Dwelling in the Presence of God: 3 Practical Ways
The morning glories are climbing the neighbors’ porch beams when I stop along the road and come to a realization: I want to live a life spent dwelling in the presence of God, but hurrying is pulling my attention away from his presence.
God is always present with us, which means that we are always dwelling in his presence; however, it’s easy to become distracted by the demands of our days and fail to cultivate the awareness of his presence.
As counter-intuitive as it feels to stand along the road and watch the climbing vines, I sense that I could learn something from their slow climb heavenward.
Staring at the climbing vines, I’m amazed by the subtlety with which they stretch toward the rooftops. In just one month, they have grown at least three feet. Somehow, in all my hurrying down the road, I failed to even notice.
This reminds of a powerful truth about the presence of God: If we truly want to dwell in God’s presence, we must begin by slowing down.
Dwelling in the Presence of God
The sad truth is that from the moment my feet hit the floor, I am often rushed.
When I live this way, I fail to cultivate an awareness of God’s presence with me.
Perhaps you want to learn to dwell in the presence of God, too. If so, these insights will help you become more aware of his presence as you slow down and pay attention to what he might be doing surrounding you.
3 Insights for Dwelling in the Presence of God
Let’s look at three insights that can help you become more aware of God’s presence with you.
1. Put presence before production.
Order brings me peace.
Sadly, the pursuit of order often steals my peace and pulls my focus away from what God is doing around me.
I want the email inbox to be empty. I want the six essential writing tasks of the day to be crossed off the list. I’m all about empty sinks, clean floors, and order.
Trying to accomplish as much as possible within my days generally steals my peace and leads me to stop looking to God. Productivity becomes an idol. I fail to notice God’s hand because I’m so busy thinking about what task is next on the list.
If you struggle with this, too, I encourage you to aim to be present in your moments instead of aiming for production. Slow down.
Enjoy the people God places in front of you.
Focus on being mindful in your moments instead of accomplishing more.
2. Become more aware of God’s presence by completing one task at a time.
Most of us are good at multitasking. We pride ourselves on being able to talk on the phone, pay our bills, prepare meals, and help with homework at the same time.
Sadly, multitasking is a peace-stealer. It also pulls us away from focusing on the Lord.
I’ve learned that when I try my best not to complete multiple tasks at one time, I’m more in tune with what God is doing. My mind is open to listening for his still small voice and experiencing his gentle guidance.
3. Aim to be present in your moments instead of thinking about the future.
We should make plans. However, when my plans lead me to focus only on the future, I fail to be fully present in the present.
If you’ve ever planned for a big event, you know about this struggle. As you plan for the event, it consumes your thoughts. You realize that you’re not paying attention to the people God is placing in front of you in the present because you’re so worried about the future.
The fruit of living present in our moments is a greater awareness of God’s presence, and when I’m more aware of God’s presence, there is room in my heart and mind to encounter the One who is Peace.
Slowing Down and Dwelling in the Presence of God
As I continue my evening walk, I force myself into a slower rhythm. I take time to notice the hemlock boughs bobbing in the wind. I stop by the creek and watch the gentle cascade of ripples over ancient stone. A barred owl calls from a lone pine, and I stoop to study the tangerine blossoms of the jewelweed.
In the slowing, it is as if the muddy water in the shaken jar of my life settles. With the silt settled to the bottom of the jar, I have clarity in what was otherwise murky.
What I see through the clearing water is not what I expected. I see that all my striving for God was keeping me from doing life with God. And here in this valley, I am finally awakened to the deepest longing of my hurried soul: an encounter with the One who made me.
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