Seek God’s Presence

Seek God’s Presence this year and resolve to pursue what is truly important in life. To begin, reflect first on where you spend your time and money. Then, ask yourself if you have peace or joy. Finally, think about what thoughts consume your mind. If your answers reflect an independent life, ask God now to help you begin to seek Him. The reason this is important is that only those who seek God by faith perceive His Presence.

I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. Proverbs 8:17

When you do not actively pursue God, worry and the affairs of this life quickly cloud your vision of His Presence. Then, you disconnect from Him because you are too busy to pray and study His Word. Indeed, your everyday actions declare the truth: God can wait!  But the truth is that you will not perceive God’s Presence when your earthly life is more important than your spiritual life.

The following verse provides a remedy to those who act on it with God’s help:

Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:1-2

Seek God’s Presence by Faith

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

Faith begins by placing your confidence in God and not in yourself. So, seek God in prayer with a sincere and humble heart, and you will connect to Him. God is there in every circumstance you face. But you won’t perceive His Presence until you ask for His help and then depend on Him by faith.

The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.  He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them. Psalm 145:18-19

Do you believe what God says in this verse? If not, faith comes from the Word of God, so ask Him to help your unbelief. Then, reread God’s promise and tell Him what you need.  Indeed, when you come to God, believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. So, come into God’s Presence by faith, confident that God hears and answers your prayers.

Jesus taught: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

When you believe God’s Word, you believe God!  And as you rely on Him and experience the peace of God’s Presence, the burdens you carry will lift. And this is even if your circumstances do not change. So then, ask God to help you make His Word a priority and believe that He will.

The Presence of God is Spirit

To worship God in spirit and truth, ponder these verses about your Creator.

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He gives all men life and breath and everything else. 

From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.  For in Him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:24-28

God’s Word focuses our minds on the spiritual, the eternal. So, the biblical story of Jacob in Genesis is a reminder of God’s unseen Presence.

God revealed himself to Jacob after he ran away from his angry brother in a situation that he caused. And because of his choices, Jacob was now estranged from his family and feeling all alone. But then, God gave Jacob a dream where he saw the Lord and heard him talking to him. And in the dream, the Lord gave Jacob His promise that He would not leave him.

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” Genesis 28:16

God’s Presence is Everywhere

God was near Jacob all along because God is Spirit, but he did not perceive Him. And God revealed other truths to think about from this story.  For instance, Jacob had a sinful nature like ours, yet God revealed Himself to him. So, never believe that you need to be “good enough” to hear from God or be used by Him.

Jacob did not deserve God’s favor, and neither do we, yet God is gracious, and He gives good gifts to His children. However, it is never because we are “good enough” to earn His favor.  Indeed, God tells us in Romans 3:10 that there is none righteous or worthy, not one! So then, God’s righteousness is available only through faith in Jesus Christ because He alone is without sin. Therefore, seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So, we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6

You are more aware of His Presence when you actively seek God because your eyes are open to spiritual realities. Therefore, you turn to Him more often throughout the day because you believe God’s promise to help you.

God’s Presence is Unseen

To seek God’s Presence, ask God to help you live by faith so your eyes are open to see spiritually.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

There is an unseen world that only faith can access, and the Bible gives an example of this in Elisha in 2 Kings. In this story, God reveals His unseen Presence when the King of Aram ordered his army to capture Elisha. So, early one morning, Elisha’s servant saw that an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. And the servant asked Elisha what they should do.

Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:16-17

Elisha believed God was with them, but His servant did not, so the servant was fearful. So, Elisha asked God to lift the earthly curtain so that his servant could see the mighty Presence of God’s spiritual army. It is the eyes of faith that reveal God to you. And when you are aware of God’s Presence, there is no room for fear.

And without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

Faith Reveals God’s Presence

Seek God’s Presence by faith, and He will reveal that He does more than you could ever realize through sight alone. For God’s Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom, not of this world. Therefore, God is Spirit, and like the wind, you cannot see Him, but you can see His activity all around you. As a result, you trust that God’s Presence is with you and He has all the spiritual resources you will ever need.

We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So, we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:7-10

To live by faith, not by sight, is to rely on God and not yourself. So, come near to God by faith and pray: Lord Jesus, help me trust you when I cannot see, and make it my desire to please you.

Remember that God’s silence does not mean God’s absence.  So, whenever you feel alone or abandoned by God, believe God when He says He is always with you.  Therefore, God knows your fears and whispers to you from His Word: Don’t be afraid. And remember, my beloved child, that my Holy Spirit lives in you, so I am always with you. When you believe my Word, you connect to me.

Seek God’s Presence in Prayer

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your Presence, Lord. Psalm 89:15

Will you ask Jesus to live His life in you today?  If so, pray in faith and expect God to answer.

Father God, in Your Presence, I am aware of my need for your forgiveness of my sin. So, please cleanse me in Jesus’ name and live your life in me today. And then strengthen my faith to seek you daily by helping me stay connected to you through prayer and Bible study. So, now, please empower me to obey your Word by faith and rely on the Holy Spirit so my life will be pleasing to you. It is in Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen. 

In summary, God rewards those who continually seek Him by faith. And when you seek God daily, you will become increasingly aware of His Presence because you see Him working in your life.

Look to the Lord and his strength; Seek His face always. Psalm 105:4

Be Filled and Walk by the Spirit

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Bible study for “Seek God’s Presence”

Week 1:  Genesis 28:10-22; Exodus 33:14-17; Joshua 1:9; 2 Kings 6:8-17; 1 Chronicles 28:9

Week 2: Psalms 9:10; 16:11; 27:7-8, 13-14; 34:4-7; 63:1-8; 73:23-26; 89:15-18; 105:4; 119:10-11, 58; 139:7-12; 145:18-19; Proverbs 8:17; 15:3; Isaiah 55:6-9; Jeremiah 29:11-13

Week3: Daniel 4:1–3; Matthew 6:9-15, 24-25, 33-34; 7:7-8; 28:19-20; John 4:24; 11:40; 14:15-31; Acts 7:54-56; 17:24-28; 2 Corinthians 4:18; 5:7-10; Ephesians 1:17-20; 3:14-21

Week 4:  Philippians 4:4-7, 19-20; Colossians 3:1-2; Hebrews 4:14-16; 11:1, 6; 13:5-6; James 4:8; 1 Peter 3:12; Revelation 3:20