"In the Presence of the Lord"
Back to "Listen to God's Lessons"
I was gathering with my church the other night and we were worshipping the Lord in song. And I was just seeking the Lord, not for anything in particular. I just kept praying for His presence. And the question came to my mind, "Do you have an important reason to seek the presence of the Lord of all creation?"
I thought to myself, I guess I am asking a lot from Someone Who has a lot of pressing matters (that's a shallow, human concept of God -- His greatness is hard for us to fathom*). And I said boldly in my prayer, "I just want to be in Your presence." I surprised myself with my answer; but it was true.
If you have ever been in the presence of God, for example, when you receive the Holy Ghost, there is no greater experience. His presence is joy unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8). There's no explaining it in human terms. Because until you have experienced God's Spirit coming upon you, there's no other feeling like it in the world.
You know, when you are in love with a person in the flesh, you can't wait to see that person or be with that person. It could be a husband or wife, it could be a child, it could be your best friend. I realized when I said to the Lord, "I just want to be in Your presence," that I very simply -- love to be in His presence. I didn't realize it until He had asked me. I really do love His presence.
I pray for the whole Church that we will all diligently seek his presence in all things. I pray that we will all cleave unto Him, and lead others to know how great it is to be with God through our Lord Yeshua Christ.
"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in they presence is fullness of joy; at they right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Psalm 16:11
* "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8, 9
As I reread this after writing it, I realized that I need to add a few points. God is omnipresent. He is everywhere.
"... He [God] be not far from every one of us. For in Him we live, and move, and have our being ..." Acts 17:27, 28.
Yeshua also told us that He would never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). So, when we're praying, we don't really need to ask him to be with us, because he already is with us. We need to ask that He would manifest Himself to us. I can remember praying to God, "Lord, I need you so much." But, as I've grown in the Lord, I realized that I not only need Him, but I want Him in everything that I do in my life. I pray this for the whole Body of Christ. Anything that I ask for myself, I try to always remember to ask for the entire Church. We need you and want You, Lord. Manifest Yourself to us! Open our eyes to what is going on in the Spirit.
I think of when the King of Syria sent his troops to find Elisha. Elisha's servant awoke one morning and saw that the city was surrounded by the Syrian army. (Sometimes, that's all we can see is the trouble or hardships that surround us.) But, Elisha knew better. He said to his servant: "Fear not -- for they that be with us are more than they that be with them" 2 Kings 6:16. Elisha then prayed that God would open his servant's eyes. And the Lord allowed the servant to see that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha (2 Kings 6:17). God's army was protecting Elisha. God's army protects His people today.
"The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them." Psalm 34:7