God’s Presence

Prayer

Introduction

A story about a powerful encounter with God.

Have you ever felt God’s presence like that? We know (in our heads) that God is with us—he’s “omnipresent.” But do we know (in our hearts and in our experience) that God is with us? How would you live differently if you were aware that God was with you all the time? Think about your words / what you do at work / how you use your phone / how you spend your money / what you do with your time.

Solomon, David’s son from Bathsheba, brings Israel to its peak, builds the Temple, and God shows up (2 Chron 7:1-3). The temple is where God’s presence was manifested (or made known / experienced). The temple was destroyed, rebuilt, and destroyed again.

Subject: How can we experience God’s presence today? How can we encounter God in a real way?

Body

To experience God’s presence, come to Jesus. To encounter God in a real way, you have to start with Jesus.

Explanation

God’s desire is to be with his people.

Adam & Eve (Gen 3:8)

Moses and the burning bush (Exod 3:4-6)

Israelites in the wilderness (Exod 13:21-22)

Solomon and the Temple (1 Kings 8:10-11)

Jesus: God with us (Col 2:9 NIV)

Holy Spirit: God in us (1 Cor 3:16-17)

Our sin separates us from God (Eph 2:12).

But Jesus brings us home to God again (Eph 2:13).

Illustration: Preaching at a funeral when God literally thumped me on the chest…

Application: Have you come home to God? If you want God’s presence in your life, come to Jesus. He’s where it all begins.

To experience God’s presence, seek God’s presence. To encounter God in a real way, you should look for God. (James 4:8)

Explanation:

This may seem like common sense, but I am often surprised at how little we expect to encounter God.

Why don’t I experience God’s presence or hear him speak?

We may be listening for the wrong reasons.

Dallas Willard ~ “I fear than many people seek to hear God solely as a device for obtaining their own safety, comfort, and sense of being righteous… My extreme preoccupation with knowing God’s will for me may indicate… that I am over-concerned with myself.”

We may be seeking an experience rather than seeking God.

The primary reason God speaks is to establish and deepen our relationship with him. Our motive in seeking to experience God should be to know and love God.

We may not recognize his voice.

God is present in the Bible.

God is present in prayer.

He speaks through the still small voice.

He speaks through mental pictures.

He speaks through moving us with empathy for another (a burden on my heart).

He speaks through conviction.

God is present in worship services.

He speaks through the singing.

He speaks through the sermon.

He speaks through Communion.

God is present in our relationships with others.

God is present in Creation.

God is present in every moment of every day.

Application: Look for God in the ordinary (every day, everywhere, in everything), in the usual (places you’d expect to find him—Bible, prayer, church), and in the quiet.

Conclusion: Practicing the Presence of God

Focus Prayer

Ask God to bring to mind one person to pray for.

Ask God what he wants you to pray for them—then pray it.

Ask God how you can encourage that person this week.