You can live in the awareness of our Lord's nearness through faithful prayer and by envisioning him with you.

That discipline is poignantly illustrated in the story of an old man who suddenly became gravely ill. When the pastor came for a visit he noticed a chair beside the bed. "Oh my goodness," he said, "You must have already had company today."

The old man said, "No, but let me tell you the story of the chair. Years ago I told a friend that when I prayed at night I frequently fell asleep right in the middle, or I just couldn't conc…