“You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11
I find it amazing that we serve such a personal, relational, and loving God who cares about the deepest desires of our hearts. He’s not made of stone, iron, or gold. He’s not just some deity who resides in heaven and placed us on earth and said, “there ya go, here’s the book of dos and don’ts. Best of luck, hope to see ya back up here.”
As a young girl, I didn’t understand God and heaven, let alone His presence in my life. I attended church for years and never understood the depth of God. I didn’t grasp that you could tell Him things and not be judged or criticized or that He listened, cared, and even answered my prayers. I often wondered how much I would really ever know about God, this side of heaven.
One of the most important things in my walk with the Lord is being in His presence. Things change; we change when we are in the presence of the Lord. When I find myself in situations that seem impossible for me to handle, I call on Him.
If you are a born-again believer, His spirit lives inside you. We can call on Him anytime, and He will answer. In fact, that is what He enjoys and delights in. When you call upon the Lord, He delights in you, your voice, and your desires. If you are in a situation that seems impossible, call on the Lord and ask Him for His peace, He will give it to you.
When I go to my prayer closet and cry out to the Lord and seek Him, I find Him. Seek means to try to locate, discover, search or reach for. If you try to search for God, you will certainly find him. Matthew 7:7 says,
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.”
God is all about our hearts, and we should be all about His. We should seek His heart because He longs to share it with us.
I would like to share a few ways I seek His presence. It isn’t always being still and quiet, though I prefer this one above all. When you open your heart to Him, you are already there. Praying, praising, reading, worshiping, sitting quietly are all ways of enjoying His presence. I believe this is a large part of praying without ceasing. When we are talking to Him or just in connection someway with Him throughout our day, it is what He desires, and so should we.
- Sit quietly & uninterrupted. I know this can be very difficult. But once you get used to it, it will become a time with the Lord that you will long for. Start slow, clear your mind and your schedule. Let God minister to your heart. Talk to Him, and ask Him to still your mind and clear out the cobwebs.
- Praise & worship. One way I feel the presence of God is to give Him praise. To exalt Him, honor Him, and thank Him. I feel as if He runs to me! Like His attention is drawn to my exalting of His majesty. Also, when I worship Him with songs that praise Him, it just brings in His sweet, sweet spirit.
- Sing Him a love song. Sing from your heart. Tell Him how much you love Him. Your heartfelt worship captivates His heart. A simple song from your heart is uniquely you. Nothing can compare to that.
- Pray. When we pray, I believe heaven is opened up, and God hears our every cry. We feel His presence rather we are crying, or we are joyful. He knows our needs and hears our hearts. He is moved by our prayers.
- Call out His name. Sometimes all I can get out is “Jesus”! He knows our hearts. A simple cry out to Him, and there He is, ready to hold us in His arms.
- Take a walk. Being outside in the beauty of His creation brings me into His presence. I like to walk with my husband and our dog along the lake and just witness all the beauty our God has created. You just have to marvel at all He has created for our enjoyment and to draw us to the remembrance of Him.
I have learned that if I am sad, seek His presence. If I’m in a battle, seek His presence. If I’m anxious, seek His presence. If I’m weary, seek His presence. If I’m joyful, seek His presence. If I’m excited, seek His presence. Whatever I am feeling or going through, He is the only One whom I will seek to fill me up and give me all that I need. When this old world gets me down, all I want is to be in His presence.
💜Beth Nahkala
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#bethnahkalablogs
