In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he exhorts them to be “fully alive like Christ” (Eph:4:13, The Message). But what does it mean to be fully alive? I believe that being “fully alive” is not some special state we only touch in moments of connection, achievement, joy or participation. To be “fully alive” is to be fully real. When we seek to be fully alive in the presence of our loving Father, we can relax, let it all hang out! We can fully accept ourselves, we can communicate honestly with each other and we are released to engage with the wonder of the world around us in the present moment. We become aware again that we are in the presence of the majesty of heaven.

However, praying in the afternoon presents certain challenges. I find morning prayers easier to say – there is something inspirational about the blank canvas of the day and the promise that it holds that causes my faith to come alive. But as the day passes, my expectations can fade. Afternoon for me can be like the tipping point between the hopes of youth and the acceptance of age, or the refreshing experience of new relationships and the stamina required to maintain an ongoing commitment to someone. So I really need to invite God into my afternoon, the afternoon of my marriage, the afternoon of my career, the afternoon of my parenting and the afternoon of my health.

We are always in the presence of God (Matthew 28:20), so let’s take hold of these afternoon times in our lives and days. Let’s press on to be all we could be and use scripture, music, visuals or our senses to engage with the spiritual hunger that is within us. Let’s allow hope to arise in our hearts and faith to arise from our lethargy. Now is the time to be alive and allow God to engage with us in every moment:-

Afternoon Prayer

O Lord, help me to be fully alive in this moment.
Right now I choose to become
Everything that you have created me to be.
Face to face, I long for you.
Deep to deep, I draw close to you.
Heart to heart, I touch you.
May I feel your perfect love
Know Your heavenly hope
And receive your gift of faith.
May this moment stay with me
For the rest of this day.

Amen.

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