4 Ways to Experience the Divine in Your Day
Being Present to God’s Spirit in You
Wherever you are, be there. If you can be fully present now, you’ll know what it means to live. — Steve Goodier
Maintaining an awareness of the Divine in each moment is a challenge for me. I often start my day intending to reveal God’s life and love, but I quickly forget. At night, I am surprised that I was oblivious to my original desire and hurried through my day with little understanding of my presence or impact on others.
How do we become more present to the moment, and engage the Divine? Many of us look at people who have the life we want, and we think they must have done something massive to achieve their results. But, it’s the small things that no one sees that make the significant differences that everybody wants. It’s the little things repeatedly done day-after-day that bring about the life we want. The key is to look for small habits to support our intention to stay connected with the Spirit. Here are a few ideas.
The Magic of Meditation
The practice of meditation holds benefits for self-awareness, growth, and peace. There are many different approaches, but the heart of meditation is focusing one’s mind or giving attention to one thing for a while. It is taking time to listen and be present to who we are and all that is stirring within. Through mindfulness, we train our attention and awareness, growing in clarity and calm so that we can hear our authentic voice and the Divine.
Suppose you read about a pill that you could take once a day to reduce anxiety and increase your contentment. Would you take it? Suppose further that the pill has a great variety of side effects, all of them good: increased self-esteem, empathy, and trust; it even improves memory. Suppose, finally, that the pill is all natural and costs nothing. Now would you take it? The pill exists. It’s called meditation. — Jonathan Haidt, The Happiness Hypothesis
What if you began with five minutes a day? Each time, start by becoming physically still, comfortable, and focus on calm, relaxed breathing. While I meditate, I like to flow through three movements: gratitude, surrender, and assignment. I give a moment to acknowledge the presence of love and my appreciation for life. Another moment, to recognize my openness to the Divine and what it seeks to unfold in me. And finally, to remind me of my assignment to reveal God in each moment as I lovingly relate to others and share my life with them. Then I sit and listen for what my Spirit or heart may reveal, seeking to be present and aware of the moment.
The power of meditation is the cumulative effect of pausing each day and giving attention to God. No one session of meditation is a game-changer, but consistent practice builds focus, concentration, and mindfulness to the flow of the Spirit in my life.
Habit of Curiosity
Another tactic is to develop the habit of curiosity. Ask God questions about what is going on in your life and your day. The questions we ask are powerful because when we begin to question and look for something, we begin to notice it organically throughout our days. When I am interested in something, like a specific type of car, I notice more of those cars when I am driving. When I look for certain clothes, I begin to see all the people wearing those clothes. When we start to look for God, we begin to see the Divine in our day. We can ask questions to increase our awareness:
- God, who are you for me today?
- What is it that you want me to see?
- What are you doing in this situation right now?
- What of your love and grace could I give this individual?
- Why do you seem absent from this place?
- What are you stirring in me?
- What are you hoping I will see?
How might you get curious about the Divine in you? If we believe that God is with us, we should ask to see it, and perhaps we will.
Intentionality
Another way to build awareness in your life is by creating more intentionality with your day. Start your day acknowledging God’s presence. When you wake up in the morning, set your first thoughts on welcoming the Divine into your awareness. “God, I thank you for this day. I thank you, and I receive it as a gift from you. Help me to be present to you, help me to receive your love and grace. Please help me to share it with someone else. God, if you want to interrupt my day today, please do and help me to know it is you.”
When you begin your workday, use your calendar to pray for your day. “God, give me peace in my 10:00 AM meeting. Please help me to see you in my coworkers. I have a difficult conversation at 1:30 PM. Please give me wisdom and discernment to make the best decisions. I may be tempted to lose my temper, so please give me grace and understanding.”
Use your calendar to schedule time with God. Calendars have power. When someone says, “I have an appointment at that time,” rarely does someone push back. The natural response is, “Okay. Do you have another time that will work?” What if you were to schedule an appointment with God? Maybe a mid-morning or mid-afternoon break for 10 minutes. Would you put it on your calendar? You can label it “TWG,” which stands for time with God. Once a week, you could schedule a thirty-minute lunch with God to sit outside or in the car and contemplate God’s presence.
When you arrive at the end of your day, you can spend a few minutes reviewing the day. Take time to remember all that has happened, pray through it, and ask where God was visibly present. Where did you see life and love? Where did you experience kindness and grace? Was there a place where you overlooked the Divine or missed it? If so, do not be hard on yourself. Take note so that you might see it on another day.
Anything that Helps
Also, use any aid that helps. It could be a symbol or a phrase. I know someone who has Rembrandt’s picture, The Return of the Prodigal Son, in their office. His coworkers think that he loves art, but for him, it is a reminder of God’s goodness in his life. A woman lights a candle at her desk, and her friends think she loves the scent, but for her, it is a reminder of the Spirit’s presence. A nurse went from room to room assisting patients, and each time she was required to log into a computer and record her notes. She changed her password to “GodIsWithMe2021!” to remind herself of her intention to see God. What could you do that would remind you of God’s presence in your life? What tools, words, or images could you use to draw your attention back to the present and remember the power of the moment?
Giving Your Best to Others
The presence of the Spirit, the Divine within us, is the deciding factor of our life. The world desperately needs individuals who are convinced of this reality, connected to this place within, and sharing God’s goodness and love with others. Imagine if we give our best self to our family and friends and they experience the presence of God in us. This would change our relationships and create change within our communities. However, this doesn’t just happen. It requires awareness, surrender, and intention to stay present at the moment.
What’s After Church (whatsafterchurch.com) supports those reimagining their faith and engaging spirituality, especially after leaving the church or organized religion. Sign up for updates on new articles and resources. Also, receive a free download with registration. Get it here.
