In our quest for more intimacy with God, we spend time each
day by sitting quietly in our prayer closet and listening to the voice of our
Beloved Lord. If we fail to spend time alone (all-one) with God in physical
quietude as well as silence, we will never hear Him in the midst of the chaos
and noisy activity of our day. In our quiet time, we can also write in our
journal all the words of wisdom, which God gives us about our day, life,
relationships and duties. We also write down praises and prayer requests.
We also seek God during our quiet time for His to-do list
for our day, which helps in prioritizing our activities (Proverbs
3:5-6, 16:3). This is why a daily quiet time of praise, devotion, and
meditation in God’s Word is so important. We encounter God on a personal level.
As we emerge from our quiet time, we do not leave Him behind. We stay in His
presence. All through the day, we radiate joy, and walk in His calm peace, even
in the midst of difficulties. In this union with our Father, we realize the
extent of His love for us as His unique child.
As we leave our secret place, we pay attention to what we
see and hear in each moment of time. So often, people function in the present
moment on automatic pilot! Usually, our thoughts are either on the past or on
the future. Neither of those topics is very useful for the present moment. The
trauma of the past and the fear of the future have no place in the present
moment (Psalm 22:8). Once we repent, we are saved.
The past is over and forgiven, therefore, dwelling on it only hinders the
present. We are not promised a future; so dwelling on the future is also
futile. God’s gift to us is the present moment.
As we remain in His presence all day long, God removes our
shame for past failures and assures us that we have no worries about the
future. We are safe and secure in His arms in this present moment, even if the
circumstances around us are full of turmoil and conflict. God makes all things
work together for our good, even if we experience something unpleasant (Romans
8:28). As we dwell in the moment, we become increasingly conscious of our
union with God through Jesus Christ by His Holy Spirit (Colossians
3:3).
By living in the moment, we practice paying attention to
the here and now. The key is to concentrate on what is happening to you now in
this very present second. It is through this attentiveness to what is actually
going on around us, that we become completely aware and fully alive. We also
become more effective in ministry, because we are in tune with God’s Spirit
moment by moment. His awesome presence permeates our being as we learn to
consciously live each moment by faith in His love (Matthew
6:25-34).
God did not put us on earth to amass worldly goods, but to
be His vessel from which He can change our world. We serve as a lifeline to all
those around us. Proficiency in using God’s Word is not a prerequisite for
helping others in their walk with the Lord. We just need to be willing for God
to use us. When the Holy Spirit leads us moment by moment throughout our day,
we truly make a difference.
We will exercise when the Spirit leads us, in the manner in
which we need, in order to be physically fit. We also eat what He guides us to
eat, resulting in physical fulfillment. We will become fulfilled spiritually by
what He directs us to read during our devotion, and by the church to which He
leads us to make a covenant. He helps us to minister to people and to be
ministered to by people according to His timely schedule, and here we find our
physical, emotional and spiritual fulfillment.
What we do with each moment of our day is our choice and
our gift back to God. As we give our prayerful attention to the moment as God
gives it to us to enjoy, we are aware of God’s presence in our lives. This
allows us to follow the leading of His Holy Spirit moment by moment throughout
the day. If you think about it, in actuality the present moment is all we
really have. God leads us to make the most of each minute for His glory.
Prayer:
Father God, the problem we often have with living in the present moment is that we are hurt by the past and fearful of the future (1 Peter 4:19). As we cast our concerns on You (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7), You deal with the painful parts of our past. You often even lead us to a counselor who functions in the ministry of inner healing. You also help us to begin the process of relinquishing our fears and entering into Your rest (Hebrews 4:10). As we focus on Your Word and meditate on those You bring to our mind during the day, we find our peace restored (Philippians 4:5-7).
Father God, the problem we often have with living in the present moment is that we are hurt by the past and fearful of the future (1 Peter 4:19). As we cast our concerns on You (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7), You deal with the painful parts of our past. You often even lead us to a counselor who functions in the ministry of inner healing. You also help us to begin the process of relinquishing our fears and entering into Your rest (Hebrews 4:10). As we focus on Your Word and meditate on those You bring to our mind during the day, we find our peace restored (Philippians 4:5-7).
Thought for the Day:
Without faith, it is impossible to please God; therefore,
as we come to God, let us believe that He is the Almighty, and that He wants to
reward everyone who diligently seeks Him. - Hebrews 11:6
