Inner Conditioning
Making Meaning of the Message
Inner conditioning is at the heart of practicing presence. Without doing it consistently, to start the day and throughout the day, we will not have confidence in it. It is our inner experience of calm and peace as we bring in stillness that keeps us returning to the present moment. In other words, it is the practice that teaches us or, I should say, it is the practice of bringing in stillness that allows God to teach us. As Jesus said in John 6:45, “They shall all be taught by God” (RSVCE). We all want God to reveal himself to us and teach us in our daily lives. But we have to remember, God’s Spirit is always in the present moment and unfortunately most of us are rarely in the present moment. Inner-conditioning ourselves through the practice of presence keeps us close to the space where God can teach us: the always accessible present moment where the divine resides. And through God’s grace we have a choice.
Set the Intention
God, I pray that your peace keeps me close to the present moment so that you can teach me your ways.
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. “Inner Conditioning.” Choosing Presence, Turning Stone Press, 2020, pp. 53-54. [Adapted with permission.]
