No Excuses in Relationship with Self

It has been said that “prayer ushers us into perpetual communion with the Father” (Foster). Too often we view prayer as a talkfest, where we consume “minutes” telling God what he already knows, then once we have run out of breath, we end our prayers and begin our to do list.

“Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
(Psalm 46:10, NASB)

God wants us to stop, and spend time in His presence. It is in these times where we get to know Him and see Him for who He is. This idea of being still and just knowing Him is difficult for our American minds to grasp. We begin to think we aren’t accomplishing anything. Our minds are bombarded by the world that is warring against you knowing God.

One of the greatest influences in the practice of just spending time in God’s presence is Brother Lawrence.

“… But I am changing my view. We can keep two things in mind at once. Indeed we cannot keep one thing in mind more than half a second. Mind is a flowing something. It oscillates. Concentration is merely the continuous return to the same problem from a million angles. We do not think of one thing. We always think of the relationship of at least two things, and more often of three or more things simultaneously. So my problem is this: Can I bring God back in my mind-flow every few seconds so that God shall always be in my mind as an after-image, shall always be one of the elements in every concept and percept?”

“I choose to make the rest of my life an experiment in answering this question.”

― Brother Lawrence, (The Practice of the Presence of God pg. 518)

God knows everything about you. He knows every day that you have lived and will live. He wants you to know Him.

 

No Excuses Challenge

Experiment with the idea of keeping God in your thoughts all day long. There are many ways to keep yourself reminded, but think about writing “The Lord’s” on your right hand. Read Isaiah 44:1-5. At the end of the day, talk with someone about how the experiment went.

“Every vice has its excuse ready.”
Publilius Syrus