God’s gift . . .

A Prayerful Place – Jesus Is There

How would it change you . . . change your approach to prayer . . .
if Jesus knelt beside you as you prayed and added His amen to your requests?

How would you feel if you looked up after the final amen of a prayer
and saw Jesus standing there looking you straight in the eyes, with a warm welcoming smile?

We don’t have to imagine this . . . When we pray, Jesus is present with us—He is there—lifting our requests to God.

Over the years, when I’ve watched people nervously teaching and preaching, giving a testimony, tearfully telling their struggles and stories of life, I’ve paused to pray for them . . . I have imagined seeing Christ’s hands on their shoulders, His strength flowing through them, and His calm presence surrounding them . . . I literally take a slow breath in, let it out, and pray that they know they’re not alone— Jesus is praying too . . . He prays with us . . . Jesus is there.

Jesus Himself said . . .

“For when two or three gather together in My name,
I am there in the midst of them.”
Matthew 18:19-20

Jesus died so that the separation between God and sinful man could be bridged—so that we could be reconnected with our Father . . . So that the Holy Spirit, who is God Himself, could come and invade every life which gives Him welcome . . . Every soul that welcomes God into the heart—those words are so important! . . . The presence of God is available to everyone who comes to Him through the open door created by the death and resurrection of Jesus . . . we just have to say “come.”

God’s presence is not something we create by our efforts.
It is always God’s gift to us totally independent of what we do.
For, in reality, God is always present;
it is we who need to be awakened to God’s presence.
The biblical truth and resulting comfort that we must remember
is that God is always with us.
(Tom Schwanda)

We need to live with the awareness of the presence of God in us and around us . . . For us, knowing and feeling God's presence is coming “home” . . . it’s where we’re always meant to be.

INSIGHT . . .

Jesus is with you even when you don’t feel His presence.
He is never so close to you as He is during your spiritual battles.
He is always there, close to you, encouraging you to fight your battle courageously.
He is there to ward off the enemy’s blows so that you may not be hurt.
(St. Padre Pio)

This well-known quote comes from a letter written by Saint Padre Pio on August 15, 1914, offering deep comfort during times of spiritual dryness or struggle . . . It still applies to us today . . . he is encouraging us to be aware of God’s constant presence in the believer’s life . . . Jesus stays close even when our emotions or senses tell us otherwise . . . Jesus also stands right beside us in hard times to block us from spiritual harm . . . and He acts as a quiet strength, urging each of us to maintain the courage to fight and keep going no matter what our challenges.

“I am with you always, I will be with you day after day,
even to the end of the world.”
Matthew 28:20

God is indeed present and active in our world today . . . God is in our midst, even though we are often unaware of His presence.

Our distracted, frantic, chaotic pace can deeply reduce our awareness of Jesus . . . even though He is naturally with us—this is Who He is! . . . Through an extensive range of activities, even worthwhile helpful “Christian activities,” we can consciously or unconsciously diminish or obstruct our awareness of God’s presence.

C.S. Lewis captures the reality of the human ability to stifle God . . .

We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God.
The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito.
And the incognito is not always hard to penetrate.
The real labor is to attend. In fact, to come awake.
Still more, to remain awake.
(C.S. Lewis)

God is always present . . . we may be ignoring, shutting out, or refusing to recognize Him, but God is always present.

Feeling the presence of Christ is about anchoring yourself in the truth that He is always nearby . . . It’s about acknowledging the experience of a visible, noticeable sense of God's presence . . . A sense that can seem like an overwhelming wave of peace, a deep internal quiet, sudden tears of joy, or even a physical warmth . . . but know that every person is different and may experience the presence of God in a different, unique way . . . just trust God and He will be there for you.

Talk to Jesus casually throughout your day, thanking Him when you wake up or asking for His help during a stressful moment . . . Spend extra time filling your heart with God’s Word, as it renews your mind and tunes your spiritual senses to recognize how He works in others, and in you . . . and find time to shut out worldly distractions and simply rest in the quiet assurance that He is with you.

Christian teachers like the Rev. Billy Graham remind us that faith isn't built on changing emotions . . . It is built on faith, hope, and trust in our God Who has promised to be with us always . . . Even when we don't feel anything, we can stand on the promise that Christ dwells in each of us and will never leave us.

INVITATION—TO TALK WITH GOD . . .

Remember, to experience God's presence in our lives, we have to enter into a relationship with Him . . . Jesus has already sent the Holy Spirit to believers . . . When we believe in Christ, the Spirit lives with us and dwells within us . . . It is up to us to choose to recognize this and move forward to develop a relationship with God.

“I will ask the Father to send you another Helper, the Spirit of truth,
who will remain constantly with you. The world does not recognize the Spirit of truth,
because it does not know the Spirit and is unable to receive Him.
But you do know the Spirit because He lives with you, and He will dwell in you.
I will never abandon you like orphans; I will return to be with you.”
John 14:16-18

Do you believe that Jesus helps you experience God through the Holy Spirit?
Ask God to help you experience His presence . . .
Wait quietly, keeping the “gaze of your heart” on Him—and listen.

Everyone is different and will experience and react to the presence of God in their own unique way . . . It is really important that you value your own manner of response and communication with Him . . . Don’t compare yourself with others . . . God has created you as a unique individual and He will continue to give you grace, mercy, and love in the way you uniquely need from Him.

What helps you pay attention to God?
What hinders you from paying attention to God?

If you know what helps you to pay attention to God,
how often do you actually seek to engage in these activities or practices?

