Presence prayer is choosing to believe in and concentrate on God’s continual attention towards us in order to increase our awareness of and dependence upon his very personal presence.
1. When you consider God’s investment in the minutia of your life, how do you characterize his involvement? Do you think God “cares” which city you move to, much less what you cook for your dinner? According to Matthew 10:29–31, God notices and values every hair falling from your head. How does this assertion compare with your assumptions about his involvement? How does it shape how you view presence prayer?
2. How do you usually evaluate your prayer life? What are the benefits to developing a sense of God’s presence by regularly observing your prayer habit?
3. When you compare Brother Lawrence’s circumstances and experience of prayer with your own, how practical does his plan sound to you? What do you feel about a ten-year commitment to praying like this? What might motivate you to practice the presence of God in spite of its demands?
4. What are some regular events, chores, visual stimuli, or auditory signals that might function as prompts for you to check in with Jesus? Where in your day do you have the alone-time that might be most conducive to beginning such a plan?
5. What obstacles to this discipline can you envision? How might you overcome them? What plan can you make with your spiritual friend or group to receive help and encouragement when you encounter weariness, defeat, or the temptation to give up?
Ten Ways to Pray 