Practicing the Presence of God Through Prayer

When we pray, we aim to lift our minds and hearts to the Lord. This begins with an intentional awareness of God—acknowledging His presence, recognizing that He is with us, and allowing ourselves to receive Him. Prayer is not about summoning God to be with us; He is already here. It is about opening our hearts and minds to encounter Him, as though waiting to simply say, “Hello.”

Jesus provides us with a profound example of this disposition in His prayer:

“Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me;”

— John 11:41–42

To pray well, we must first receive God’s presence. We cannot create or manufacture it—He is always near. By receiving His presence, we affirm that we are never alone. This realization lifts our hearts and minds, helping us to meditate on the words we offer in prayer, knowing that God listens to us, looks upon us, and loves us deeply.

Giving our heart to God in prayer means offering our very selves—our whole being—to Him. In Scripture, the heart symbolizes the core of who we are. To give our heart to God is not merely an emotional act but a deliberate movement of the will. It may affect our emotions, but it transcends them, signifying our total surrender to His love and care.

In essence, to lift our minds and hearts to God means:

1. Receiving His Presence: Acknowledging that He is here, attentive to us, and welcoming us.

2. Recognizing His Gaze: Knowing He looks at us with love, listens to our prayers, and knows us fully.

3. Offering Our Hearts: Surrendering to Him our desires, fears, needs, hopes, and joys.

4. Receiving His Love: Allowing His peace, care, and love to fill and transform us.

Prayer is a sacred dialogue—a moment of communion with the One who knows us intimately and loves us infinitely. By lifting our hearts and minds to Him, we not only speak to God but also allow Him to speak to us, shaping us with His grace and guiding us with His heart.