Prayer begins when...

On a certain Thursday afternoon a certain man was working feverishly in his home office. His eyes were glued to the screen in front of him, his hands pecked like hungry chickens at the keyboard.

At half past two, his tummy grumbled. And so, without lifting his gaze, he reached out with his foot and toed open the door to his office. Then, with no real hope that his wife would hear (he had a vague recollection that she may have gone out for the day), he bellowed, “Honey, I’m feeling a bit peckish. Would you mind terribly making me a quick sandwich?”

“Of course dear,” her sudden reply startled him! “but you needn’t shout. I’m right here.” He swung around in his office chair and there she was! Sitting in his own leather wingback sipping tea and reading a book. Just where she had been sitting all day. His senses snapped on like light bulbs. The smell of her perfume mixed with the rich bergamot of the Earl Grey in her hand. The sounds of rustling pages in her book and the creak of the leather as she shifted her weight. How could he have forgotten!

Too often we pray like that certain husband. We shout into another room only half hoping that someone will hear us. But true prayer begins when we pause long enough to notice that God is right here with us, fully present, fully attentive, and that he has been here all along!

The first step in true prayer is to pause long enough to perceive and acknowledge God’s real and full presence in every room of our lives.