Learning to Walk with God Throughout the Day
One of the greatest challenges facing modern Christians is learning how to remain aware of God’s presence in the midst of busy lives. We often divide life into “spiritual” moments and “ordinary” moments—prayer time and work time, church time and home time. Yet Jesus invites us into something much deeper: a life of continual fellowship with God.
This idea is often called Practicing the Presence of God, walking in the Spirit or abiding in Christ (the Vine).
At its heart, practicing the presence of God is simply learning to live with an ongoing awareness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit throughout the day. It is closely related to what the New Testament describes as abiding in Christ (the Vine), walking in the Spirit, living by the Spirit, and drawing near to God.
Jesus said:
“Abide in Me, and I in you.” (John 15:4)
The Apostle Paul wrote:
“Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)
And James encourages believers:
“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)
Jesus also gave the remarkable promise that those who love and obey Him would experience the indwelling presence of God:
“My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (John 14:23)
Practicing the presence of God is simply learning to live in the reality of these promises.
Brother Lawrence: A Simple Man with a Profound Secret
Few people have illustrated this truth better than Brother Lawrence.
Born in seventeenth-century France, Brother Lawrence was not a scholar, pastor, or famous theologian. He was an ordinary man of humble beginnings who served as a cook and later repaired sandals in a monastery.
Yet through years of simple devotion, he discovered what many have called one of the greatest secrets of the Christian life: learning to enjoy God’s presence continually.
Brother Lawrence described this as:
“The practice of the presence of God in one single act that does not end.”
His goal was not merely to spend time with God during prayer and then return to ordinary life. Rather, he sought to remain in loving fellowship with God throughout every part of the day.
Whether peeling vegetables in a busy kitchen, serving others, repairing shoes, or kneeling in prayer, he practiced turning his heart toward God again and again throughout each day.
Eventually, this became so natural that it was like breathing.
He wrote that the time he spent with God while working was no different from the time he spent with God in formal prayer. God’s presence became his constant companion.
In the midst of noise, interruptions, and hard work, he learned to commune with God continually.
A Life of Worship
Brother Lawrence came to see every task as an act of service offered to God. He did not wait for special spiritual experiences. Instead, he found God in the ordinary moments of daily life.
He famously said:
“I am doing now what I will do for all eternity. I am blessing God, praising Him, adoring Him, and loving Him with all my heart.”
For Brother Lawrence, the kitchen became a sanctuary. Work became worship. Everyday life became a place of communion with God. His example reminds us that God’s presence is not limited to church services, prayer meetings, or quiet times. God is present in the office, the classroom, the workshop, the kitchen, the garden, the car, and the family home.
Practicing the Presence Today
The Fellowship of The Way encourages believers to cultivate this same awareness of God’s presence.
This does not happen instantly. Like any spiritual habit, it develops gradually through practice.
Begin by simply pausing throughout the day.
- Offer short prayers.
- Thank God for small blessings.
- Invite the Holy Spirit into ordinary tasks.
- Listen for His gentle promptings.
- When your mind wanders, return your attention to Christ.
- Over time, these small acts begin to form a new habit of awareness of God.
- What begins as an intentional discipline of abiding, slowly becomes a way of life.
Simple Ways to Practice God’s Presence
Throughout the day:
• Whisper short prayers such as “Thank you, Lord,” or “Jesus, guide me.”
• Pause before beginning each task and dedicate it to God.
• Turn moments of waiting into moments of prayer.
• Offer gratitude for ordinary blessings.
• Listen for the Holy Spirit’s prompting to encourage, serve, pray, or speak.
• Remember that Christ is always with you wherever you are.
• Frequently return your attention to God’s presence.
Walking in Fellowship with God
Practicing the presence of God is not about striving harder or becoming more religious.
- It is about friendship with God.
- It is learning to live every moment with the awareness that Christ is with us, the Holy Spirit is within us, and the Father delights in His children.
- Like Brother Lawrence, we discover that God’s presence is available not only in times of prayer, but in every ordinary moment of life.
- As we learn to abide in Christ and walk in the Spirit, our days become filled with a deeper sense of peace, purpose, joy, worship, and communion with God.
A Practical Guide to Practicing the Presence of God
Learning to Walk with God Throughout each Day:
Brother Lawrence discovered a simple but profound truth: God is always present, and we can learn to enjoy fellowship with Him throughout every moment of the day.
This does not happen automatically. Like any spiritual discipline, it develops through practice. Over time, what begins as a deliberate effort becomes a natural habit. Eventually, awareness of God’s presence can become as natural as breathing.
