Garwood Presbyterian Church

Practicing the Presence of God Through Celtic Prayer

Practicing the Presence of God

Luke 24:13-35, John 14:21-23, Ephesians 3:16-17a

1. Practicing the Presence of God
   1. By acknowledging that He is with us all the time - by talking to Him all the time.
      1. Following the example of many Celtic prayers.
   2. Similar to what Brother Lawrence wrote about in "The Practice of the Presence of God".
   3. This is theologically correct as the name in Greek for the Holy Spirit in John 14:15-16, 26 and 15:26 is the "parakletos" which means "the one who walks beside you".
2. Practicing the Presence of God Does Not Come All That Easily
   1. God is not that obvious or easy to connect to.
      1. Why?
      2. Because He insists that we relate to Him by faith.
   2. Because sometimes we experience trials and tests, and problems and difficulties.
      1. When God may seem distant or not there at all.
   3. Because God says that we have to make an effort to experience His presence.
      1. James 4:8
      2. Matthew 7:7
3. There Are Other Ways to Experience the Presence Of God Besides Talking to Him
   1. Through Faith
      1. Ephesians 3:16-17a
   2. Through obedience
      1. John 14:21-23
   3. Through worshipping Him and having a devotion time together
      1. John 4:23-24
      2. We set time aside for God alone.
      3. We let God reach deep inside of us.
   4. Through receiving communion
      1. Luke 24:35
   5. Through witnessing
      1. Matthew 28: 19-20
   6. If practicing the presence of God through talking to Him throughout your day does not seem to work, then use the above as a checklist to see what else you need to do.
4. Practicing the Presence of God Through Celtic Prayer
   1. The Celtic culture values the goodness of nature and sees the hand of God in it.
      1. Therefore, many Celtic prayers talk about their connection with God through nature.
   2. Saint Patrick brought not only a culturally relevant Christianity to Ireland, but also a very practical one.
      1. Therefore, many Celtic prayers center on the presence of God in everyday activities.
   3. Some examples of Celtic prayers.

Summary - Celtic prayers encourage us to talk to God throughout our day in whatever we do, thereby helping us to practice the presence of God.