Journal 2005. What might it look like if I practiced noticing Jesus’ presence? What if I mentally set a place at the table for Him at every meal? Would my “bless this food” prayer be different? Would our conversation be different? What would it be like to place Him at the head of the table?

What if I invite Him to sit in the living room with me and watch TV? Would we watch what He wanted to watch? Or would He prefer to turn it off so that we could talk together?

In my kitchen He’d help me prepare the meal and we’d chat while doing dishes. He’d make suggestions for good food to eat. At my computer, He’d sit beside me and help me figure things out and give me creative ideas and help me catch mistakes in my proofreading.

How? All I have to do is be aware. Notice. Listen. He’s right there all the time. I just don’t always take time to notice Him. I often take Him for granted.

Lord, reveal Yourself to me throughout this day. Help me to pay attention, sit up and take notice, to listen to You. I love spending time alone with You, all to myself, but You don’t go away just because I walk out of a prayer closet. You come too!

How do I pray for someone who can’t sense His presence because he/she has his/her eyes closed? God will not force their eyelids open. But perhaps He’ll woo them with sounds and touch and smell and taste, so they’ll open their eyes voluntarily—and then they’ll see and respond. Perhaps I should stop praying that God will open their eyes and instead ask Him to bring things into their lives so they’ll voluntarily open them. They’ve heard loud and scary noises, and they’re keeping their eyes shut so they won’t have to see the monsters. What can I do to encourage them to open their eyes? Give me the perfume of Your love today.