Welcome: An Introduction

Sharing the insights I discover as I explore and experience the mystery that is our reality. Join me in my journey and share yours.




Wednesday, January 5, 2011

The Present Moment: A Living Prayer

"Men invent means and methods of coming at God's love, they learn rules and set up devices to remind them of that love, and it seems like a world of trouble to bring oneself into the consciousness of God's presence. Yet it might be so simple. Is it not quicker and easier just to do our common business wholly for the love of him?"
           ~ Brother Lawrence



Life isn't always glorious. In fact, most of the time, for many of us, our days are consumed by pretty much the same routines. If we think God can only be found in the "glorious" or "extraordinary" moments , we will surely be missing out in experiencing more of the peace that surpasses all understanding, the peace that we are blessed with, when we enter into His presence. God's reality is in the present moment. His will manifests itself there, and to find union with Him, to praise Him, worship and experience Him, in the here and now, brings Him glory and helps us grow in our walks with Him.

God never denies the seeker, and if you seek God and His love, He will bless you with it in more ways than you can even imagine. Let our lives, every moment of them, be an expression of simple devotion and love for our God.


The present moment is like an ambassador who declares the will of God. The heart must ever answer, “Let it be so.” Then the soul will go steadily on by all means towards its target and goal – never pausing in its course, spreading its sails to all winds. All routes and methods advance it equally in its journey toward the great sea, the infinite. Everything becomes an instrument of sanctification. The soul always finds the “one thing needful” in the present moment....
...the one thing needful is simply what comes to the soul each moment by the will of God. This includes the stripping, the self-denial, the renunciation of earthly things, in order that the soul may be nothing in itself or live for itself, but may live wholly by God’s will, and at His good pleasure content itself with the duty of the present moment, as though that were the one thing in the whole world.
To hallow the name of God is, in the language of Scripture, to love Him, adore Him, and to recognize His holiness in all things. Things, like words, do indeed proceed from the mouth of God. The events of each moment are divine thoughts expressed by created objects. Thus, all those things by which He makes His will known to us are so many names, so many words by which He shows us His will. In itself, this will is one, singular; it bears but one unknown, ineffable name; but it is multiplied infinitely in its effects and takes on their names.

   To hallow the name of God is to know, adore, and love the Ineffable One expressed by this name. It is also to know, adore and love His blessed will at all times, in all its effects, seeing all things as so many veils, shadows and names of this eternally holy will. It is holy in all its works, holy in all its words, holy in all its forms of manifestation, holy in all the names it bears.
...How insignificant is this precious moment in the eyes of the world, yet how great to the eye enlightened by faith! And can I call that little which is great in the eye of my Father who reigns in heaven? All that comes from there is most excellent. All that decends from there bears the imprint of its origin.
         ~ Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade - Purchase The Joy of Full Surrender



Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your great mercy and Your great love. A love that manifests itself in the reality of every moment. May we seize each moment as an opportunity to experience Your presence, to have by Your grace the eyes of our hearts opened so that we may see Your Will for us, that we may serve You to our fullest and bring you great glory. Help us not get caught up in the things of this world. Let us lay down our attachments, our egos, the things of this world which we cling to, and simply open our hearts to You so that they may be filled with Your light and love. May everything we do, every seemingly mundane task, be a living prayer to our great God. May our lives be an expression of our devotion and love for You.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.
Amen.

13 comments:

  1. Jesus said how they worshiped Him in vain by their doctrines and traditions making the Word of God non effect. So true even today we see it!

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  2. I see you can be 'Jesus' God himself! In the way, you act, each and every day. I love reading your posts that have been written by men so long ago, yet still ring true. To me it seems common sense. but who am I but me

    Love Jessica

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  3. You can get the Waterproof Bible at the Christian bookstore or on line. It comes in several translations. Just google "waterproof Bible". Mine is NLT!
    Blessings,
    andrea

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  4. It is so true! We tend to look beyond the simple things. God is everywhere.All we need to do is to seek Him in our day-to-day activities and to open our hearts to Him.

    Beautiful prayer Jessica, thnak you for sharing.

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  5. Ed, great point :) Too often many of us can get bogged down in tradition and ritualistic devotion that can take away the genuine reality and experience of God. Tradition and ritual has its place, as long as it doesn't squash the fervor of our faith and the fire the Spirit puts in our hearts to thirst ever more for God.
    Thank you for your comments :)
    ~Blessings,
    Jessica

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  6. Alejandro,
    Thank you so much for your kind comments :) I am so glad you enjoy the posts!
    May you and your family be blessed this day :)
    Blessings,
    Jessica

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  7. Andrea,
    I am going to have to look for one! What a magnificient idea! I enjoy your blog so much..it's a great source of inspiration and refreshment :)
    ~Blessings,
    Jessica

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  8. Thank you Tink for your comments...so true :)
    I am so glad you liked the prayer.
    May your day be blessed!
    Blessings,
    Jessica

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  9. Amen and amen.

    Too often we live in the future with our date books, ipads, and electronic gadgets that wake us up, brew our coffee, cook our food and brush our teeth faster than a speeding bullet. Thank you for the reminder that our greatest gift is the present in the presence of God!

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  10. Thank you so much Gina for your comment :)...You bring up a very good point...oftentimes we are in the fast forward mode, neglecting to seize the moment and experience God in it. You are so true...to experience God's presence in the present moment is a gift..when it is realized we should embrace it and practice it as much as possible...eventually it will become habitual. A much more fulfilling habit than any electronic gadget :)
    ~Blessings,
    Jessica

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  11. The Practice of the Presence of God changed my life from a past and future focus to present moment living.
    Brother Lawrence, a humble cook, shows us by his meek and modest spirit the art of “practicing the presence of God in one single act that does not end.” And the guy didn’t even go to seminary:)

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  12. Debra, I echo your sentiments towards Brother Lawrence's book...I read a lot of books by other writers that have inpired me..but his book was truly transforming and enhanced and altered my perspective completely, really helping me to deepen my walk with God. I'd recommend the book for anyone...there's a link on my page that takes one to a free copy of it in a pdf format :)

    ~Blessings,
    Jessica

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