Conversatio Divina

Part 9 of 20

Practicing God’s Presence to Us and Through Us

Jean Nevills

This is an exercise to increase the manifest presence of God in our lives. What is offered here is a brief outline to take with you as a prompt that will support your intention to live in God’s manifold presence. We practice it first for a day, then a week, then a month, until it is integrated and characteristic of the life we live.

“What can we do to have the manifest presence of God in our lives? What can we do to be sure that we really are living before the shining face? Well, there are really three things that you can do and I assure you, you will live, you will practice the presence of God—the manifold presence of God—three things.”  Dallas Willard

01.  Practice God's Presence to Us

  1. Mentally and verbally acknowledge God’s presence. We say “Lord you are here.”
  2. Continually thank God for what he has given us. We live in gratitude.
  3. Invite God into all locations and activities that occupy you.

02.  Practice God’s Presence Through Us

Blessing Practice

  1. Bless others this week using the Aaronic Blessing from Numbers 6:22-26. Imitate the manner that Dallas demonstrated at the 2013 Knowing Christ Today Conference.*
    The Lord bless you and keep you;
    the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
    the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Num. 6:23b–26)
  2. Or bless using words appropriate to the person and place receiving blessing.

Click here, to hear a talk on practicing the presence by Dallas Willard.

Footnotes

Jean Nevills 2019