• faith
  • life
  • motherhood
  • books
  • family
  • home
  • food
  • travel
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • blog
  • about
  • Beautycounter
  • podcast
  • design
chelsea eubank

chelsea eubank

stories + graces of everyday life with God

  • about
  • podcast
  • Design
  • Shop
  • clean beauty
  • contact

less magic prayer, more relationship

10/04/2021 · In: faith

It is not in hearing God or feeling cozy thoughts toward Him that constitutes friendship with Him, though I long believed it was. It’s not a magic prayer or formula, though most days I wish it was. 

It’s familiarity through ongoing conversation and trust and surrender to being loved. 

It’s not spiritual achievement or a sense of have-it-all-togetherness, but attention and humility and obedience. It’s not instant or controllable, but adventurous and unpredictable.

Most days, I don’t have the capacity for the slowness and risky nature of this kind of relationship. Rather, I don’t allow myself the space to cultivate it. I heap an unrealistic amount of expectations onto my shoulders. My mind spins with tasks to do and friends to check in on and ideas to pursue. Internally, it’s often a cluttered room of ‘shoulds’ and ‘what ifs’ and restlessness and proving.

If you’re like me and sometimes your life with God feels complicated, I invite you to try a practice of simplicity:

As you go about your day, in the middle minutes, in both the boring and exciting moments, occupy your mind as often as you can with the truth that God is closer to you than you are to yourself.* Believe that He is who He is says He is and that you are who He says you are.

Resist the urge to strive for a spiritual answers, feelings or disciplines and pursue God. Simply because He’s God and you love Him, not to get something from Him. And, speaking from experience, the tasting and seeing of God as He is will only increase your awareness of what tempts you away from His side. There will be bouts of silence that seem dry, or days we don’t understand why our life is going the way it is, you’ll wonder why a sin still tempts you so much, or the weighty burden of watching the world. Resist the need to figure it out. Occupy your mind with the reality that He is in you, with you and for you in this very moment. Be changed and sanctified by your pursuit of Him, not only pursuit of knowledge or warm feelings or even more faith. Trust that God has not changed and He has given you all you need already (His Spirit and His Word).

“It isn’t a matter of achieving God’s presence, but surrendering to God’s presence that is already within the Christian. It’s more than a habit, it’s a fundamental way of living. As a flag or banner waves over a castle continuously, the presence of God hovers around us, sometimes rippling in the wind, other times resting quietly, but always in a place that stands out, that cannot escape the eyes we are training to recognize Him.”

Jan JOHNSON

It isn’t a magic prayer. It’s a living, breathing, interactive, giving-and-receiving relationship.


(*Saint Augustine)

By: Chelsea Eubank · In: faith · Tagged: God's presence

you’ll also love

God stays; will we?
loving God with my soul
Recent Read: Bread of Life

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Next Post >

Joy Triggers | September 2021

Primary Sidebar

Search

I'm Chelsea... a wife, mom and friend passionate about cultivating a rich life with God.

This blog is equal parts family stories, faith reflections and creative delight.

I read a lot. I eat peanut butter every day. I like shopping secondhand. I love hosting people in our home.

Writing helps me pay attention, and paying attention keeps me grateful.

Glad you're here!

Series on the Blog

  • Reading and Listening
  • Current Read
  • Joy Triggers
  • Instagram Archives
  • Clothe Yourself With
  • Perspectives
  • Truth To Consider
  • grateful list
  • A Few Things

THE PODCAST

the email

archives

topics

abiding anna art & design beautycounter biblical truth birthdays body image books clothe yourself series crushing on current read faith family fear food goals God God's presence grace gratitude him holidays inspirational words Jesus joy triggers julia Kids learned life life with God love marriage me motherhood music photography prayer reading and listening recipes reflection simplicity social media spiritual growth travel wisdom

Footer

Listening

  • BEMA
  • Pray the Word
  • Church of the City
  • Elisabeth Elliot
  • Raising Boys and Girls

Reading

  • Jasmine Holmes
  • Henri Nouwen
  • Justin Earley
  • Helen Smallbone
  • Darrell Johnson

engaging the Church & kindling love for God one testimony at a time

Listen in as people just like you share about their life with God.

Check out my podcast!

Copyright © 2023 · Theme by 17th Avenue