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Presence

“The most holy and necessary practice in our spiritual life is the presence of God. That means finding constant pleasure in His divine company, speaking humbly and lovingly with Him in all seasons, at every moment, without limiting the conversation in any way.” Brother Lawrence

Oh, in a world full of 3-second TikTok brain attention spans, the glam-up truly is presence.

So many demands for our attention, time, and presence wrestle to take the first place in our lives, but it matters what we choose and how we steward our choices.

What we behold, we truly become.

Take Brother Lawrence, for example. Born as Nicolas Herman in eastern France in 1614, he was taught the Christian faith at an early age, but it became fully grown in him when, at the age of 26, he joined the Carmelite Order of Monks in Paris. That’s when he became known as “Brother Lawrence.” His main service was cooking and cleaning in the priory kitchens until his health began to fail him. When that happened, his main job became repairing the monks’ sandals.

That may seem like an insignificant role, but he was valued and esteemed for the spiritual wisdom and peace he displayed. He wrote: “We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed. And it is not necessary to have great things to do. I turn my little omelet in the pan for the love of God.”

Other writings and sayings from such a seemingly obscure monk survived these last hundreds of years and were compiled for all to read. He mastered the principle of being in God’s presence at all times—not just during prayer or worship.

Brother Lawrence’s book The Practice of the Presence of God utterly wrecked my life in the best of ways. Up to that point in my life, my perception of God ranged from knowing God is “out there,” and I must make an appointment with Him to meet with Him or, alternatively, that the setting has to be “just right” in some hyped-up spiritual environment (dim lighting included) for the presence of God to fall.

It sounds silly, I know, but sometimes, whether we realize it or not, we limit God’s presence—like where He can and can’t be, what He can and cannot do—and that He loves to break down the barriers to show us what is possible.

That fact is, He is limitless. He truly became and is Emmanuel: God with us.

When God put on flesh as a baby, when Jesus came down to be with us, when Jesus died and sent the Holy Spirit to be with us . . . all of those illustrate His longing to just be present with us.

When you go from the head merely acknowledging to the heart fully understanding that He is with you, everything changes—and I experienced it for myself.

I’ll never forget it. I was doing laundry, of all things.

At this time in my life with three boys ages five and under, you can imagine the types of daily-occurring messes there were to clean. I remember that I was alone in the laundry room. My husband was gone on a tour with his band in a busier season of traveling. Sometimes, we all would go together, or I would go, but on this day, it was just a normal routine of doing life at home.

To paint a picture of what this season looked like in our life, and in the silence of the washer going and the dryer tumbling, I felt the presence of God come into the room so powerfully and sweetly like a fragrance that it actually made me gasp. I started to cry because I couldn’t believe He was there—in the mess and the normal part of this daily chore—but He was tangibly there.

He was with me, so we just talked. It changed my life forever and moved my heart in a fresh way to the point that I went about my days differently. I began expecting His presence where, in the past, I least expected Him to be. The laundry room felt like a sanctuary in that season of life.

I felt like Hagar when she said, “‘You are the God that sees me’” (Genesis 16:13).

What does it look like to practice the presence of God in all seasons and every moment—not limiting the conversation to our set time frames? Are our spiritual eyes open for these holy interruptions—His holy presence in our normal, everyday routines?

I come from a generation of the “quiet time.” (Did some of you have an “eye twitch” moment when I said that?) Honestly, I think there are some quiet time shame suction cups that came on my generation—that maybe we didn’t have a certain type of quiet time, not long enough, not deep or spiritual enough . . . or quiet enough.

What if God would like to interrupt your perfectly planned plans? What if He wants more of you that ends up being all of you? What if He truly wants to know you? And, hey, what if God isn’t always quiet? What if He isn’t after just your mind but wants to capture your heart and all of its affections?

I realize that seasons change and look different, as they should. If something isn’t changing, then that means something isn’t growing, and we are made to be constantly transformed and going glory-to-glory until the day we are done here on earth.

During my teenage years, my time with the Lord looked different than it did as a newlywed or when I started having babies, busier traveling seasons, sick seasons, projects, and everything in between.

Seasons change. Demands change. But God stays the same. His intense love and affection for us will never waver.

One time I had this conversation with a new mom who, since having her baby, was concerned that now her “quiet time” with God was messed up. I tried not to laugh because I understood her completely—fully knowing the glorious undoing of my schedule when all my four sweet newborn babes each came into our world.

During one of my infamous “quiet times” (which makes me laugh as I recall it and write about it), my second son Phoenix, who was then a one-year-old, somehow landed a ping-pong ball perfectly into my mug of coffee while I was reading my Bible and praying. It splashed and startled me because my eyes were closed—and I started laughing. (I also stopped closing my eyes from there on out. Ha!)

I looked admiringly at this lovely new mom as she was sharing this with me. Her heart was so beautiful, pure, and earnest—with so much compassion. My heart was moved and all that I could burst out to say was, “But God is with you!”

