Game with Minutes

Frank Laubach's Game with Minutes emerged from his decades of missionary work in the Philippines and his ongoing experiments with what he called "practicing the presence of God." Writing in 1961 near the end of his distinguished career as both educator and spiritual innovator, Laubach offered this slim volume as a practical guide for maintaining continuous awareness of God throughout ordinary daily activities. The work grew out of his conviction that modern Christians could learn to live in constant communion with the divine without retreating from active engagement in the world.

The book presents Laubach's central technique of turning each minute into a brief prayer or moment of God-consciousness. Rather than advocating for lengthy periods of formal meditation, Laubach argues for frequent micro-prayers and mental acknowledgments of God's presence woven seamlessly into work, conversation, and routine tasks. He describes specific methods for remembering God while walking, talking, reading, or performing manual labor, treating this spiritual discipline as both game and serious practice. The approach emphasizes simplicity and accessibility, requiring no special training or withdrawal from normal responsibilities. Laubach demonstrates how to transform mundane moments into opportunities for spiritual connection, creating what he describes as a continuous undercurrent of prayer beneath surface activities.

Game with Minutes became influential among Christians seeking practical spirituality that could survive the pressures of modern life. The work appealed particularly to those who found traditional prayer schedules difficult to maintain or who felt disconnected from God during busy periods. Laubach's approach influenced later movements in contemplative prayer and everyday spirituality, offering an alternative to both highly structured religious practices and purely secular approaches to mindfulness.

Who should read this: Christians looking for simple, practical ways to maintain spiritual awareness during busy daily routines will find Laubach's methods immediately applicable. Those seeking complex theological exposition or formal mystical instruction should look elsewhere.