A few years ago, my husband went through his second of three battles with cancer. Following treatment that put him in remission, he had an appointment with an integrative oncologist to discuss some alternative ways to keep him healthy. Along with a green smoothie recipe and some other recommendations, Dr. Park talked a lot about stress. This was not a huge surprise as most of us now know how damaging stress can be to our bodies; however, it was how he used an example from his own life as a physician that gripped my heart. He is not a believer in Jesus, but his counsel agrees so completely with the counsel of God. Dr. Park said, “If I came into this room today fully aware and pre-occupied with the fact that there are other patients in rooms waiting for me to get to them, I would come in here worried and stressed. I would hate coming to work every day knowing that I can never keep up as I would like to. But,” he said, looking at my husband, “I choose to come in and focus on you – just you. I have learned how to simply live in the moment I am in and not the moments I can do nothing about other than worry. Stay present to the moment you are in. It will help you relieve worry and stress.”

I translated this exchange with the Dr. into spiritual terms: Stay present to God who is in this moment with you. His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). Every moment of every day God is present to us. He doesn’t take breaks to involve Himself elsewhere. He is within us, about us, for us, and desiring to engage with us in all things. This is a great encouragement to me. And, it is a way to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). As I increase my awareness of Christ in me…continually breathing life into my experiences (good or bad, exciting or mundane), I can lessen my worry about what is next, who is waiting for me to do something, what has happened in the past, or how much work there is to be done. This awareness allows me to stop being conformed to the image of the world, but instead to be transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2). I want to be able to stay in the moment with God’s peace and presence rather than in moments that contain stress and worry.

Here are some suggestions on how to live this out in a practical way:

• Put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17) so that the enemy is unable to tempt you to be anxious about other moments rather than the one you are in. We are all in a major war and it is important to be clothed with Christ (the armor) in order to win the daily battles of staying present to the moments He invites us to step into. Don’t forget to praise God that He is the Ultimate Victor in this war! We just want to be His faithful warriors.
• Sit quietly in the presence of God for a few minutes, apart from noise or other distractions. When you are comfortably settled there, release to Him whatever is causing you worry, anxiety, stress or concern. Ask Him to free you from the rushed, crazy pace of the world and to teach you how to be present to Him only. Picture the Father gently touching your head with the intent to release you from the rushed ways of the culture in order to transform you by renewing Your mind.
• Read and pray through Philippians 4:6-7 as a powerful way to overcome the distraction or worry of the other people, events, undone work, etc. that keep you from staying in the spiritually important moments: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” The Devil would like nothing more than to keep us from the moments when we are seeking God’s face, developing and maintaining meaningful relationships, and serving His kingdom.
• Practice staying present to God in every moment. He might wish to speak to you in the most difficult, awkward, or unexpected times. Practice being attentive in the midst of your everyday life. Whether you are overcome with joy, filled with uncertainty, or if you are running away from the moment due to fear or frustration, don’t disconnect from God’s presence. He is near – always.
• Practice focusing on and being present to other people. (especially your family members) you are with by turning off your phone, and/or looking at them instead of an iPod, game or computer screen. Invite God into the moment and see if He doesn’t give you plenty of time to go back to the other things you feel are needing your attention. And, you will not damage relationships with people who feel you are just too busy or that they are not worth your time. Sometimes we miss opportunities God places in front of us because the enemy has succeeded in distracting us. He will even use good, godly things as distractions. What kingdom opportunities are lost because we aren’t staying in the God moments?
• Pray: Father, You are the Peace-giver, and the God who lives in each of my moments, who walks beside me, and who deserves my worship and my time. Keep me from being worried, stressed or distracted by things that rob me of the moments when You have directed me to people, situations or work that will build Your kingdom on this earth. May I rest in the knowledge that You will care for the people and projects that are waiting for my attention so that I can stay focused on whoever You lead me to and whatever You desire me to accomplish for the glory of Your Name alone!

(c) Harvest Prayer Ministries

Silence is very difficult . . . yet, it is in this place where God can choose to speak or not to speak and I am still able to know He is near because of the promise of His word in James 4:8 (“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you”).

Scripture is very clear that God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) dwells within those who believe and who have entered into relationship with the Living Jesus. It takes time to release thoughts, troubles, etc. and simply be present to God so that He is able to connect with me. God can most certainly speak any way He wishes–even in the busiest, loudest moments of life. But I hear better when I take care to purposefully disentangle myself from every distraction and be still. This means putting my cell phone far away, shutting the lid to my computer, and just getting completely alone.

