How to Practice the Presence of God in Advent

Have you ever felt like the holiday season creeps up on you? Me too. It’s already December. The holidays are filled with extra events, extra time commitments, extra expenses, and sometimes extra work, depending on your industry. Even though it’s meant to be a season of rest and time off, it can also get so busy that we forget to take care of our bodies. We can forget to eat (or eat junk food), become sleep deprived, and rush from one thing to the next. But, in a season full of the hustle and bustle, don’t forget to celebrate that God became flesh to dwell among us. 

One thing that always amazes me about Christmas is God took on human form. He found it significant to dwell within a human body and exhibited patterns of resting and spending time with the Father. As Christmas approaches, there’s no better time to take time away and be present with Jesus. 

Rather than a typical blog post, I decided to write a simple meditation for this week. This form of prayer utilizes your whole body to help you become grounded and let go of worries. I pray this will be a tool in your toolbox to celebrate the Incarnation this season. By fully inhabiting your own body and embracing your limitations, you can experience the freedom of resting in the Father’s sovereignty. 

This began as a written meditation you can follow on your phone or computer. However, to make it more accessible and functional, I have also included an audio version for you to listen to and follow along to. If this was helpful or you want a PDF version, comment below!

 

An Incarnation Meditation

Take a moment to breathe deeply. Set the timer on your phone for three minutes. Close your eyes, still your mind, and breathe. Inhale for 3-5 seconds, hold for 3-5 seconds, and then exhale for 3-5 seconds. Notice how this calms your nervous system after a couple of minutes.

Check-in with the Lord. He is here with you. Do you believe that? Do you feel his presence? What thoughts come into your mind? Do you think he’s mad at you, distant from you, or do you feel his delight in you? Notice how your body responds to these positive or negative reactions to God’s presence.

Ground Yourself

Now let’s engage your senses. Take a moment to notice your surroundings:

See – What do you see? Are there any colors that stand out? Anything you find beautiful?

Smell – What do you smell? Notice the fragrance of the room you’re in. Take a couple of extra seconds just to sit and notice. Don’t rush through these questions to achieve a goal. Let your body have space to notice.

Hear – What do you hear? The tick of a clock? The birds chirping outside? The traffic on the street? Do you hear music?

Taste – What do you taste? If you have coffee or tea next to you, take a sip. If not, take a moment to run your tongue over your teeth and be present. Think of some flavors or foods you’re grateful for.

Feel – What do you feel? Notice the texture of the floor beneath your feet, the rug or carpet, the chair or couch you sit on, or even the texture of your clothes.

Take a moment to acknowledge that Jesus is in these senses with you. He knows the things you see, smell, taste, hear, and touch. He created colors and textures of this world for us to enjoy. He is present with you as you are present with your surroundings. 

Process Your Day

Take a moment to think through the events of your day, whether they have already happened or have yet to happen. What tasks make you feel anxious or pressured? What events are you excited about? What fears or overwhelming emotions come to mind? Express these to the Lord. Don’t ask for solutions yet. Just verbalize your thoughts. For the sake of staying in your body, speak them out loud. As you do this, put your hand on your chest and feel the vibration of your voice as you invite Jesus to dwell with you. 

Release Tension 

Now take a moment to notice any tension your body is holding onto. Often our fears or feelings cause us to tense up. Relax your eyebrows. Relax your jaw. Relax your shoulders. Maybe even stretch your neck out a bit. Do you notice any pain your body is feeling right now? Are there any other sensations you notice? As you manually relax your body, lift your fears to the Lord. Open the palms of your hands to him, and ask that he would take these burdens. You were not meant to carry them within your body. Rest in him as you cast your anxieties on Him.

Change Your Posture

 

Kneel

Since we are humans with bodies, we can use our postures to participate in prayer in physical ways. Take a moment to kneel down and ask the Lord for help with the things overwhelming you. This is a good time to repent of sin or hard-heartedness. This is a good time to acknowledge times you reacted negatively to people around you. And it’s a good time to recognize that you are weak and limited and ask the Lord to speak into the big things in your life today.

 

Open Hands

After submitting yourself to him, open your palms again and take a few moments to listen. Do any memories, pictures, songs, or bible verses come to mind? They may not even answer your direct question, but be present in what the Spirit brings to mind. If your mind is racing with distractions, that’s okay. Don’t try to push them away. Instead, invite the Lord into your distraction and see if there are any ways he adjusts your perspective on them.

 

Stand Up

Now stand to your feet. This is the time to proclaim who God is. Open your Bible to Psalm 145 or read the verses listed here. If you do this meditation more than once, you can also use Psalm 103 or John 1 here. Many of us read our Bibles silently, but historically many of these psalms were written to be read aloud. Read this psalm out loud, proclaiming who God is despite your circumstances. After reading, enter into a time of adoration prayer, listing characteristics of God you’re thankful for. Proclaim that He is faithful and good and loving in your life. Praise Him for the ways you’ve seen His goodness this week. 

 

Psalm 145

A psalm of praise. Of David.

1 I will exalt you, my God the King;

    I will praise your name for ever and ever.

2 Every day I will praise you

    and extol your name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;

    his greatness no one can fathom.

4 One generation commends your works to another;

    they tell of your mighty acts.

5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—

    and I will meditate on your wonderful works.[b]

6 They tell of the power of your awesome works—

    and I will proclaim your great deeds.

7 They celebrate your abundant goodness

    and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate,

    slow to anger and rich in love.

9 The Lord is good to all;

    he has compassion on all he has made.

10 All your works praise you, Lord;

    your faithful people extol you.

11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom

    and speak of your might,

12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts

    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

    and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises

    and faithful in all he does.[c]

14 The Lord upholds all who fall

    and lifts up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to you,

    and you give them their food at the proper time.

16 You open your hand

    and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways

    and faithful in all he does.

18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,

    to all who call on him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

    he hears their cry and saves them.

20 The Lord watches over all who love him,

    but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.

    Let every creature praise his holy name

    for ever and ever.

 

Go with God

Now take a piece of paper and a pen and ask Jesus what He wants you to remember and meditate on throughout your day. It might be a verse, it might be a worship lyric, it might be a reminder of your identity, or it might be an act of obedience he’s asking. Write it down on paper and put it in your pocket. As you go about your day, put your hand in your pocket and feel the paper between your fingers. Every time you do, you will be reminded in a tangible way of spiritual truth.

Closing Prayer

As we close our time together, would you join with me and everyone else who has done this meditation to collectively pray a prayer based on the verses in John 1? Allow this to remind you that you are walking not only with Jesus but with all other Christians around the world and throughout time to glorify God in your body and throughout your day today.

Jesus, Thank you for becoming human to dwell among us. We are grateful that you made our bodies as a way to participate in your world. Thank you for coming as a light into this dark world so the darkness could no longer overcome the light. Thank you for showing us a model of humility. Though the world did not recognize you and even rejected you, you still provided a way for us to receive your love and become your children. We have now seen your glory, and I ask that you show me more of your glory today. I ask that, like you, I would be filled with grace and truth. Thank you for making yourself known to us. Thank you that we may know you as a friend and a brother. Help us to shine your light into this dark world today. Let us offer our presence and proximity to others as we make them feel known and loved. And as we follow you today, let us be present in our bodies, offering them as a living sacrifice to you. Amen.