“True prayer is not a part-time activity, but a life of communion with God.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – April 21, 2026
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18
We have surely all known those times when prayer feels impossible. It may be heartache that keeps our spirit’s tongue tied, or numbness, or just plain exhaustion. In those times, when we long to call out to God but can’t seem to find the words or the energy, it is a comfort to remember that prayer is so much more than a composition of the “right” words. Sometimes, the Spirit must intercede for us with groans that words cannot even express (Romans 8:26-27); but our God is as much present and listening in those moments as he is during our most loquacious of prayers. The fact of the matter is that prayer is so much more than something we do at set times of the day. It is a way of life. Prayer is, as the 17th-century monk Brother Lawrence put it, simply the practice of the presence of God. When we practice continually turning our hearts and minds to our ever-present Father – no matter where we are, what we are engaged in, or how little or great our need – then, when the hard times come and we feel pressed beyond words, we can still stand in God’s presence assured of his love and attentiveness.
So how do we practice the presence of God daily? He is present, whether we attend to his presence or not. So the key is in the practice. Like practicing anything, at first, deliberately turning to him to converse about the matters of our heart or our day may feel like a lot of effort. We may feel silly, like babbling toddlers. And, in fact, that is exactly what we are like. What parent doesn’t cherish the poured out thoughts and feelings of a small child? So much more does our Father in Heaven delight in his children pouring out their every care to him.
Prayer was never intended to be forever confined to restricted times or places. When the woman at the well asked Jesus which location was the correct one for worshiping and praying to God, he gave her a vision of prayer that he had himself come to achieve for God’s people: “Believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem… a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” (John 4:21-23). Brother Lawrence described the nature of his “Spirit and truth” prayer life in very practical terms when he said, “The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer. In the noise and clutter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the Blessed Supper” (Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God).
We can be certain that dry seasons will come and words may fail us. But we can turn our hearts towards the Father in the simple times, the quiet, the happy, the mundane times. If we practice his presence in all circumstances, then when the hard times come, we will easily find him right there beside us, with the Spirit interceding on our behalf.
Prayer
Loving Father, make me sensitive to your constant presence and quick to turn and pray to you in all circumstances, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Application
Choose a time/place in your daily routine this week (it might be your commute to work or washing dishes at the kitchen sink), and devote that time to simply enjoying your Father’s presence. Share anything on your mind with him.
Related Reading
Psalm 145:18; Luke 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 12:12
Worship Resource
Steph MacLeod: What a Friend We Have in Jesus
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