Cultivating God's Presence

 When I am at home, I have been keeping a candle burning almost all the time. For me, it represents the Presence of God being near. I started doing this after I heard my friend, Elizabeth’s explanation for doing the same thing in her home.

Elizabeth was having trouble with knowing the Presence of God was right there with her everyday. As she prayed about it, God told her to light a candle in those times of doubt. In that way, she would have a physical focal point to concentrate on when she was having trouble feeling God near. This simple habit strengthened her faith in God being present with her.

The candle helps but what does it mean to be in God’s Presence?

Learning to be in God’s presence means we are looking to foster intimacy in our relationship with God. To do that, we determined to keep Him in the forefront continually. Our desire is to learn everything we can about Him. What He likes and doesn’t like. We long for His will above our own and His ways above the world’s. We communicate with God about everything.

Learning to be in God’s presence is a process. It is learning to live in your present reality while also being aware of the eternal reality where God lives. As our determination to pursue both realities matures, our relationship and His presence become stronger.

How do we come into God’s presence?

As His child, God’s presence is a promise to us. (Hebrews 13:5) We need to develop this promise by faith so our circumstances do not change our mind.

We cultivate His presence by:

Praise

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

And His courts with praise.

Psalm 100:4

Singing:

 

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come His presence with singing.

Psalm 100:2

Thanksgiving

Let us come to him with thanksgiving.

Let us sing psalms of praise to him.

Psalm 95:2

Reading and mediating on His Word

In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

John 1:1

This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall

meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make you way prosperous, and then you will have success.

Joshua 1:8

Being able to be in God’s presence is not dependent on how we feel.  Our feelings are so unpredictable. It is easy for us to come into His presence when our lives are going well. However, when our lives are upside down, we may not ‘feel’ like seeking God out. At those times though, feelings have to be dealt with and what better way then in the presence of your loving Father.

God wants to radiate the awareness of His presence through us inwardly so that we can radiate His presence outwardly to the world around us. By cultivating God’s presence in our lives continually, we will know we can accomplish anything.

How about you? What do you need to do to better cultivate the awareness of God’s presence in your life?  You may want to start with a candle or several minutes of praise and thanksgiving. Whatever you decide to do, God is ready to meet you right where you are and the benefits begin with joy.

Come near to God and He will come near to you.

James 4:8

Submit Resist And Be Free

Notice the Cross?

The devil got you down? I don’t know about you, but my enemy comes daily to see if he can trip me up in one way or another. It can be exhausting when he hits on a weak or tender spot where I have not gain the upper hand yet. So…when I read the following scripture in James, hope arises. God’s order brings focus on how to handle the schemes of my adversary. 

vb

Submit yourselves, then, to God.

Resist the devil,

and he will flee from you.  

James 4:7

The scripture has a three-step process. Submitting ourselves to God comes first. In this scripture, ‘submit’ means to voluntarily subdue yourself under your commander and cooperate with his instructions. 

Why does retreating into God’s Presence come first?

Let me suggest why it is a wise beginning.

First, we can anchor our soul in Him and make sure we have our armor in place.

Next, God can give us wisdom on scripture to claim and which angle to attack. He knows our maturity level and he adjusts the plan of action accordingly. When we head out to conqueror, we can be united with His strength and focus.

Thirdly, we can ask the Lord if there are any breaches in our wall of protection. This means checking up on your thought life and any questionable attitudes or lack of forgiveness. By searching ourselves for these infractions, we can sure up our boundaries where the enemy has legally come in and plundered.

The devil will first try to commandeer our thoughts by inserting his lies until he gets us to believe his leadings. When he has our way of thinking captured, he can subvert our will. After our thoughts and will are captured, then our devotion will fall sooner or later as well. So look for thought processes that are lies and do not line up with the Word.

Last, look for questionable attitudes, unjust judgments towards others or any unforgiveness. Sometimes, our attitudes are apparent so in essences we are choosing to believe a lie. However, other times we are unaware and need to pray for insight.  

When breaches are wiped out, then we can proceed confidently. Remember… your adversary is very skillful so he can be hard to detect. Cowering will only encourage your enemy to persevere and press farther into your life.

