“I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken” (Psalms 16:8 ESV).
Thoughts On Last Week’s Challenge
The first two days of not praying for myself I realized that I think about myself far too much. It forced my to consider others first. By the end of the week I was much more aware of others. The challenges that they face. The needs that they have.
There was an unexpected blessing that came from this experience; I found that I was much more content with my life. In thinking of the needs of others, the wants in my life seemed far less important.
I think that I will be undertaking this challenge–spending a week without praying for myself–on a regular basis, perhaps every few months.
The Challenge and the Verse
This week, I challenge you to try to be consciously aware that God is always with you, because He is! You may need to stick a few Post-It Notes in places where you will see them throughout the day. Or you might find it more convenient to set reminders on your phone, so that at several times throughout the work day, and your time away from work, you are reminded of His presence.
You don’t have to feel His presence for Him to be with you. You don’t necessarily have to pray for someone or something at all of these times; just give God a “thank you” for being with you, watching over you, and giving you faith.
Being aware of His presence is exactly what the psalmist meant when he wrote our verse. “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken” (Psalms 16:8 ESV).
As we become more aware of His presence we will find that we sin less and pray more. The sins that we struggle will loose their hold.
When we fall in love with someone we can hardly go a few minutes without thinking about that person. I believe that by spending time thinking about the One who gives us life through Jesus Christ, we won’t be able to help but fall in love with Him all over again.
Skipping Stones 
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