Step 4: Practicing the Presence - Waking up to God
Mark 1:35 (NIV)
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Genesis 28:16 (NIV)
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”
It is scattered throughout the Scriptures, the promise that God is always with us. Where can we go from His presence (Ps 139:7)? Jesus promises us that He is with us always (Matt 28:20). We celebrate it every Christmas… Immanuel, God with us. But by the time the Christmas tree is taken down and the ornaments are put away we have forgotten that He came to stay.
Life has a way of distracting us from God. If we were honest, we would admit that we regularly ignore God; we simply forget that He is there. We must remind ourselves that He is there… that He is here, always. We need to Practice the Presence of God.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “The early morning belongs to the church of the Risen Christ.” This week, we turn our attention to following the pattern that Jesus showed us in giving your first moments when you awaken to acknowledge God’s presence. He is there in the room waiting for you to get up and join Him. While you slept He kept watch over you with His song of love (Ps 121:4, 42:8). Like Jacob, we need a wakeup call to remind us that “when I awake, I am still with you.” (Ps 139:18)
Your turn:
The morning belongs to the Lord. He alone should get your first thoughts.
Leave your phone on the charger, any messages can wait for a moment.
Before your foot touches the floor, take a moment to sit up in bed and say “Good morning, Abba. Good morning, Jesus. Good morning, Holy Spirit.”
Thank Him for the opportunity to begin the day with Him.
Ask Him for the grace you will need to accomplish all that He has for you today.
Take a moment in silence and just receive.
Awaken - a confession
Sitting in the coffee shop with my cortado, my books I never get to reading, my laptop,
and a stiff…
brown…
napkin for blowing my nose… because I am going to cry.
It’s what happens.
You meet me here…
You make me hear…
You make me tear… up.
Upward into You.
Further up and further in as St. Jack said.
I seek you.
I need you.
How have I slumbered for so long? Were you here the whole time, watching me sleep?
Did you make subtle noises to stir me in my slumber?
Clear your throat?
How long have you watched the rhythmic breathing in and out,
in and out, chest up and down?
Alive but not awake. Movement, but no action.
But that doesn’t matter now, I am awake now. What shall we do?
Quick, get me out of this bed before I fall back asleep.
Because already excuses for why I deserve to sleep longer
…and why it would be better to tackle this after some more rest are creeping into my mind like a black inked letter from Cory.
But that will never do.
You have called me in this moment.
Either to action, or to dance with you.
Perhaps you wanted to cuddle, and nobody wants to cuddle with someone who is asleep. It makes your arm fall asleep… And Your arms can’t do that.
And so you wait for me to get out of bed.
You tell me of how great the day is going to be.
You open the blinds and let the light in,
but my eyes are not yet ready so I ask you to close them.
You open the window to let the fresh air in and you turn to me to invite me into the day, into yourself.
And so you wait for me, as I slide back into slumber. You come next to me and hold me, hoping that I will see that my pillow and blanket are nothing compared to the comfort You bring.
I am asleep again.
You pull your arm from under my pillow, which was under my head. You let me sleep, again. Because you know I will be grumpy if you awaken me.
Could I not tarry? Do we all fall asleep on You in your hour of need? How often am I asleep in my hour of need? In Your hour of provision?
Stupid snooze button has made me late again.
Yet, at least I am awake to realize it…
You say “Good Morning”
and I use my napkin again.