Living in the Moment Begins with Two Important Practices
On a scale of 1-10, how good are you at living in the moment?
How often do you replay or fret about the past? How much time do you spend worrying about the future?
There’s a phrase that Rev and I repeated often…
“I don’t want to lose today because I’m clinging to yesterday or worrying about tomorrow. I want to live each day that God gives me.”
Rev accomplished that goal and it’s my prayer to do the same with the Lord’s help.
So today, I want to look at some quotes and verses that can help us remember the importance of living in the moment.
#1 If you and I want to live today to the fullest, we must let go of yesterday through repentance and forgiveness.
- We need to live “free” if we want to live fully focused on today … free of guilt and shame through God’s forgiveness and free of anger and a desire for revenge toward those who hurt us.
Living in the moment means God’s love is working in and through us.
Paul wrote…
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.
1 John 4:7
Dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved [perfection], but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Philippians 3:13–14
“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.” ~ C. S. Lewis
“Peace of mind happens when you choose to be at peace with the stories your mind continually tells. It arrives when you let go of the need for things to be other than they are.” ~ Elle Sommer
#2 If we want to live today well, we must stop worrying about tomorrow.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Philippians 4:6
“It is not the cares of today, but the cares of tomorrow, that weigh a man down. For the needs of today, we have corresponding strength given. For the morrow, we are told to trust. It is not ours yet. It is when tomorrow’s burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than a man can bear.” ~ George Macdonald
“You find no difficulty in trusting the Lord with the management of the universe and all the outward creation, and can your case be any more complex or difficult than these, that you need to be anxious or troubled about His management of it?” ~ Hannah Whithall Smith
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You,
Isaiah 26:3–4
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Trust in the Lord always,
for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
It’s impossible to live today the way God wants if we spend our time clinging to yesterday and worrying about tomorrow. The only way to live in the moment is to give the past, the future, and yes, the present to the Lord in prayer.
P – Praise Him for who He is and all He does … He heals the past and prepares the future.
R – Repent of our sins and forgive others for their sins.
A – Ask the Lord for His help to live in the moment.
Y – Yield – Surrender the day to God and live for His glory.
And as you say “Amen” remember … God is greater than anything that is going on in your life. In His presence, we can always say, “it is well with my soul.”
Let’s pray…
A Prayer Asking God for Help to Live in the Moment
Father God, You are the Lord of all my life. I thank You for the world You created. I thank and praise You for Jesus who suffered my punishment, saved me, and gave me an eternal future with You. I praise you for the Spirit who has given me faith and continually gives me everything I need to live that faith one day at a time.
Please forgive me for holding on to the past through guilt and shame. Forgive me for failing to forgive as You command. And please forgive me for the time I waste worrying about things that may or may not happen.
Please help me center my heart and mind on You, Lord. Give me a passion for Your Word and a love for time spent in prayer. Please give me clarity of thought and the ability to focus on only those things that are important today. By Your grace, bless me with wisdom and discernment that I might KNOW, TRUST, and OBEY Your will.
Father, I want to honor You. I want to remember to apply the phrase “What Would Give God Glory – WWGGG” to every part of my day. I want to live in the moment because that is what Your Word says You want for me. I give myself and this day to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Are you ready to live in the moment?
Remember … it is in the moment that the Spirit gives us what we need to produce spiritual fruit.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Galatians 5:22–23
I want that! I don’t want to waste today reliving yesterday or pre-living tomorrow. I want to live for God’s glory today by the power of the Spirit. Because I know that is the only way to experience the peace God wants.
So, with the Spirit’s help, may we apply these two important practices of letting go of yesterday and refusing to worry about tomorrow. Let’s make today the best day possible.
God be with you and bless you as you live for Him today.
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When we surrender to God and His will for our lives, then we can truly live in the moment for Him. It isn’t easy for most of us, but it does no good to worry about the future or cling to the past.
Blessings, Deb!
You’re right, it isn’t easy, Martha! What a blessing that we are covered by His all-sufficient grace through Jesus. I pray to intentionally give each day to the Lord and surrender to His ability to give me all that I need each day. Blessings!
This hit home with me today. I am much better at not worrying about tomorrow than I am about letting go of the past. I broke Jesus ‘s heart by sinning in a way that led me down a dark path. I know the the Lord has forgiven me but I am still struggling with forgiving myself. I am overwhelmed with guilt. Please pray that thoughts of a sinful past will no longer haunt me. It grieves me so!
