Practising the Presence of God

Hello world!

In September 2022 we went off to Ashburnham place. On this visit I felt down and a bit sad. However, I was determined to keep my mind fixed on God throughout my time there. Everytime my mind wandered to work or anything else, I quickly brought my mind back to God. This practice was such an unusual experience just because my normal daily experience isn’t to constantly fix my mind on God. However, while at Ashburnham, I decided to clear out the clutter in my mind. I reminded myself several times that I hadn’t come all this way to think about work or anything else.

My focus on God was akin to what Brother Lawrence described in the book The Practice of the Presence of God. I was actively on the lookout for what the Lord would say. I noticed I felt joy and peace and I felt like God was so close and I could hear Him clearly. I wondered why I was having such an experience? It hit me that it was because my eye was single. In Matt 6:22 it says ‘The light of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye be single, thy whole body will be full of light.’ (KJV). Eye here is a metaphor for the mind or your faculty of knowing. I had cleared my mind of all the clutter and chose 1 thing and 1 thing only - to fix my eyes solely on God.

This new month, observe what your mind tends to focus on the most and try practicing the presence of God. When your mind wanders, gently guide it towards God. You can also read a verse and meditate on it. Remind yourself that God LOVES you and He is as Psalm 89:8 says - ‘entirely FAITHFUL’.