I can be confident that my silence is prayer that God hears–I am telling my Father that He has center stage. He alone is holy, holy, holy. He is worthy above anyone or anything I could choose to engage with in this moment. I choose Him.

My silence releases the ache of my heart to be close and intimate with all that He is. In my silence, I am able to “be still and know that He alone is God” (Psalm 46:10). I know that my Father is good, kind, and very present to me. He wants to hear my heartbeat as much or even more than I want to hear His. He wants all of my prayer-filled attention, and to know that all of my distractions have been set aside to allow His glory to fill the temple of the Holy Spirit that He has created for Himself.

The prayer of silence speaks from a yieldedness that cannot be accomplished more fully in any other form. It simply is for Him. His presence is all I need. In silence, I can remember that this is so.

As I have mentioned, silence is not an easy way to be present to God in prayer. This discipline takes time and practice. It is much simpler to speak to Him with words. But sometimes the offering of my words does not always give Him an offering of myself. And just being quiet doesn’t mean prayer is taking place.

Here are three ways to enable yourself to practice silent prayer:

1. Remove distractions. There is no way to enter into silent prayer when people, technology or visual/auditory stimuli are present. You can’t multi-task in silent prayer. You will need to find your silent prayer sweet spot with God alone.
2. Cleanse yourself from sin. Recognize any sinfulness in your life, submit it to God with a repentant heart and receive His forgiveness and cleansing.
3. Take every thought captive. The best way to do this is to turn your thoughts to the Father with a deep desire to minister to Him. Put your thoughts on His glory, His creation, His sacrifice, His mercy, etc.

Silent prayer invites the mystery of God to come near. Take time to cultivate His presence in this way, and you will encounter His presence, power and peace in fresh ways. He will come near to you as you sacrifice all else for a desire to draw near to Him in the stillness.

 (c) Harvest Prayer Ministries

“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6).

Do you find that you are sometimes easily sidetracked from the importance of an issue at hand by small, insignificant things that can cause you to lose your focus completely?  I am very susceptible to such distractions, especially when I am attempting to attend to my soul. For instance, it is a simple thing to be intent upon sitting in the lovely company of the Father, only to find that something left undone on my “to do” list can quickly yank me out of His presence.

My ultimate goal is to be so fixed upon Jesus that nothing can keep me from seeking more of Him once He and I are in the midst of a sweet time of communion. Here are some prayer strategies I have learned that can help you remain in the Presence of God without allowing the persistent annoyances of life to intrude, even if you are in the middle of them. When practiced regularly, they can allow your love relationship with the Father through prayer to be embedded into the natural flow of life.

This article will focus on seeking God in silence in the ordinary moments of life.

1. Submit your mind to God.

“To pray is to descend with the mind into the heart and there to stand before the face of the Lord, ever present, all seeing within you.” –Theophan the Recluse

When our minds are separated from our hearts through the busyness of life, it is difficult to be continually present to God. If we desire to hear His voice and seek Him continually, we must learn how to submit our minds to Him at the level of our hearts, silencing the din around us. To do this, bring all of your worries, stresses, situations, relationships, work, needs, joys, sorrows, etc. to the Father in a prayer of the heart. Like an open book, stand before the One who lives within you through the power of the Holy Spirit. If your purpose is to seek Him, and to draw near to Him, then your heart is the location of that meeting. Your priority is to submit your activity, work and feelings to Jesus.

How is this possible? How do you come near to God in this way? What kind of posture, position or mindset will draw you into His presence? This is not an easy practice and takes intentional discipline. It is in silence that you surrender to His kingdom purposes for you. When you still your noisy thoughts and quiet our driven ambitions, you are able to meet face to face with the Lord! You are able to call on Him while He is near, because there is nothing blocking your communion. His full attention is on you at all times, but now your full attention is also on God.

2. Close yourself off from distractions.

If you practice stillness before God in the midst of the noise around you, taking time to close ourselves off from the distractions of the moment you are in, you will be able to hear the Father speak in your yieldedness. It may mean finding a quiet place to spend a few minutes alone in order to block out the din around you. Or, it may mean putting on some headphones or inserting earplugs. Taking time to be still in silence takes much practice. But the results will be invaluable to your souls.

As you listen, God may give words of comfort, encouragement, conviction, etc. Or, perhaps He will just sit with you in a way that you know you have been in His Presence, even for a moment . . . and that will be enough.

