We’re now six weeks and five days into spring, and evidence of the season abounds:
- Greenery flourishes from ground cover to tree tops
- Lilac, lily of the valley, and hyacinth scent the air
- Birds perform arias of warbles and trills
- Butterflies bob from flower to leaf
- Warm breezes dance through the trees
Most of us revel in these signs of spring. We find our senses highly engaged, taking in each stage of the transformation. Perhaps that explains why many people experience more joy this time of year.
I wonder: what if we engaged our five senses in worship and quiet time with God? Might some of that springtime joy well up in our spirits—all year long?
Christian psychologist, author, and teacher David Benner would have us understand:
The senses are a doorway to the sacred.
The question becomes: how might these organs help us connect with God more profoundly?
Here are a few sacred sensory activities to get us started.
Sight
Gaze upon the beauty of the Lord while meditating on his attributes, his works, and wonders (Psalm 27:4). Record the resulting thoughts on a journal page and increase the impact of reflection.
Revel in the glories of nature and write a page of praise, acclaiming God for his creative genius and impeccable workmanship.
Sound
Play or listen to worshipful music.
Where words fail, music speaks.
Hans Christian Anderson
Or, listen in silence.
Silence is not an absence of sound
but rather a shifting of attention
toward sounds that speak to the soul.
Thomas Moore
Again, keep a journal and pen at hand to write the thoughts and impressions God speaks into your heart as you listen.
Smell
Begin quiet time by lighting a scented candle. Perhaps reserve a favorite fragrance for this sacred time of day. As the aroma fills the air, remember that God is with you, surrounding you with his Presence.
Taste
For many of us a mug of coffee or tea sits alongside our Bibles and journals. What if we recited Psalm 34:8 as we take that first sip?
Praise God for his goodness; thank him for his blessings. Record one or two of his gifts in a gratitude journal.
The more we focus on him and his wonderful works, the better we can taste his goodness. So delight in the sweetness of his unfailing love. Savor the hearty flavor of his strength. Satisfy the hunger of your heart with the joy and peace of his presence.*
Touch
Years ago in a class on prayer we participants were instructed to put our hands in our laps, palms up. After a few silent moments I suddenly felt a tingling sensation. Was the Spirit of God holding my hands as we prepared to pray?
The professor explained that the pressure on the backs of our hands was causing the phenomenon. But wasn’t it wonderful to imagine God gracing each of us with his personal touch? Oh yes!
That evening began a life-long habit of turning my palms upward to pray, to avail myself more fully to the nearness of God. It’s a divine way to augment worship.
Harold Best believes:
“Of all people, Christians should have the best noses,
the best eyes and ears,
the most open joy, the widest sense of delight.”
As we engage our senses in worship, we will find ourselves ushered through the doorway to the sacred and into the presence of our magnificent and beautiful God.
Do you incorporate any sacred sensory activities into your quiet times with God? Please tell us about it in the comment section below!
*Sarah Young, Jesus Always, Thomas Nelson, 2004, p. 333.
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From the Inside Out 
My early morning on the back deck is different every morning. This morning it was 25 degrees, frosty, a background of geese, ducks, sandhill cranes, swans and a few crows filled the air. The early sun created a glow in the frosty air and I reveled in creations beauty in spite of a broken world on my mind. Then I read Psalm 51: 17 “The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit”. Perfect until the bear came for a visit…maybe I’ll write about that sometime.
Our back deck is my favorite spot for quiet time, where I can visit with God in his living room. (That’s what former CEO of Thomas Nelson, Michael Hyatt, has called the outdoors. I love that visual!) But you are much hardier than I if you can sit out there when it’s 25 degrees! The temp has to rise to the upper 50s before you’ll find me on the deck most mornings–as soon as I can see the ink on the page. A number of bird species keep me company (including geese and ducks that fly by on their way to a nearby pond), squirrels (of course), the occasional chipmunk, and sometimes deer. Glad to report no bear in our neighborhood! Yes, you will have to tell the bear story sometime. Will it appear in your memoirs?
