A New Habit That Changes Everything

Guest Post by Ron Gannett

Did you ever wish you could take a life experience home and relive it? That is how I feel at summer’s end when leaving our cottage in Ontario. While there, I bask in the “eternal power and divine nature” of our great God as I work and play in his creation. Going home, I long to take that constant awareness of his presence with me to empower my daily routines. 

 The problem at home is that the grind of living can be so consuming we fail to sense the omnipresent God. The tyranny of our urgent blinds us to the potential of his ever-presence. Just imagine how life would change if we tapped into the power of his daily presence in our lives.     

 I am working on a daily habit to do just that. It is based on Paul’s admonition to “pray without ceasing.” The Lord knows we cannot pray 24/7 but wants us to regularly, throughout the day, sense and enjoy his presence and guidance. My dream is to find a way to remind myself every day of his desire to participate in my life and my need to depend on him.

 The grind of living can be so consuming we fail to sense the omnipresent God. The tyranny of our urgent blinds us to the potential of his ever-presence. Just imagine how life would change if we tapped into the power of his daily presence in our lives.

  My habit consists of three simple C’s: commit, commune, and celebrate.

When I get out of bed in the morning, I commit. As the sleep unglues from my eyes and my feet hit the floor, I whisper a prayer committing myself to his purpose and glory for that day. Even though I may not know what the day will hold or the challenges I will face, I commit to be his man and honor him no matter what. My resolve is to make that day count for his eternal kingdom. That commitment is like a wind at my back that pushes me through the day.

Then as the day unfolds, I seek to commune with the Lord throughout the day. I want to sense his presence in everything. That communication might be reading Scripture, praying for an ambulance rushing down the road, seeking wisdom during a conversation, glancing at a wonder in his creation, asking for help, making a decision, seeing his hand ordering events, sensing his nudge to act, thanking him for a surprise, asking him to forgive a rude person, or simply finding a quiet moment to spend time with him in praise and prayer. All day I look for ways to see the Lord standing behind the people and events in my path. Folks may think I am mumbling or talking to myself, but I am communing with the One Person I seek to please.

The third “C” takes place at the end of the day as I sit in my chair or retire to bed. I pause to celebrate his grace to me that day. As I reflect, I thank him for his many provisions, protection, blessings, special events, guidance, interruptions, friendships, learning experiences and so much more. The more I ponder the more I see his activity and care in my life. Celebrating him is an art I want to master. Thankfully, it also opens my eyes to my shortcomings and motivates me to confess. These sober moments of celebration remind me of my utter dependence on the God of Heaven and motivate me to rise in the morning to do it all over again.

 It is easy to forget that God made us for himself. He created us in our mother’s womb to know, befriend, and serve him. In fact, the indwelling Holy Spirit empowers that relationship with daily conviction, encouragement, teaching, and guidance. He is just waiting for us to tap into the transforming power of his presence.

 My prayer is that you won’t just read about these three “C’s” but try them yourself. I am convinced that if you commit in the morning, commune during the day, and celebrate at night, you will develop a closeness with the Lord that challenges others in your world to do the same. 

Enjoy and let me know how it goes!     

About Ron

Ron and Susie Gannett have served congregations in Alabama, Canada and Arizona, and Ron presently spends time as “snowbird pastor in Tucson, Arizona.” He serves Dallas Seminary as Special Assistant to the President, connecting with alumni on the field to encourage, coach, and hear what God is doing. 

Ron has a personal ministry called Empowerment, which gathers men in small groups to read and journal the Bible together. 

"Those of us who are committed to elder leadership are excited about what BER is doing to cast the vision for multiple church leadership," Ron said. "As I travel to meet church leaders, I see the turmoil congregations endure and repeat unnecessarily. So much of this could be avoided if we jumped off our personal islands to work as a team. The Lord has promised to bless biblical models, and that is exactly what BER provides. I wholeheartedly recommend their team to help you."

Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash