The Omnipresence of God

The Power of the Presence of God

Series Introduction:

* We, as a congregation, are currently in a series of sermons that are a study the attributes of God.

* An attribute is a characteristic, or a personal trait, that is consistently present in a person.

* For this series of sermons, an attribute of God, is a characteristic or a personality trait that is always present in God.

* In the Bible, God reveals his personal attributes to us so that we might understand Him, and know what He is really like.

* Unlike the attributes of men and women, God’s attributes and personality never change.

* As we look at God’s attributes, or His character, in this series of sermons, it is my hope that you will fall in love with God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul.

* And that is what is behind true worship- worship in sincerity and truth.

* As your pastor, I believe that the ultimate goal of all preaching, and all ministry in the church for that matter, is to encourage people to love God.

* If our relationship with God never moves past facts and figures about God, to a personal relationship, and fellowship with God, our lives as Christians we will become bitter and joyless, and the Christian life will lose its purpose altogether.

* Our true purpose in life is to glorify God. This is why we were created. “This is the secret of life.”

* Do you just know about God, or do you have a personal relationship with Him this morning?

* Loving God should be the only motive behind everything we do at church.

* Any ministry that goes on in the church, must flow out of our love for God.

* Until you and I move past just knowing about God, to actually loving God in an intimate way, we cannot worship God sincerely, and with our whole heart.

* We can only worship someone we love.

* We must learn what God’s personality is like in order to fall in love with God.

* We learn to love God by knowing what His personality is like.

* This is why I am leading you in this study the of “Attributes” of God.

* Two Sundays ago, we looked at the Goodness of God, last Sunday we looked at the faithfulness of God, and this Sunday I would like for us to take a look at the “omnipresence” of God.

* Turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 139. We will take our text in this entire chapter this morning, but for simplicity, we will only ready verses 7-10:

Text: Psalm 139:7–10 (AV)

7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

Introduction:

* Has it ever dawned on you that God never has to go anywhere? He never has to go anywhere!

* According to the Bible, God never has to go anywhere, because God is already everywhere!

* There is a truth this morning about God, that if we can get riveted into our soul, and embedded into our thinking- it will change our lives forever!

* I am speaking of the attribute of God’s personality that the theologians call the “omnipresence” of God.

Jeremiah 23:23–24 (KJV 1900)

23 Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off?

y24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.

* Sometimes we get the idea that God lives in the church.

* When we were little children, we used t have the idea that since the church is the hose of God, that's where God dwels- inside the church.

* But the apostle Paul said in Acts "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands"

* Paul went on to say in Acts 17:28: "For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring."

* In other words Paul is saying that God is everywhere.

* Surely God is here this morning. But He's not just here. He's out there, beyond the doors of this church also, isn't He?

* According to our text this morning, there is nowhere where that God is not.

* Listen to our text verse again:

Text: Psalm 139:7–10 (AV)

7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

* Adrian Rogers used to say “Sometimes you hear people when they come into church, and they get that “stained glass church voice.”

* Dr. Rogers used to say “they talk like the got a steeple stuck in their throat.”

* When they were outside on the porch they were talking all natural and relaxed, and then boom!- all of a sudden when they walk through the doors of the church house they get all holy!

* and they begin pray and they say things like "O Great and mighty Lord, that created the entire universe and everything that is contained therein, we come into thy divine presence this morning with a humble heart... all of a sudden they can’t speak without speaking in the King James English!

* The guy’s kids poke their mama in the ribs and ask “what happened to daddy?”

* We need to learn this morning that God is not limited to the church house, He is everywhere! There is no place that God is not!

* Now, let's back up and look at the context of our text this morning, look back with me at Psalm 139:1:

* Here the Bible says: "O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me." Do you see the word searched there? The word searched there means “pierced through.”

* In other words, God sees right through you this morning!

* Now that truth can be a source of great comfort or it can be a source of great fear this morning!

* Now look back at Psalm 139:2-3:

"Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising... Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways."

* Put this thought in your heart and in your mind this morning-

* There is not a movement anywhere that God does not see!

* When you went to bed last night—God saw it. When you got up this morning—God saw it.

* When you came to church today day—God saw it. As you sit there right now, God sees you!

* I heard of a preacher once that was preaching on the subject of how the presence of God is everywhere.

* He got up in the attic of his church, got a microphone up there, and made a little hole in the ceiling where he could see them, but they couldn’t see him.

* That Sunday morning after the choir sang, and they'd sang all the congregational songs, he got on the mike up there in the ceiling and said, "Hello, folks, this is your pastor."

* Well, they all looked around, and they couldn’t tell where in the world he was!

* There was no one in the pulpit!

* He said, "Well, I know you can't see me but I can see you."

* He said, "Ms. Jones, I see you scratching your ear." She put her hand down.

* He said, "Mr. Smith, I see you fumbling with your watch."

* They were all looking around! They didn't know where he was!

* The preacher could see every movement they made. And, he preached to them from up in the church attic about how God sees everything, because God is omnipresent, He is everywhere at the same time, and God sees everything that is going on all at the same time!

* Look with me a few verses before where we read in our text verse, look at verse 2, the Bible says:

"Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways."

* I want you to get in your mind this morning that there is not anything that you do that God is not right there watching!

* There is not a motive, except God knows it. Notice in verse 2: our text says "thou understandest my thought afar off."

* Not only does God see what you do, God knows what you're thinking!

* God knows what you're thinking this very moment—He's reading your thoughts right now!

* In Matthew 12, the Bible says of the Lord Jesus, He knew their thoughts.

* I'm telling you it is a sobering thought to know that God knows our thoughts, and He knows all our motives!

* There is not a murmur, or a gripe, or a complaint that God does not hear either!

* Notice in our text Psalm 139:4 the Bible says:

"For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether."

* Every word that you speak—God hears. God is a silent listener to every conversation!

* You think about that! In Matthew 12:36 the Bible says:

"every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment"

* Every word, every single little word—God hears and records every little word we say!

* You think about that and let that sink in real good this morning! That is a sobering realization!

* There's no way that you can escape from God this morning! There's no way that you can flee from his presence!

* Look now if you will in Psalm 139:5:

"Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me."

* Do you see the word beset? The word beset has the idea of being besieged,

* like a city that is encompassed by an army—there's no way to escape!

* They used to in the old time lay siege upon a city and the soldiers would surround the city.

* That is called besieging or besetting the city.

* God is all around you this morning- He’s got you surrounded and you can’t get away from God this morning!

* There is no way that you're going to escape the Almighty God that’s what the writer of our test is saying.

* Now look as the writer of this psalm goes on to develop this idea of the omnipresence of God.

* He says, Death cannot hide us from God!

* Look in Psalm 139:7-8:

"Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there."

* Even death it’s self cannot hide you from God this morning! If you die you're going to go to Heaven or hell.

* And if you die outside of the grace the Lord Jesus Christ- if you've been running from God, when you open your eyes in the judgment, the first face you'll see is the face of God!

* You have a date with Deity this morning!- the Bible says that It's appointed unto man once to die, and after this the judgment.

* You've cursed God and used His name in vain behind his back- I wonder if you're going to be brave enough to curse Him to His face on judgment day?

* You are going to meet the Lord face to face on judgment day!

*And then he says distance cannot hide us from God. Look in verse 9:

"If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."

* Now, what he's talking about when he speaks of the wings of the morning is the sunbeams that stretch across the sky and disappear in the distance out over the sea.

*You see, death cannot hide us from God. Distance cannot hide us from God. Our text in verse 10 says says,

"Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me"

* Do you know what the word hold here means? It literally means to snatch.

* Ole Jonah ran from God, didn't he?

* He took a ship, sailed away from God! He tried to run from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Tarshish.

* The Bible says he was asleep there in the belly of that ship, underneath the deck of that ship, and there the hand of God snatched ole Jonah up.

* There's no way Jonah could hide from God, and there is no way you will be able to hide from God either!

* Adam and Eve tried to hide from God in his own garden! How smart was that?

* Jonah thought he could run fast and far enough to get outside the boundaries of God’s presence, now that was kind of dumb wasn’t it?

* No distance can ever separate you from the presence of God!

* You see, death cannot hide us from God. Distance cannot hide us from God. Now watch. Darkness cannot hide us from God either!

* Look if you will again in our text at verses 11, 12:

"If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee."

* God sees and God knows what goes on in the dark.

* Jesus said in John 3:19: "men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

* Jesus said that they won't come to the light. But, my dear friend, whether you come to the light or not, God sees you in the dark.

* Have you ever noticed how people disobey and how they do different things in darkness than they would do in the light?

* Have you ever been in a theater or somewhere when the lights go out or in an auditorium when the lights go out and the little boys start misbehaving?

* In New York City in 1977, they had that power outage?

* It was in July, and all the power went out in New York City.

* The power went out city-wide. Do you know what happened in New York City?

* Over 2,000 stores were vandalized, looted. Over a billion dollars’ worth of damage was done to New York City because there was no light!

* They were in darkness. People were carting off television sets and destroying property! It was dark, but God saw that!

* People say in their heart, "Hey, nobody can see what I'm doing! It’sNo big deal!"

* Well, God saw it. Everything you do, God sees.

* There is another side to this coin this morning.

* I want to tell you, that if you're having a dark and lonely night in your life right now, God sees you in your darkness too!

* and he's there to take care of you.

* Thank God for the omnipresence of God this morning!

* Because of the omnipresence of God no child of God will ever suffer alone this morning!

* The omnipresence of God is both a thrilling and a threatening thought this morning!

* It just all depends on your relationship with God!

* If you are right with God this morning, then that blessed attribute of God that enables Him to be everywhere at the same time is the greatest possible comfort in times of trouble!

Psalm 145:14–20 says: (KJV 1900)

14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, And raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; And thou givest them their meat in due season. 16 Thou openest thine hand, And satisfiest the desire of every living thing. 17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, And holy in all his works.

18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, To all that call upon him in truth.

19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them. 20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: But all the wicked will he destroy.

* Because God is everywhere at the same time, there has never been a saint of God who has went through sickness, and pain, and suffering alone this morning!

* Because God is everywhere at the same time, you need not ever feel alone or lonely because God is there! and He is that friend that “sticketh closer than a brother!”

* Because God is everywhere at the same time, there is no need to fear death this morning because God is there with you in death!

* David said in Psalm 23: 4 says “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me!”

* I just want to take a few minutes and remind you of what the Power of the presence of God does for us this morning.

* There are six truths about the omnipresence of God that I would like to share with you this morning.

* I can’t spend much time on each one because of the number of them, bit I would like to just barely touch on each of these wonderful truths this morning. These are:

I. The presence of God restrains us when we are tempted.

II. The presence of God encourages us when we are depressed.

III. The presence of God gives us courage when we are afraid.

IV. The presence of God gives confidence when we don’t know what to do.

V. The presence of God gives us power when we are weak.

VI. The presence of God gives us comfort when we suffer.

I. The presence of God restrains us when we are tempted.

* Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to do wrong when you know somebody's watching?

* You're a whole lot more apt to eat all the banana pudding if you're there by yourself.- Isn't that right?

* But when somebody is watching it just has a restraining effect on us when we are tempted to do wrong doesn’t it?

* Have you ever noticed that when people want to commit some vile sin, they slip off somewhere to a motel and lock the door.

* Hey, friend, you can't lock God out. You can't hide from God!

* Every act God sees.

* You can’t hide from the fact that the presence of God is everywhere!

* Know that whatever you do, God is going to see it!

* If you commit adultery in secret, behind closed doors, God is watching!

* That's what broke David's heart. After the prophet Nathan exposed David’s sin with Bathsheba, David’s heart smote him and David cried out to God and said,

"Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight" O God.

* the Bible says in Hebrews 10:13:

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

* Because we know that God is watching, the power of the presence of God gives us the ability to resist temptation!

I. The presence of God restrains us when we are tempted.

II. The presence of God encourages us when we are depressed.

II. The presence of God encourages us when we are depressed.

* I am telling you, my dear friend. You listen to me. When you learn how to apply the presence of the Lord-, when God becomes a bright, living reality to you- then, when you're discouraged—His presence will see you through and bring you out of your discouragement!

* When we become discouraged, the presence of God sees us through.

* When we are lonely, his presence cheers us up.

* When we are worried, his presence calms us down.

Psalm 16:11,

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy."

* In God’s presence is fullness of joy!

* David, like the rest of us, was prone to fits of depression, but look how the power of the presence of God enabled him to overcome his depression in Psalm 42:

Psalm 42:3–6 (KJV 1900)

3 My tears have been my meat day and night, While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? …

5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me?

Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him For the help of his countenance.

6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee …

* David was discouraged and depressed, but he was able to beat his depression when he remembered the power of the presence of God!

I. The presence of God restrains us when we are tempted.

II. The presence of God encourages us when we are depressed.

III. The presence of God gives us courage when we are afraid.

III. The presence of God gives us courage when we are afraid.

* One of the most well know passages of Scripture for comfort in times of difficulty is found in Isaiah 43:1–3 (AV)

1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: … Fear not, for I am with you.…

* When you were a little boy and going to school, was there ever somebody who used to pick on you?

* When I was going to school I lived in Pontiac Michigan during the racial riots of the late 60’s and early 70’s.

* I remember that because it was not safe to walk home alone from school because of the gangs that hung out in the alleys and behind buildings in the city.

* Once as I was walking down the street someone grabbed me and stuck a switchblade to my throat.

* For most of my elementary school days, I dreaded the end of the school day, because I knew there was a good chance I would get beat up on the way home.

* Once there was a family that lived two houses down from us that literally hated our guts because then knew that we were Christians.

* This family made our lives a living hell.

* This went on for about two years until a new family moved in between our houses.

* This family had three boys that were tougher than nails, and we fast became friends.

* The entire time they lived next to us this family protected our family.

* When I walked to school, these three older boys would walk with me.

* For the next three years I wasn’t afraid to walk to or from school because the presence of these boys gave me gave me confidence that I was not alone anymore.

* Their presence gave me courage when I was afraid.

* In the same way, as a grown man, now I can say like David in Psalm 23

“I will fear no evil, for thou art with me!”

* If you walk to school when somebody is picking on you, you might be afraid, but if your Dad waks to school with you, or your big brother walks with you, or your new neighbors walk with you, you're not afraid anymore, because their presence give you confidence!

* The children of Israel were no match for the armies of Pharaoh as He rushed to catch up with the Israelites and intended to smite them from behind, but that the Shaquana Glory of God, the visible presence of God, moved from the front of the camp the rear between the camp of the Israelites and the Egyptian armies.

* It was the power of the omnipresence of God that defended Israel that day and drowned the armies of Pharoah!

* That day they experienced the power of the presence of God!

Psalm 56:3–4 (KJV 1900)

3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

Now this is what David is saying when he speaks of the power of God’s presence in our text.

* I am reminded of the story of Joshua after Moses died. Evidently, when Joshua started out, he was afraid because God encouraged Joshua by promising Joshua the power of His presence…

Joshua

Joshua 1:8–9 (KJV 1900)

9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

* There was no need for Joshua to be afraid, because he was able to draw courage for what was ahead because of the power of the presence of God!

I. The presence of God restrains us when we are tempted.

II. The presence of God encourages us when we are depressed.

III. The presence of God gives us courage when we are afraid.

IV. The presence of God gives confidence when we don’t know what to do.

IV. The presence of God gives us confidence when we don’t know what to do.

* There is an old song that I loved to hear when I was just a child that goes like this:

I don't know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day. I don't borrow from it's sunshine, For it's skies may turn to gray. I don't worry o'er the future, For I know what Jesus said,

And today I'll walk beside Him, For He knows what is ahead.

Chorus Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand;

But I know Who holds tomorrow, And I know Who holds my hand.

Ev'ry step is getting brighter, As the golden stairs I climb; Ev'ry burden's getting lighter; Ev'ry cloud is silver lined. There the sun is always shining, There no tear will dim the eyes, At the ending of the rainbow, Where the mountains touch the sky.

Chorus Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand;

But I know Who holds tomorrow, And I know Who holds my hand.

I don't know about tomorrow, It may bring me poverty; But the One Who feeds the sparrow, Is the One Who stands by me. And the path that be my portion, May be through the flame or flood, But His presence goes before me, And I'm covered with His blood.

Chorus Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand; But I know Who holds tomorrow, And I know Who holds my hand.

* My friends, those of us who trust in Jesus, we don’t have to have all the answers this morning!

* We don’t need to know what is around every corner this morning!

* When we are faced with a dark and threatening trial this morning, and we don’t know what is going to happen to us, this is the time to be still and be aware of the power of the presence of God in our life!

* We don’t have to know where this valley is going- all we have to know is the power of the presence of the Living God is with us!

Psalm 23:4 (KJV 1900)

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…

* My friends the power of the presence of God will give us confidence when we don’t know what to do!

I. The presence of God restrains us when we are tempted.

II. The presence of God encourages us when we are depressed.

III. The presence of God gives us courage when we are afraid.

IV. The presence of God gives confidence when we don’t know what to do.

IV. The presence of God gives us power when we are weak.

IV. The presence of God gives us power when we are weak.

* Sometimes I feel weak as a kitten on the inside.

* When I think about the awesome responsibility that I have as a pastor to be a leader of God’s people, a protector of God’s fold, a comforter to those who suffer, and one who is responsible for rightly handling the Word of God- sometimes a feeling of terrible weakness overtakes me.

* When these times come, the only solution is to get away from everybody and get alone with God.

* While I am alone with God He strengthens my weak knees and the power of His presence returns!

* While I am alone with God in my weakness, the power of the presence of God empowers me to once again take hold upon the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God!

* and the power of the presence of God once again emboldens me to fight the good fight of faith, and go forth and lead His people with the confidence that He is with me, and that because He is with me, I can do all through Christ that strengthens me!

Psalm 16:8 says: "I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." God is right there at my right hand this morning as I preach!

