Practicing the Presence of God
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen(2 Corinthians 13:14 KJV)
The treasure of Christianity is the practical communion we have with God’s presence. God is a person, and we can practice communing with Him and train ourselves to grow in that fellowship. Let me remind you again that God Himself is the best thing in Christianity, not the gifts He gives or the beautiful things He does. Learning to relate with God as a person and investing in your relationship with Him should be your top priority.
But how do you practice the presence of God? As always, we quickly understand divine things through physical creation. Think of the way you relate to your parents, siblings, spouse, children, or friends. What makes your relationship with your friend different from how you relate to your computer or pair of shoes? Your friend is a person who has thoughts, emotions, desires, and a personality. They can talk with you. This person-person relationship is precisely what practicing the presence of God is. It is the consciousness of living as though God is physically right by you—though He is in you and can commune with you 24/7.
Practicing the presence of God is the consciousness of God’s presence with you and the effort to talk with Him constantly. You do not need to see Him or have some supernatural sensation in your heart: You know and believe He is there. Also, you tell Him what you think about Him, ask Him questions, etc. It takes effort to cultivate this habit, and I strongly urge you to do all you can to develop it.
Read more: Practical Fellowship with God’s Presence.
What is practicing the presence of God?
I want you to do two things this week. First, consciously remind yourself intermittently to think about God, no matter what you are doing. Second, when you think of God, say, “Lord, I thank you for loving me.” If you are alone, say it out loud. If you somewhere you cannot speak out loud, say it in your heart. Do this repeatedly, and it will jumpstart practicing God’s presence in your life.
Ask the Father to teach you how to live with His presence in you.