What does it mean to resist the devil?  In this scripture, it means to establish, to withstand, to oppose, and to resist. When we have come from the Presence of God with a plan, then we need to be consistent in carrying out that plan no matter what. It will involve establishing what you believe, speaking it forth and then sticking to your convictions no matter what thoughts, feelings or circumstances come your way. And if you fall down, get back up. It is never to late to gain a victory. Why? With God and His grace at your side, all things are possible.

When will the Devil flee?  The devil‘s goal is to get you to doubt God’s Word… to see his lies as truth instead. He will send whatever causes you to back off from the Truth until he knows you will not fudge or budge. Keep in mind… the longer you withstand, the stronger you become. Our endurance is matured in the struggle. In the end, God’s glory will radiate from us as a testimony to His faithfulness to uphold His Word.

Are you having trouble withstanding your adversary? Don’t give up. God is an ever-present with us. Give Him a chance to show you how profitable believing His word is. I promise you that you will not regret the time spent learning the process.

God Is All You Need

Welcome Madeleine Calcutt to Friday Friends. As you read her testimony and the scriptures she relies on, take time to remember when you made that decision to follow Christ. What Scriptures do you stand on to assure yourself of His presence in your life?

It has been said by someone wise,

“It is when all you have is God,

that you realize He is all you need.”

Twenty years ago, I was down on my knees with disaster happening around me in my family life and I realized that I could not deal with it on my own.  The trouble had been building up for decades and friends were no help.  I had no one but God.  He led me through the chaos and guided me through the mess in my mind, and cleared a pathway for me.  I got to know Jesus and accepted Him as Lord.  I knew that my sin would overcome me if I didn’t repent, so I did, and this opened the door to freedom and to an amazing relationship with God, and now I know that there is Someone there for me and I will never need to get desperate again.

As I reread my favorite scriptures daily, they help me to reaffirm my relationship with God.

2 Corinthians 4:8&9

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

Ps 34:18

The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Philippians 4:13 

I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.

Psalm 68:19-20 

Praise the Lord who carries our burdens day after day

He is the God who saves us. He . . .rescues us from death.

2 Chronicles 20:12 

Be not afraid nor dismayed . . . for the battle is not yours but God’s.

Colossians1: 13 

He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us safe into the Kingdom of Heaven of His dear Son, by whom we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven.

A poem, or words of a song: 

Some through waters,

Some through the flood,

Some through great sorrow,

But God gives a song

In the night season

And all the day long.

Madeleine deals with chronic fatigue syndrome everyday. It has been challenging for her to fine the energy to write and fulfill her calling. Although she has to adapt with periods of rest, she also pushes herself to new heights. Giving in to the fatigue is not an option.

Have you been able to express the praises of your Savior to help someone else lately? If not, I encourage you to pray for someone who may need to hear your particular story. Testifying of our salvation is so freeing and helps to let others know that Jesus can do the same for them if they are willing to believe. Testifying also helps us to reaffirm within ourselves that we are His and assists us in remembering how faithful He has been to help us to mature.

Madeleine has had a teen novel and adult novel published and has written children’s picture books, plays, children’s stories, a collection of short stories for adults about women, and has branched out into freelance journalism.  Her inspiration comes from God.

Madeleine's website link for further information.

A Jumper Cables Kind of Day

We all need infilling and refueling as we walk the 'Road of Righteousness'. I hope that as you read this song I wrote, you will feel a power surge from the Holy Spirit Himself. The song has no ascribed tune yet. However, as you read over and ponder the words, I pray the right tune for you will become evident.

I woke up just a moanin'

But I knew I had to keep a goin’.

My spirit felt on empty

So to my bible, I went a searchin'.

Soon the power was a surgin’

Cause Your words began emergin’.

It only took a few peaceful moments

In Your Presence to feel energized again.

Chorus:

It was a jumper cable’s kind of day.

I needed a jolt from you, Lord, just to start me on my way.

Drained of all the power on the trials of yesterday

So I needed a recharging before I headed out today.

The red line revives up the bloodline

And the black one is the prayer line.

When both these are connected,

Double power is sent from heaven.

Keep a tight check on the grippers

So the infilling can be quicker.

Soon my spirit starts a revvin’

Cause my soul has received the blessin’ (to go forth).

Begin your day with a scripture, a song or a melody in your heart. Even though your quiet time with the Lord each day may seem like it cost you, in the end, it will actually save you and keep you on the path towards victory.