Talk With Jesus Like He’s Here Because…

Each January I ask the Lord for a new spiritual focus for the year. I pray the theme will permeate my life as the months go by. Here are recent themes… A Slave of Christ (2013), Better to Give Than to Get (2014), Keep in Step with the Spirit (2015), Listen and Love (2016), Join the Dance Procession (2017), Make Disciples (2018), Looking Up (2019), Blessed to Bless (2020), Practicing the Presence (2021).

Here is my 2022 theme and the story behind it…

In 2021 the Lord directed me to practice his presence. As a result I read The Sacrament of the Present Moment (de Caussade) and Letters from a Modern Mystic (Laubach). While reading Letters, I was struck by an experience that the author cultivated. He experienced profound joy as he took the evening walks and spoke with Jesus conversationally. I started speaking conversationally with Jesus in August 2021 and it continues to be transformational on an hourly basis.

Here are the key ideas…

• Speak conversationally with Jesus as if he were present because… He is. Depending on the context, I will speak out loud.
• Allow pauses for Jesus to speak back. I give his Spirit permission to speak to my spirit and speak words from him to me. These are very Scripture-breathed.
• Suggestion: Try doing this with your eyes open. When I do this, I have a greater sense of his presence. When I close my eyes it feels as though I am speaking to someone in another place or galaxy.

One team wrote in response…

“our team met yesterday morning. I shared Clyde’s video invitation with them on talking to Jesus as he was really present- which he is. I must say, this way of praying did not come naturally to me, and it has been a really good challenge/disruptor, helping me to pray with more focus and attention. Our team found it is helping us get rid of trite terms and religious language.”

Please let me know of your experience with this practice. Email me at clyde@visualstory.org.