Finding God's Presence in the Ordinary

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You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

-- Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV)

Years ago, I shared with our Sunday school class how I prayed to see a bear while we drove through one of the national parks and God answered that prayer. Someone responded with a comment about how they did not believe we should bother God with such trivial requests. I tried to hide my surprise at her thoughts. I’ve heard this sentiment before.

If we only communicate with God when we experience problems or issues, we are limiting our relationship with our Heaven Father. We live most of faith in the ordinary moments, and God wants to be present in those moments and the extraordinary ones.

What Walking with God Daily Looks Like

Walking with God day-to-day means engaging in a relationship with Him through prayer, reading scripture, trusting Him, seeing Him in everyday moments, and living with love and peace, even when life is difficult. It involves acknowledging His presence constantly, not just in big events, but in simple, ordinary tasks and decisions, leading to spiritual growth and reliance on the Holy Spirit for direction. We also need to learn to offer gratitude for all the small blessings we receive daily. Our walk with God needs to become a relationship, not just a checklist.

When the Ordinary Feels Unimportant

All of us can feel that a daily routine can feel dull or insignificant. When the ordinary feels unimportant in faith, we can use it as a signal to remember God’s perspective. God uses the simple, overlooked things and people to draw us closer to him. We can find purpose in our everyday efforts. God can create extraordinary impact through our small acts and transform humble situations into significant moments with His presence.

God values faithfulness and relationships more than our visibility in the world.

Invitation to Notice God More

I encourage everyone to slow down and pay attention to the ordinary events in daily living to experience more of His presence in life. We can begin by noticing God in ordinary life through intentional awareness, cultivating gratitude for small things, seeing His presence in creation, and transforming daily tasks into prayerful moments. Practices like mindful pauses, reflective prayer during commutes, and finding beauty in nature help shift our perspective, recognizing the divine in the mundane.

Remember that God walks with us, not ahead of us, waiting for perfection.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Do you believe that there are some prayers that are trivial to God? If so, why do you think that?

2. Do you include God's presence as a part of your daily life? Make it a priority to include Him in simple ordinary tasks, decisions, and matters of your spiritual growth.