PRESENCE 6.26

Have you thanked Him?
Have you praised Him?
Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?
Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?
1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)
1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

There’s been lots of discussion lately whether on Sundays at my local church AHOP or around the tables of small groups and our staff regarding GOD’s presence.

Whether we “sense” it or not, GOD presence is “ever-present”; He is the “EVER-PRESENT help” in times of trouble right? So why is it that we sometimes KNOW we are in the presence of GOD and sometimes we aren’t quite so sure?

Well the truth is that since we are SPIRITUAL beings having a human and or fleshly experience, we sometimes MISS the presence of GOD in our lives due to that "fleshiness. "

So knowing that should call us to be continuously preparing ourselves for encountering GOD’s “ever-presence.”

How?

Make the relationship with GOD the TOP priority and the PARAMOUNT investment for EACH and EVERY day. By making our relationship with GOD our top priority in life and investing it in regularly (through prayer, Bible reading, and service), we’ll grow closer to GOD and allow Him to impact and influence us more.
This is the Christian "walk" we often talked about.
Matthew 11:28 (MSG)
Walk with me … Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

Cultivating GOD’s presence is about responding to GOD’s initiatives of love and GRACE so we’ll be in the right place at the right time, and in the right soul condition, when GOD makes Himself known to us in the moment. When we are walking with Him, GOD is ALWAYS GOOD about “showing up” when the timing is RIGHT!

So the bottom line is we SHOULD expect to encounter GOD's presence in our days. Really! We should!

God manifests his presence through the Holy Spirit in tangible ways every day. So expect to encounter GOD through his Spirit in a way that is personal to you. Don't be shocked.

So lets get today's WALK off to a good start. Let's open our spirit's door to His presence.
Draw near to GOD.
James 4:8 (ERV)
Come near to God and he will come near to you.

For GOD invites us to come close to him and welcomes us with great love. Don’t take that for granted! Instead WELCOME it with aplomb!

And before they get the best of us let's remove distractions.

Confess and repent of any sin.
Sin interferes with our ability to perceive GOD's presence and grow closer to him and hinders the presence from its transformational possibilities.

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom," says Paul. And we are most in line with the Spirit, most faithfully obedient, when we simply live in that freedom and let the Spirit do the work of transformation.” ― Mark Galli

So open up and embrace the presence. Open your heart and mind to it. Be obedient to it's prodding and direction. It will be a changing and growing day for us if we do!

“May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing that you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into our bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and everyone of you.”
― Teresa of Ávila

Have a blessed weekend.
I love you all!
Freedom Church