I think I do a lot of these without really stopping to think about it, Nancy. But I love the suggestions you gave here, especially about writing down what we experience. And I will try praying with my palms up more regularly. I’ve done it before occasionally, but I do think it needs to be intentional.
Blessings!
Good for you, Martha, incorporating the five senses into your quiet time! It took awhile for me to come across the idea and to become more intentional about it–as you mentioned about praying with palms up. I do believe the practice augments our worship!
I have always been drawn to having worship appeal to the senses. Our senses can connect us with the Holy if we let them.
How wonderful, Suzanne, that you allow the senses to draw you into worship. It really does augment the experience, allowing us to expand our awareness of God and hear his voice more clearly.
beautiful as usual. I haven’t seen butterflies yet but my Lilly of the valley are up. Just planted them last year so I love seeing their delicate blossoms. Have a lovely weekend, Nancy
Thank you, Jean. I love lilies of the valley too. We don’t have any in your yard but our son does. I enjoy them when we visit over there–which is often!
I delivered meals for our local Meals on Wheels today. One one of the visits, lily of the valley was planted right outside the front door. It smelled like heaven! So good!!! What does God smell like? I think it has to include that scent! 🙂
You ask a good question, Laurie. There’s something pure about the scent of lilies of the valley, which would make it the perfect aroma for God’s throne room!
Such a lovely post, Nancy. Reading about the senses has made me so grateful and I will endeavor to slow down a bit to appreciate them more. When we get to heaven there will be no distractions like we experience in our world today. I even expect that our senses will be heightened in every possible way. Oh, and HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to you and your daughter and daughters-in-law!
Thank you, Cheri. We enjoyed the church service yesterday morning–only the second time we’ve been back since Covid struck! Then a quiet, cozy day at home while rain gave our area a good soaking. I too want to put my five senses to good work, allowing them to heighten my awareness and experience of God. But you’re probably right: what they provide for us here will surely be enhanced when we receive our new bodies!
A lovely post. Wishing you a Happy Mother’s Day, Nancy! ❤
Thank you, Anna. I’m delighted you found loveliness here–praise God! I did enjoy a happy Mother’s Day (very restful!) and hope you did too.
I feel most close with God at the beach. I watch the tide He created, recognizing the symbolic ebb and flow of our lives. I hear the waves crashing on the shore, taste and smell the salt in the air, feel the warm sand under my feet. No wonder God gave us five senses, to experience our beautiful world He created. His mighty power is all around us if we take the time to use our senses. Great post Nancy!
You’re right: the beach is a perfect place to connect with God. I always sensed his magnitude and power at the beach–listening to the waves, contemplating the power behind those waves, and remembering the variety of life within the ocean depths. I remember one fall on Juno Beach huge waves were breaking, sometimes up and over A1A, and there wasn’t even a hurricane. Those waves packed some power! But that’s a tiny fraction of our God’s power! Hallelujah!
My “War Room” (prayer closet) has a coffee table against the wall with a candle on it (lily scent) with my late parents’ candelabras on either side and a small menorah in the middle. The candle casts a menorah-shaped shadow on the wall between the two candelabras and just under the cross hanging on the wall. I have a soft blanket that I wrap around myself on cold mornings (not exactly a “prayer shawl,” but oh well.) And I do frequently have a thermos of coffee with me, although the coffee runs out long before I’m finished praying.
Oh Annie–thank you for going to war so passionately in your prayer closet! Your War Room sounds like a lovely, sacred place.
Hi Nancy,
Yes, all things we experience can open doors for the Lord to work. Isn’t it amazing what happens when they all connect with our Spirit in worship?
Thank you,
Gary
Amen, Gary–it’s a euphoria that words cannot express!
That might mean times of quiet awe and uplifted hands.