Teaching Summary: Practicing Prayer and Presence

One of the signs of maturity in the life of a follower of Jesus is the ability to live with a quiet center—to carry peace on the inside even when life is swirling on the outside. That kind of maturity doesn’t come from activity or achievement. It comes from presence—from being present to God in prayer and, out of that, present to others in love.

We live in a distracted world. Our minds are scattered, our attention divided. Even when we’re in the same room with people, our hearts can be miles away. But God’s desire has never changed: He wants to be with us. From the beginning of Scripture to the end, the story is about God drawing near—walking with Adam and Eve in the garden, dwelling with His people in the tabernacle, and finally coming to us in Jesus, whose name literally means “God with us.”

So when we talk about prayer, we’re not just talking about words we say. We’re talking about the practice of being with God—slowing down long enough to notice His presence and let His peace reshape our hearts. And when we talk about presence with others, we’re not talking about fixing people or managing their problems. We’re talking about caring for them—being with them in such a way that they can sense God’s love through us.

There’s a subtle but important difference between caring for someone and taking care of someone. To care for someone means to be lovingly present—to walk alongside, to listen, to honor their dignity and trust that God is already at work in their life. To take care of someone, on the other hand, often means we step into a role that belongs to God. We start to manage, to fix, to rescue. It can look loving, but it’s often driven by our own anxiety. When we care for someone, we participate in what God is doing. When we take care of someone, we often interfere with what God is doing.

Jesus modeled this perfectly. He was full of compassion, but He never controlled. He asked questions like, “What do you want me to do for you?” giving people the dignity of choosing their response to God’s grace. He was present but never panicked. He loved but never over-functioned. Presence is powerful because it reflects the heart of God. God doesn’t fix us from a distance; He comes near. He listens. He loves us into freedom. When we spend time with Him in prayer, we start to reflect that same kind of presence toward others. Our lives begin to carry a non-anxious peace that allows others to rest in God’s love.

This past Wednesday night at our Men’s Table, Pastor Rich taught from the story of Jesus taking Peter, James, and John up the mountain—the moment we call the Transfiguration. While they were up there, Jesus’ face became as bright as the sun and His clothes gleamed like light. Suddenly, standing next to Him were Moses and Elijah. The disciples were amazed. Peter, always eager to act, said, “Lord, I want to do something—I’ll build three shrines: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah!”

But while Peter was still speaking, a cloud covered them, and a voice came from the cloud saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him.” Terrified, the disciples fell to the ground. Then Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Don’t be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

Rich shared that when he was a boy, his mom used to tell him, “Rich, don’t just stand there—do something!” That’s what Peter must’ve felt too. When he experienced the nearness of God, his instinct was to act—to build, to move, to do. But God never asked Peter to do something for Jesus. He asked him to listen to Jesus.

We often live as though the Christian life depends on what we can do for God. But the first call of discipleship isn’t to do—it’s to listen. To stand still. To receive. To let God’s presence form us before we try to form the world. So here’s the challenge for this week: don’t just do something—stand there. Instead of rushing to fix, to plan, to act, take a moment to stop and listen. Let prayer and presence become the foundation of everything else.

A mature follower of Jesus doesn’t just pray for outcomes—they practice being with God. And they don’t just show up for others to solve their problems—they show up to love, to listen, and to reflect the peace of Christ. Check out this week’s Quiet Table blog to go deeper and try on a simple practice to help you grow in prayer and presence.