3. Write down the distractions to deal with later.

It is so easy when intending to be still, to be distracted by thoughts, ideas, issues that need to be dealt with, etc. As you are practicing silence, quickly write down whatever distracts you. You can deal with them at the appropriate time. By doing this you are better able to listen to the heart of God. Here you are practicing the truth of 2 Corninthians 10:5: “Taking every thought . . . captive to the obedience of Christ.”

“In silence, you leave the many to be with the One.”–Mama Maggie Gobran

I pondered over Christy’s dilemma: “How do I maintain a disciplined devotional time with God when I work full time and care for an infant?” She was exhausted after several days of travel to a conference for her work and her struggle was palpable, even over the phone. Uttering the most simple of prayers was difficult for her weary spirit.

I remembered when I, as a young parent, felt this same struggle. I wished that I had known then what I have now experienced to be true about prayer. I want to dedicate this blog to all of those for whom lack of time due to busyness, family obligations, work, serving others, and even church activities, have blocked or slowed their spiritual passion.

In our everyday lives, there are seasons when prayer and practicing spiritual disciplines is more difficult, even seemingly impossible. Some simple spiritual “tweaks” in how we move through our days can make a huge difference in how we view and practice prayer in the midst of seasons when life is extraordinarily busy.

Let me use Christy’s situation as an example. Infants are delightful, but time-consuming creations of God! Our hearts are set on caring for them, and our bodies are exhausted doing the same! When parenthood, jobs and other obligations are upon us, our spiritual health often suffers. But some uncomplicated adjustments to our mindsets can move us from prayerlessness to a continual state of prayerfulness.

1. Be aware of the presence of Christ in us.

I firmly believe that the command to “pray without ceasing” is especially applicable to the busy seasons of our lives. But our connectivity with God is the first thing that often suffers in such times. Then, we feel guilty and sad about the loss of communion, even though we know guilt comes from the enemy. However, our loving Father has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8). Jesus is living within us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Because He is the Living Word, His Word is also within us. Read John 1:1-5 from The Amplified Bible slowly and simply enjoy the truth of His Presence as this truth sinks into your weary spirit:

In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being. In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it].

2. Experience Him even in the routine and mundane.

Because the Word is living in us, and because He is the Living Light and Life within our spirits, we can commune with Him even in the most mundane, routine tasks, or in the midst of the crazy busy times. God doesn’t disappear when we step out of our “quiet times.” As others have said, we may move away from God but He never moves away from us. He is always patiently waiting, always present, always the living, active Word within us.

That is a spiritual reality for every believer. Even when His presence seems distant, Jesus is present with us as the Light who has overcome the world. He is the consolation to our desolation, yet He is present in both. It is possible to draw near even when we feel very far away because of His constant presence. Converse with Him as a friend and take time to listen in whatever moments your schedule allows–feeding or cuddling a baby, waiting at a signal or for a train to pass, while preparing a meal, as you have time between appointments, especially while driving (great place to converse with God).

3. Give your day as an offering

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life–and place it before God as an offering” (Romans 12:1, The Message).

All of life is conversation with God, because He is present within you. The way to overcome having your spiritual life choked out or stifled by seasons of busyness is to set your heart on being more acutely aware of His continual presence. When you are speaking to others, Jesus is there. When you are completing a task, He is with you. When a deadline looms, He is actively at work within you. There is nowhere you can go to escape the relationship. You can choose, however, to allow that relationship to slip into a one-sided one by losing your awareness. So take your life and place it before God as an offering, even if it is not your best one at this moment. Take Jesus into your busyness. Allow Him to help you find the breathing spaces within which to speak His name, give Him thanks, seek His counsel, ask for help, or just to soak in the knowledge of His presence . . . even if just for a moment.

know you have been in His Presence, even for a moment . . . and that will be enough.

      4. Write down the distractions to deal with later.

It is so easy when intending to be still, to be distracted by thoughts, ideas, issues that need to be dealt with, etc. As you are practicing silence, quickly write down whatever distracts you. You can deal with them at the appropriate time. By doing this you are better able to listen to the heart of God. Here you are practicing the truth of 2 Corinthians 10:5: “Taking every thought . . . captive to the obedience of Christ.”

“In silence, you leave the many to be with the One.”–Mama Maggie Gobran

Over the past several years, God has been stretching my creativity and my imagination in prayer. It has been such a refreshing season of growth for me, as I am one who, in the past, tended to get stuck in comfortable ruts.Like many of us, I grew up praying with my head bowed, eyes closed and hands folded in my lap. I was often told that this posture came about as an effective way to keep children from doing what they shouldn’t  do during prayer time. The practice continued into my adulthood, as I was never taught another way. Even in worship services, it is common to hear the admonition to “close your eyes and bow your heads” as we are led in prayer.

