Practicing the Presence of God

God is present everywhere, and it's in Him that we live and move and have our being. (See Acts 17:28.) In God's presence there is fullness of joy and there are pleasures forevermore. (See Psalm 16:11.)

Have you ever been in a worship service where you experienced the power of the presence of God?

Have you ever experienced the power of His presence while taking a walk?

Have you ever experienced the power of His presence in the solitude of your prayer closet?

The challenge, of course, is to remain in His presence in light of all the distractions that come to us in our modern society. Is it possible to walk in God's presence all the time? To live in His presence?

Brother Lawrence, who wrote The Practice of the Presence of God (one of our Pure Gold Classics) believed that it was possible. He wrote, "The practice of the presence of God strengthens us in hope. Our hope grows in poroportion as our knowledge grows, and in the measure of our faith--by this holy practice--penetrates into the hidden mysteries of God."

Psalm 31:20 promises, "Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues."

The secret of God's presence is wonderful, indeed, and it seems that so few no about it or how to experience it. The Bible tells us, "Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms" (Psalm 95:2). Thanksgiving and rejoicing enable us to enter God's presence.

Here's another wonderful promise about the presence of the Lord: "You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence" (Acts 2:28). The Bible frequently associates joy with being in God's presence.

There is great power and joy in the Lord's presence, and we should make every effort to get into His presence and stay there. Brother Lawrence writes, "We must always think carefully how to consider God and His glory in all that we do, and say, and undertake. This is the goal that we should set before ourselves, to offer to God a sacrifice of perfect worship in this life, as we hope to do through all eternity. . . . The presence of God is thus the life and nourishment of the soul."