Heck, God was in that ping-pong ball coming into my coffee—making me laugh until I cried! My kids giggled, too, and it was a shared moment of a joy explosion.

Think about it. God might just be the one interrupting you.

He is with you, rocking babies, making meals, working, cleaning, disciplining your toddler, on a date with your spouse, napping, working out, or talking to a friend. You get the point. Enter your own activity in the blank: He is with you ______________. He’s with you in all the doings of life and in all seasons. No one is left out from the presence of God.

While He’s with us, though, we do have a choice of where to set our affections.

"The most holy and necessary practice in our spiritual life is the presence of God. That means finding constant pleasure in His divine company, speaking humbly and lovingly with Him in all seasons, at every moment, without limiting the conversation in any way." Brother Lawrence

If my heart is set and meditating on God, then nothing can break that. Sure, distractions or things pop up, but our gazes, our heart’s affections quickly get set right back.

Why would I look away from the face of the One I love? That’s where true joy, peace, and wisdom all flow. This quote opened a whole new perspective for me years ago:

“Whatever the business is that I am doing, I need to be on my knees. The time of business does not differ with me from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were on my knees.” Brother Lawrence

“There is no sweeter manner of living in the world than continuous communion with God.” Brother Lawrence

God with us: Emmanuel.

We are to go about our days, even in the clatter and demand, on our knees. This continuous communion is real. It’s a practice—and one that produces such joy.

To be in His presence at all times is a gift the people who lived in the times of the Old Testament never got to have. Only the high priest could enter in the holiest of holies once a year on the day of Atonement. But for us, Jesus paid the high sacrifice so we could be close once again with Him, then sending the Counselor, the Helper, the Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us and not leave, always present, always helping.

This is a miracle.

When thinking about presence, I also think about this African proverb written by the author Paul Borthwick:

European missionaries serving in Africa a century ago hired local villagers as porters to help carry supplies to a distant station (imagine Mombasa to Lake Victoria). The porters went at a slower pace than the missionaries desired, so after the first two days, they pushed them to go faster. On day three of the trek, the group went twice as far as day two. Around the campfire that evening, the missionaries congratulated themselves for their leadership abilities. But on day four, the workers would not budge.

“What’s wrong?” asked the missionary.

“We cannot go any further today,” replied the villagers’ spokesman.

“Why not? Everyone appears well.”

Yes,” said the African, “but we went so quickly yesterday that we must wait here for our souls to catch up with us.”

Some of us need to have our souls catch up so we can return to presence. Busy seasons, grief, burnout, and deeper inner healing can result in needing to have our souls catch up. Not allowing them to catch up can be detrimental to our souls and to our lives.

Many of us are so busy trying to do and create than to be and receive. If we can’t receive and drink deeply, then we can’t do or create effectively.

I come from generations of pastors before me. You can imagine the ministry, the pouring out, and the cost of that. Likewise, with our family being in music and impacting people, I have noticed so many people in any service on a platform—whether pastors, musicians, speakers, or any type of leadership—want to be filled with creativity
or inspiration.

But they often “fill up” just to regurgitate it up for the masses or whoever they are leading—as if the Lord called them to be spiritually bulimic—that what they eat is there simply to just come back up and out again.

By contrast, the Lord’s heart is one of nourishment, intending for His strengthening nutrition to go deeply into us—for us and for serving Him. When He does things, He does them deeply and completely. That’s why the presence of God is for you, because He loves you, not what you can do for Him. He loves you and has the best of intentions for you.

Unlike people, He never prostitutes our giftings or callings. His intention isn’t to use us up. He loves us back to life and joy, which overflows into untapped places you can only dream of creatively. Why? Because there is no fear in love, and perfect love casts out everything else.

Practicing the presence of God in our lives makes it clear when we need to sit and absorb, and when we need to stand up and go, when we need to lay things down, and when we need to pick things up. Oh, please sit down and receive if that is where God has you, and don’t rush out of it.

Don’t move until you fully receive the new wineskin for the new wine He wants to pour out. Otherwise, what happens when you pour new wine into old wineskins? They burst. (Luke 5:37-39)

God is always preserving us as we walk in His presence, whether we can see why or the whole picture yet or not.

I don’t want to outpace the presence, whether it’s the presence of God or the presence of my soul. It costs too much to do it that way. “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

Let’s not forfeit the most holy things. Let’s welcome the holy interruptions, and may it be said of us that Jesus possessed all of our affections.

“My God, since thou art with me, and I must now, in obedience to thy commands, apply my mind to these outward things, I beseech thee to grant me the grace to continue in thy presence; and to this end do thou prosper me with thy assistance, receive all my works, and possess all my affections.” Brother Lawrence

“Because of you, I know the path of life, as I taste the fullness of joy in your presence. At your right side I experience divine pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11, TPT).

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm 139:7-10).

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

I pray that you encounter the presence of God in unexpected ways.

I pray the affections of your heart become focused on Him.

I pray you receive and drink deeply of the love of God for you.

I pray you live your life and pace your soul in step with the presence of God.