Finding God in the Ordinary

“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”
— Genesis 28:16

We can sometimes imagine that encountering God requires an extraordinary moment, a powerful church service, an unmistakable answer to prayer or a dramatic change in our circumstances.

We may expect to find Him in the remarkable while overlooking His presence in the familiar.

Yet much of life is made up of ordinary moments: making a cup of tea, travelling to work, preparing a meal, answering emails, walking the dog or speaking with a neighbour. These moments may not seem especially significant, but they form the greater part of our days - and God is present within them.

The invitation is not always to do something extraordinary. Sometimes it is simply to become more attentive to the God who is already with us.

God is present here

In Genesis 28, Jacob stopped for the night during a long journey. He was not in a place of worship or surrounded by anything that appeared sacred. He was outdoors, alone, resting his head on a stone.

During the night, Jacob had a dream in which God spoke to him. When he awoke, he declared:

“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”

God had been present, even before Jacob recognised Him.

Perhaps the same can be true for us. We may move through our days without noticing that God is near, not because He is absent, but because we are distracted, hurried or expecting Him to appear differently.

The sacred within the everyday

Jesus spent much of His ministry among the ordinary rhythms of life. He shared meals, attended celebrations, walked from one place to another and rested beside a well. He noticed people others passed by and used familiar objects and activities - bread, seeds, lamps, coins and fishing nets - to reveal truths about the kingdom of God.

Through Jesus, we see that everyday life is not separate from our spiritual life. God is interested in the whole of who we are and every part of how we live.

Making a cup of tea can become a moment to pause and give thanks. A journey to work can become an opportunity to pray for the day ahead. Preparing food can remind us of God’s daily provision. A conversation with a neighbour can become an expression of kindness, patience and genuine care.

The activity itself may remain ordinary, but the way we approach it can change.

Learning to pay attention

Modern life often encourages us to move quickly. Even while completing one task, our minds are already occupied with the next. We can pass through an entire day without fully noticing where we are, what we are doing or who is in front of us.

Finding God in the ordinary begins with attention.

It might mean putting down our phone for a few moments and noticing the world around us. It could mean listening properly when someone speaks instead of preparing our response. It may simply involve pausing long enough to recognise a gift we might otherwise take for granted.

The warmth of sunlight through a window, birdsong on a morning walk, laughter shared with a friend or an unexpected act of kindness can all invite us to remember the goodness of God.

These moments do not need to be dramatic to be meaningful.

Turning routines into reminders

The routines of our day can become gentle reminders to turn our thoughts towards God.

As you make your first drink of the morning, you might thank God for the gift of a new day. When you wash your hands, you could ask Him to renew your heart. As you open a door, you might pray for openness to whatever the day brings. When you hear a siren, you could pray briefly for the people involved and those responding.

These small practices are not intended to add more pressure to our lives. They simply help us weave prayer and awareness of God into the life we are already living.

Over time, familiar actions can become invitations to pause, pray and remember that we are not alone.

Meeting God through other people

We also encounter God through the people around us. Jesus taught that the way we respond to others, especially those who are overlooked, vulnerable or in need, matters deeply to Him.

A hurried conversation can become an opportunity to listen. Remembering someone’s name can communicate that they are seen. Offering practical help, sharing encouragement or taking time to ask, “How are you really?” can become a quiet expression of God’s love.

We may never know how significant a simple act of kindness has been. What feels small to us may be exactly what someone else needed that day.

Finding God in the ordinary is not only about noticing what He wants to give us. It is also about noticing how He may want to work through us.

When ordinary life feels difficult

Not every ordinary day feels peaceful or beautiful. Some are exhausting, repetitive or lonely. Responsibilities continue when we feel we have little strength left, and God’s presence may not always be easy to recognise.

Yet God is present in those moments too.

He is with us in the unanswered email, the overflowing washing basket, the long shift and the difficult conversation. He is present in waiting rooms, sleepless nights and days when simply continuing feels like an achievement.

We do not need to pretend that these moments are easy. We can bring our weariness, frustration and disappointment honestly to God. His presence does not always remove the difficulty, but it assures us that we do not face it alone.

An ordinary day offered to God

The Bible encourages us:

“Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
— Colossians 3:17

“Whatever you do” includes the visible and the hidden, the exciting and the repetitive, the work others appreciate and the tasks no one notices.

When offered to God, even the smallest action can become an act of worship. We do not have to wait for a more important moment or a more spiritual setting. We can honour Him through the patience, care, faithfulness and love with which we approach the life in front of us.

Pause and notice

Today, take a moment to consider:

• Where have I noticed beauty, kindness or goodness?

• Is there an ordinary part of my day that could become a reminder to pray?

• Who might God be inviting me to notice more carefully?

• Could God be present somewhere I have not expected to find Him?

At the end of the day, you might look back and identify one moment for which you are thankful. As this becomes a regular practice, you may begin to recognise signs of God’s presence that previously went unnoticed.

We do not need to escape ordinary life in order to meet with God. He is present within it, at the kitchen sink, on the school run, during the walk to work and in the conversation across the garden fence.

Sometimes the holiest thing we can do is slow down, pay attention and recognise: Surely the Lord is in this place.

A prayer

Lord God,
thank You that You are with me
not only in extraordinary moments,
but in the ordinary rhythms of each day.

Help me to slow down and pay attention.
Open my eyes to Your goodness,
my ears to the people who need to be heard
and my heart to the ways You may be working around me.

Meet me in my routines, my relationships,
my work, my rest and even my weariness.
Teach me to offer each moment to You
and to recognise that no part of my life
is beyond Your loving presence.

Amen.