Judy, my thoughts are that the hardest person to ever forgive is ourself. But, oh how freeing it is when we finally do! Praying that your heart will open up and let it all go soon! Give it to God, and don’t take it back! “Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.” Praying for you, dear Sister in Christ.
I’m sorry for your struggle with the past, Judy. I often think of Peter’s guilt after denying Jesus. I once had a dream that Jesus was asking me the same questions he asked Peter … “Do you love me.” And like Peter, “I promised that I did” and He told me to “feed my sheep.” That’s why I claim His promises and share His love by telling all that He has done for me. I am praying and asking the Lord to give you His perfect peace as He assures you that you sin has been removed as far as the east is from the west. God be with you and bless you!
Thank you, Deb, for your encouragement and prayers❣️
Thank you, Judy! I am blessings by your kind words of encouragement. God bless you!
Deb, I so needed this reminder today! I am certainly guilty of losing my peace and joy of my current days, lately. Some of my days have been overwhelming with dealing with past happenings and worrying about the future. I know I am to rejoice in the day the Lord has made and be glad in it. But sometimes, it is easier said than done. Your prayer truly spoke to me this morning, and if I may borrow it, I will be praying it often. I read a Charles Spurgeon quote that spoke to me and will perhaps help others today…”there are thousands of mercies that we do not enjoy, not because they are withheld, but because we do not take them.” May we all learn better how to “take and enjoy ALL” the mercies that God lavishes on us TODAY! Thank you Deb, for always helping me to see where I am and helping me to do better to get where I need to be! You are a trusted teacher and dear friend! I know in your loss, the days of the past and days of tomorrow may be on your mind also. I continue in prayers for the strength and comfort of God to hold you ever so close. I hope you know how much we all care about all you are going through too…
I’m guilty too, Kathy! It’s a daily struggle that takes lots of prayer and heart surrender. I continue to repeat the “God’s grace is sufficient.” That Spurgeon quote is powerful and helpful – thanks! Thank once again for your encouragement and for sharing your faith journey with us. Blessings and hugs!
Thank you for your words of encouragement. It’s amazing how God is using you to minister to me and I’m sure many others. God bless you with great things. 🌹😇
Tom
Thank you, Tom. I appreciate your kind words of encouragement. Blessings!
Thank you Lord Jesus for nourishing me with your love, peace, grace, and mercy to place my life in your hands. I will let go of today so that I do not worry about the past or present so long as you are leading me in the right path. I love you and will trust, obey, and seek you always.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful prayers with us, Ana! God bless you!
I wish it was that easy for me. There are things from the past that do get in the way and I allow to rob me of my peace and joy for the present. Not everyday, but more often than not. I love all of the verses you quoted and have probably recieted them numerous times. This post is wonderful, but a reminder of weak I am and that I need to keep my focus on Jesus and the JOY I have in my relationship with HIM. Thank you again for your very GODlY wisdom. God Bless You.
I don’t think it’s easy for any of us, Sue. I know it’s what I should do but the enemy loves to taunt me with the past and tease me with the future. I started worrying as a toddler and continued for way too long. And as a recovering people-pleaser, I’m always tempted to question what I should have said or done differently. I’m definitely a work in progress. I prayerfully give each day to the Lord because I need His help to live in the moment. Praying for you, sweet friend! Blessings and hugs!
Deb,
I do the same thing: Always questioning what I did or said wrong and how could I have done things differently! I work on this issue on a daily basis and like you, I am a work in progress. You would think at my age I would have it down pat by now. Not so!! Inferior feelings are imbedded when we are very young and ridiculed. Trying to people please started with me at a very young age. Beginning with trying to please my Mother and live up to her expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my mother and still do. She has been with the Lord for a long time now. I focus on the sacrifices she made for me and not the things she did to hurt me. She did far more good than bad. But, being so young and feeling like the unwanted child sticks.
I will continue to pray for you and your work in progress. I ask that you pray for me too.
It’s always a blessing to know that others share our experiences and are willing to encourage us on the hard days. Thanks for being a faithful encouragement to me. I am so very thankful for you and the others who cover me with prayer and lift me up with your kindness. Sending Big HUGS!!
Thank you so much for this message, just what I needed this morning! Thank you for your faithful serving and ministry Deb, you are a blessing.
Thank you, Melanie, for your kind words of encouragement. May the Lord be with you and bless you!