The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
- Zephaniah 3:17
Have you ever heard of Brother Lawrence? He was a Catholic monk who lived in the seventeenth century, and his views on prayer and what it means to talk with God has changed my life in many meaningful and impactful ways.
His philosophy was this: what we call prayer is, in essence, spending time with a loved one. Think about your most precious person. What does your life look like with them in it? What would it look like without them?
If your experience is anything close to mine, then talking is only a small portion of your interactions. My husband Sam is my most precious person. I wake up early to have breakfast and coffee with him before he leaves for work. I think of him when he is gone. I am happy to see him when he returns home. We talk about our days, about current events, about whatever pops into our minds. We laugh together, cry together, play games together, watch tv together…you get the point.
All that to say, my loving Sam has transformed my entire life. I can’t imagine my life without him, and most of the decisions I make, be they small or large, are made with him in mind in one way or another. When I interact with other people, it’s either with him by my side or on my mind. I’m not ashamed to say that I tend to gush about him when he’s not around.
Brother Lawrence believed that prayer amounts to pretty much the same thing, and I’d have to agree. Prayer is more than bowing your head, clasping your hands, and talking to the ether with your eyes closed. Prayer is spending time with your most precious person, with someone who is everywhere, who knows everything, who is the ultimate authority, and who loves you so much They would die for you (and has. And then brushed it off and went on living because that’s just how powerful and amazing They are).
What would prayer look like for you if you adopted Brother Lawrence’s mindset? For me, praying has become more than a chore, or something to measure in minutes or hours or days. Prayer is waking up in the morning and being grateful for fresh air and functioning lungs. Prayer is loving my husband and being able to sacrifice for him because I know God is there to do the same for me. Prayer is looking at the people around me and being reminded they are precious to God, and therefore precious to me. Prayer is thoughts of God floating around in my head as I go about my day, influencing my decisions and my actions. It is my acknowledgment that God is always with me, and my gratitude for His presence.
Prayer is living life with God.
My friend, I hope and pray that you will begin (or continue) practicing the presence of God in your life. May your days and weeks, months and years, be filled with joy and peace even in the midst of every trouble and tribulation. May the Holy Spirit remind you of Their presence and the all-encompassing, never-changing love of God. May your life be overflowing with love.
