Accessing Presence
Making Meaning of the Message
Access is everything, and God tells us exactly how to access the present moment where the Holy Spirit resides always. God tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” When we read that or say it, it seems almost too good to be true. But when we practice presence through the breath and bring in stillness, our own experience teaches us it is exactly so. God has made access easy and available to each of us equally. What we have to do is stop allowing our insecure and unstable ego to lead us and take us out of reality. The access point is not our head, but our heart. And being in the present moment opens our heart because all the distractions have stopped. We are present to the only reality there is: this moment now.
Set the Intention
God, you have given me and all of us access to your presence. And that humbles me.
Practice Presence
Bring in stillness and ask yourself the three questions to gauge your progress:
Am I present now?
How do I feel inside?
Do I have a sense of peace within at some level?
See pages 10–11 of Choosing Presence for the details of this exercise or use the Practicing Presence—A Christian Way app to help you remember to take three conscious breaths or more every hour, to access God’s spiritual energy.
*Heaney, Jim. “Accessing Presence.” Choosing Presence, Turning Stone Press, 2020, p. 45. [Adapted with permission.]