The goal is not to think about God every second of the day, but to develop the habit of continually returning your heart and attention to Him.
Step 1: Begin the Day with God
Before checking your phone, reading the news, or beginning your work, offer yourself to God.
You might pray:
“Father, thank You for this new day. I offer myself to You as a living sacrifice. May my thoughts, words, actions, and relationships honour You. Help me to walk with You throughout this day.”
Spend a few moments becoming aware that God is already present with you.
Remember:
You are not inviting God to come near. He is already near. You are simply becoming aware of His presence with you.
Step 2: Practice Short Prayers Throughout the Day
Brother Lawrence frequently turned his heart toward God through simple, brief prayers.
These can be as simple as:
“Thank You, Lord.”
“Jesus, help me.”
“Father, guide me.”
“Holy Spirit, lead me.”
“I love You, Lord.”
The purpose is not repetition for its own sake but maintaining a living conversation with God. These short prayers become like spiritual breaths throughout the day.
Step 3: Turn Ordinary Tasks into Acts of Worship
Brother Lawrence learned to worship God while cooking meals, washing dishes, and performing simple chores. You can do the same.
While driving:
“Lord, thank You for Your goodness.”
While working:
“May this work honour You.”
While cooking:
“Thank You for providing for my family.”
While cleaning:
“Lord, cleanse my heart as I clean this room.”
No task is too ordinary to be offered to God. Every task becomes holy when it is done with love and gratitude toward Him.
Step 4: Practice Returning
One of the most important lessons from Brother Lawrence is this:
Do not be discouraged when you become distracted or do the wrong thing.
The key is simply to return your thoughts back to God.
When you realise you have gone a while without thinking of God, or done something wrong, do not feel guilty.
Simply return.
“Here I am, Lord. I turn my mind back to you.” or ‘Forgive me, Lord. I haven’t done the right thing.” Receive His forgiveness, then continue your day.
Thousands of small returns gradually form a habit of continual fellowship.
Step 5: Learn to Listen
Practicing God’s presence is not only speaking to God. It is also learning to listen. Throughout the day, cultivate a listening heart.
Ask:
“Lord, what would You like me to do?”
“Is there someone I should encourage?”
“Is there someone I should pray for?”
“Is there something You want to teach me today?”
The Holy Spirit often speaks quietly through impressions, Scripture, conviction, wisdom, peace, or loving prompts. The more we listen, the easier it becomes to recognise His voice.
Step 6: See Christ in Others
Brother Lawrence learned to see every act of service as service to God.
As you meet people throughout the day, remember:
- Every person bears God’s image.
- The difficult person.
- The lonely person.
- The stranger.
- The colleague.
- The family member.
- The person serving your coffee.
Ask yourself:
“How can I show Christ’s love to this person?”
Practicing God’s presence naturally leads to practicing Christ’s love.
Step 7: End the Day with Reflection
Before sleep, spend a few moments reviewing your day with God.
Ask:
“Where did I notice God’s presence today?”
“When did I sense His peace?”
“Did I respond to His promptings?”
“Where did I miss opportunities to love or obey?”
“What am I thankful for?”
Offer both your successes and failures to God’s grace.
Rest in the knowledge that He has been with you all day and will remain with you through the night.
The Secret of the Practice
The secret is not striving. The secret is relationship. Practicing the presence of God is simply learning to live with continual awareness that:
- The Father loves you.
- Jesus is with you.
- The Holy Spirit lives within you.
As this awareness grows, prayer becomes more natural, worship becomes more spontaneous, and everyday life becomes a place of communion with God.
What begins as a discipline gradually becomes a delight.
And what begins as an occasional awareness slowly becomes a way of life.
“Abide in Me, and I in you.” — John 15:4
Brother Lawrence further said:
- Let our only business in this life be to please God – to abide in Jesus; to walk in the Spirit; to live and move and have our being in him.
- Let all we do be to love and serve God. Be thankful for the great kindness and blessings that God pours out on us and use them to honor him.
- Let us walk in faith and grow more and more in faith and trust in God every moment of every day.
- Our life goal is to embody faith, hope and love.
- Let us renounce all that is not of God and that does not serve him or please him.
- Let us think of him continually and let us put all our trust in him.
- And he will soon pour out his grace through which we can do all things and help us in everything.
- Create a holy habit of focusing our mind and thoughts on him at all times, in everything we do.
When we meditate and think of God continually we will love him more and more deeply for our heart will be with our treasure. By day and by night, adore him continually, this is our life’s work.
(Copyright unknown)
A quick guide bookmark to print and laminate.
