take you no the old woman said I've never done that okay the student said would you like me to pray for you yes the woman said I would like that a lot" [00:02:48]

"and neores part of why we are so alarmed often when we read about Jesus in the New Testament is because Jesus is God on the loose and when God is on the loose Anything Can Happen Resurrection can happen anything can happen in my life in your life and of course we live in a world that is so full of mystery and wonder" [00:03:40]

"so our life is a massive habits but the great habit the master habit the ultimate habit is to set God always before me to turn to him in my mind over and over and over Frank lobic who some of us learned from read about a little while ago had a wonderful approach to this practice and he called it a game with minutes" [00:04:14]

"he said practicing the presence of God is Not on trial it has been tried and proved by countless thousands and we need him our world desperately needs some people who are running experiments who are seeing how far they can carry God into their lives or allow God to carry them" [00:04:37]

"and you might take an hour but we're doing it right now think about God right now think about God right now God is here with you he'll help you turn your mind take an hour and see in how many minutes you can turn your mind to God for at least one second and then that's the game" [00:05:11]

"again people who are wise about spiritual transformation have always understood the fundamental role of habits not mechanical not routine not arbitrary not imposed on the outside but the way that God created our lives and our embodied selves if you try to ride shorthand at first very awkward it's true when you learn to play the piano ride a bicycle or use any new muzzles" [00:05:48]

"when you try this game with minutes you discover spiritually you are still a very weak infant now babe in the creek sees his crib seizes upon everything in hand to pull himself to his feet wobbles Falls exhausted then he tries again each time standing a little longer than before we are like that babe when we begin to try to keep God in mind" [00:06:15]

"experiments have revealed a sure way to succeed offer a swift prayer for people at whom you glance it's easy to think of an instantaneous prayer while looking people straight in the eye and the way people smiled back at you shows that they like it it is no wonder that Lubbock lived such a magnetic and remarkably impactful life" [00:07:31]

"many of us win our game nearly all of some days by realizing his unseen presence sitting in a chair or walking him beside me as I'm walking or on a train or in a crowd we whisper God or Jesus or Christ constantly as we gaze at each person near us we try to see double as Christ does we see the person as she is and the person as Christ Longs for her to be" [00:08:25]

"if you lean back and think about some problem deeply how can you remember God you can do it by forming a new habit all thought in place silent words really just conversation with your inner self instead of talking to yourself you know form the habit of talking with God and that becomes a habit when walking alone you're strolling along right behind me there's a couple of tiny little yellow rose buds just coming up" [00:09:44]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?