As I studied the Bible, I discovered multiple examples for utilizing our bodies and our voices in prayer. This started a rich practice of utilizing the numerous ways God’s people in Scripture and throughout the ages sought and responded to Him in prayer and intercession.

I highly recommend letting the Holy Spirit speak to your heart and guide you (and/or your family, small group, etc.) into what may seem unusual or strange to you at first, but which may give your prayer lives fresh life! Following each, I will give you one or two suggestions for utilizing the practice.

1. Bowing Your Head or Body

Bowing heads or bodies shows reverence and submission to God as an act of worship– Genesis 24:26-27 (Abraham’s servant bowed low in worship to God when his very specific prayer had been answered); Exodus 34:8-9 (Moses bowed his body toward the earth and made his request before God).

Have each family member give one or two prayer requests. Bow your heads or bow to the ground and pray over those requests together.

2. Kneel

Kneeling has always been a universal sign of submission and obedience – Daniel 6:10 (Daniel knelt three times a day, praying and giving thanks); Luke 22:39-44; Matthew 15:25; 2 Chronicles 6:12-14.

Pray for your unsaved family and friends as you kneel together before the Lord. If you feel led to, spread your hands toward heaven, as King Solomon did.

3. Raise Hands

Raising or spreading out our hands as a sign of both praise and petition – (The Hebrews used their hands to show their dependence upon God and their respect for Him. Lifting up holy hands was the common prayer posture among the Jews and the early Christians. Lifting their hands symbolized an expectant attitude and trust in God–that He would fill their empty hands with His blessings) Exodus 9:29; Exodus 17:10-13; 1 Kings 8:54-55; Psalm 63:4; Psalm 141:2; 1 Timothy 2:8.

Pray for the leaders of your nation, your state, and your community. Lift up holy hands together as you do. Pray that God will give them wisdom and discernment. Pray for their health and protection. Pray for their families.

4. Stand

Standing is a sign of reverence and respect – 1 Chronicles 23:28-31 (The Levites were instructed to stand every morning and evening to praise the Lord); 2 Chronicles 20:2-9; Luke 18:9-14.

Stand alone or together and give praise to God. Take turns thanking Him for all of the blessings He has brought into your lives. If you want, say short sentence prayers like this: “Lord, I praise You for_____.”

5. Lie Prostrate

Lying prostrate before the Lord – This is a position taken in times of deep, intense, emotional prayer. There is no more humble position than this one. Deuteronomy 9:18-20, 25-27 (Moses lay prostrate before God for 40 days and nights); 1 Chronicles 21:16-17; Matthew 26:39.

Think of some deeply important needs–your own or someone else’s. Perhaps someone is struggling with a life-threatening disease or some kind of life crisis. Perhaps sin has been weighing you down–this would be an appropriate position in which to confess and ask the Lord for forgiveness. Or maybe you need to ask God something very important. Come before the Lord on behalf of these requests, and lie face down before the Lord. You can pray quietly by yourself or pray out loud with others.

6. Look Up

Looking up – (Jesus looked up when He gave thanks for the loaves and fish) Mark 6:39-44.

As you give thanks for a meal, look up to heaven as you do. Spend time thanking the Lord for the way He has provided everything you need–your food, your clothing, your housing. Look toward heaven when you pray.

7. Pray Quietly

Spend some time praying quietly. – 1 Samuel 1:9-18 (Hannah prayed quietly before the Lord).

God is perfectly capable of hearing our thoughts when we pray silently. There are times when praying in this way is very appropriate. We need to learn as an individual or a family to be comfortable with silence, because out of silence the Lord often speaks very clearly.

Spend some time together in silent prayer. Ask the Father to speak to your heart. If you have trouble concentrating, picture Jesus in your mind and concentrate on Him.

8. Shout

Shout your praise to the Lord – Psalm 66:1-4 (The director of music was directed to shout for joy before the Lord in this psalm.) Psalms 71:23; 95:1; 98:4-6. It is certainly appropriate to cry out to the Lord in times of desperate prayer. It is also appropriate to raise our voices in praise!

Try praising God in a loud voice, saying Acts 4:24: “Sovereign Lord . . . You made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.”

Conclusion

It is important to learn that if we seek the Lord, He will be found by us (1 Chronicles 28:9). It is also important to know that our Heavenly Father rewards those who seek Him in faith: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Model this passage: “Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always” (1 Chronicles 16:10-11).