If you recognize what hinders your awareness of God,
what can you do to reduce or remove these hindrances?
. . . Ask God to help you.

One of our greatest struggles is in being still . . . We all have a to-do list that commands our attention each morning, and throughout the day . . . If we are not intentional about creating time with God starting the first thing each day, we can easily be distracted by the “doing” and miss the “being” . . . including being at Jesus’s feet, being attentive to His voice, and cultivating a spirit that is receptive to God’s presence.

It is critical for each of us to balance our “doing” with “being.” . . . We can work ourselves to exhaustion in service for God yet become spiritually dry because we fail to carve out time to be filled by His Spirit . . . and to continually work on our relationship with Him.

Where have you met Jesus (or God or the Holy Spirit) today?

Where have you missed Jesus (or God or the Holy Spirit) today?

Ask these questions throughout each day and week,
and you’ll be surprised how much more you recognize God’s presence with you.

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous be shaken.”
Psalm 55:22

ILLUMINATION . . .

Where do you pray? . . . What does your prayer space look like?

What materials help you in your prayer life? . . . When do you pray?

Imagine for a moment that place—your prayerful place—that allows you some “alone time” with God . . . time to talk with Jesus
. . . time to listen for the whispers of the Holy Spirit.

Finding a personal space to pray—a prayerful place—helps each of us build a consistent spiritual routine and steady communication with God . . . Somewhere where you can stop for just a few minutes and reconnect with God . . . Every single one of us could use a sacred space in our home . . . Even your own garden or porch, in front of a fireplace, or (like me) in the privacy of my morning shower.

The Bible describes Jesus frequently withdrawing to “lonely” or “solitary” places to pray.

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and
went to a place where He could be alone to pray.”
Mark 1:35

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
Luke 5:16

Jesus often went to solitary places to pray . . . the mountaintop, the lake, and the garden . . . We can’t always arrange a trip to a mountaintop, but we can find somewhere appealing to pray . . . Slip into a church sanctuary and look at the cross or stained-glass windows . . . Spend a quiet hour at a museum . . . Create a prayerful place in your home by lighting a candle or placing your chair by the window . . . or simply go for a walk . . . A prayerful place is any quiet, intentional environment where you can quiet your mind and connect with God without distractions.

You know, a change of scenery can improve your prayer life at times, help you look at things through fresh eyes, or hear God in ways you haven’t before . . . Take long hikes in the woods, by a lake, or on the beach—without a phone (or at least with the Do Not Disturb on)—and just ask God questions out loud . . . Who cares if the squirrels or birds look at you funny? . . . One thing you can trust—be confident of—is that when you invite Him into your space, He shows up 100% of the time . . . You may or may not feel it, but prayer isn’t a feeling . . . Prayer is trusting . . . Do you trust God?

Step away from your daily routine . . . Experience deep quiet . . . Give yourself room to walk, breathe, and appreciate creation . . . Pause to reflect . . . The key is to find a space where you can be alone and undisturbed in an environment conducive to prayer and meditation.

Does it matter where we pray? . . . Yes and no . . . If you trust that God is in everything and everything is in God, then God is available to each of us in prayer at any time and in any place . . . The important thing is not where you pray, but that you pray, and if your heart and soul are involved . . . What matters most is not the place itself—so “no,” it doesn’t matter where . . . What matters is that a prayerful place helps each of us be able to pay full attention to our relationship with God—so “yes,” it does matter.

Ultimately, the best place to pray is anywhere, because Jesus is there!

INSPIRATION—PRAYING THROUGH MUSIC . . .

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!"
Psalm 150:6

I encourage you to take time to listen to any or all the songs below . . . there is no right or wrong style of music—it is what speaks to you . . . listen to the melody and the lyrics and feel the response of your heart to what God wants you to hear . . . and I do understand that music doesn’t speak to everyone . . . and that is okay too.

♪♬♪ Current . . . Make It Well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLrF-ml7uks&list=RDxLrF-ml7uks&start_radio=1

♪♬♪ Praise & Worship . . . There Is None Like You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnhUh2tt97Q&list=RDKnhUh2tt97Q&start_radio=1

♪♬♪ Traditional . . . How Great Thou Art

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bnSX5W57yg&list=RD9bnSX5W57yg&start_radio=1

INTO EACH DAY AHEAD . . .

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”
Psalm 27:4

This pursuit of seeking a relationship with God is never wasted breath . . . To seek God is to encounter God . . . God is already with you and me . . . He is already closer than we would ever imagine He could ever be . . . His Spirit, His presence in the earth, never leaves us and never forsakes us . . . And when you turn your attention toward Him you will encounter Him . . . just open your eyes and ears, heart and soul.

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”
1 John 4:18

Whether you’re at church, with friends, or meeting God in your prayerful place . . . open your heart and soul to Him . . . Allow Him to flood your fears and tears with His relentless love and grace . . . and trust and know that Jesus is there!!

Heavenly Father,
Create in us a spirit that is attentive to Your presence.
Remove those distractions that shift our attention away from Your voice.
Fill our hearts and soul with You more and more each day.
In Your name we pray—Amen!

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Prayer Paths (written by Dr. Debbie Parcel)
is a weekly email letter designed to “fuel”
your active prayer life, help you stay engaged in
focused prayer, and encourage a
growing relationship with our Triune God.

To receive Prayer Paths by email each week—send a request,
with your name and email,
to BarnabasRoad2025@gmail.com

(Prayer Paths is offered through Barnabas Road Ministries)‍ ‍‍ ‍