* The power of the presence of God gives me power when I am weak.

I. The presence of God restrains us when we are tempted.

II. The presence of God encourages us when we are depressed.

III. The presence of God gives us courage when we are afraid.

IV. The presence of God gives confidence when we don’t know what to do.

IV. The presence of God gives us power when we are weak.

VI. The presence of God gives us comfort when we suffer.

VI. The presence of God gives us comfort when we suffer.

* This morning I am here to tell you that we have a God who is present, and understands and knows exactly what we are going through when we suffer.

* The God that created you is always available to you in your suffering!

* The God that created you is able to understand your every situation because He is there, experiencing the situation with you.

* This truth gives us great comfort in our suffering to know that when we suffer, God suffers with us- the power of the presence of God is available to us as we suffer!

1 Peter 4:12–14 (KJV 1900)

12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings;

that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you:..

* Oh what a great blessed truth that we suffer with Christ and Christ suffers with us!

* As we suffer, the power of the presence of God rests upon us! He is right there with us!

* We don’t suffer alone this morning!

* Friends, Daniel did not go into the lion’s den alone!

* When those three Hebrew children were thrown into that great furnace of fire, God did not let them go in there alone!

* The power of His presence was in the fiery furnace with them!

* The old king asked didn’t we throw three people into the fire?, I see four people in the fire!

* Beloved that forth presence he saw in there was the presence of God!

* Those Hebrew children knew the power of the presence of an omnipresent God that day!

* There is nowhere God is not this morning! Even in the fire!

* Rest assured oh Christian, the presence of God is with you in your fiery trial as well!

* The presence of God gives us comfort when we suffer!

I. The presence of God restrains us when we are tempted.

II. The presence of God encourages us when we are depressed.

III. The presence of God gives us courage when we are afraid.

IV. The presence of God gives confidence when we don’t know what to do.

V. The presence of God gives us power when we are weak.

VI. The presence of God gives us comfort when we suffer.

Conclusion:

* Let me talk to you very quickly about how have power in the Christian life by practicing the presence of God.

* How can you make the power of the presence of God real in your life?

* How can you somehow just get the presence of God out of the realm of theory, and let the power of God’s presence transform your life?

* Very briefly, there are three ways.

1). Number one, you need to consciously think about his presence.

You need to stop several times a day and just have an oasis of thought and get quiet.

* Did you know the Bible says: "Be still, and know that I am God?"

* (Psalm 46:10) Because of the transistor radio, the fast automobile, the tape player, the television and because of everything else, we're not still enough to know that He's God.

* David got alone, and he allowed quiet time to think about it the presence of god in his life.

* In our text in Psalm 139. David says here in our text passage in verse 6: "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it."

* David is thinking about the fact that God is everywhere. What you need to do is meditate on it, meditate on it, and meditate on it.

* Read this Psalm over and over again. Have a quiet time with God.

* Look into the face of God. Tell yourself that God is present. That's the first thing—a quiet time.

2). The second thing is to carry on a constant conversation with God.

* If you'll notice in this Psalm, it is really a conversation with God. O Lord, verse 1. Verse 3, thou. Verse 3, thou. Verse 4, but O Lord, thou. Verse 5, thou. Verse 7, 9 thy Spirit. He's talking to God.

* He's not talking about God. He's carrying on a conversation with God.

* Don't just go into your closet and pray. Yes, get down on your knees and pray.

* But, the Bible also says, Pray without ceasing. And pray about everything.

* Talk to God about everything. Not always out loud, people will think you've got a screw loose!

* But just fellowship with God, everywhere. And if you're by yourself, you can talk out loud.

When you out to get the paper, say “It's raining today, Lord!” The paper got wet!

* You say, that's silly. Oh no! The Bible says

“In everything, in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God!”

* Fellowship with God just as you would with a friend. Take a drive with him. Take a walk with him. Have conversation with him.

* Share with him your fears. Share with him your joys. Talk with the Lord in conversational prayer.

* Talk with God, not pray at God!

* Learn to practice the power of the presence of God like the psalmist is doing here in in our text this morning!

* He's just talking with the Lord through conversational prayer.

* Day by day, in and out, just say, "Lord, thank you for this."

* Driving the automobile, be aware that he's there. Thank him, love him, and enjoy him.

3). The third thing is to develop a spirit of praise.

* Look if you will again one more time here in this Psalm.

* He says here that he is praising the Lord. Psalm 139:14 says:

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

* Just praise God. Just learn to praise him. The Bible says that God inhabits the prayer of his people or the praises of his people.

* So when you praise him, God reveals himself to you. Now, He's always present but he manifests himself when we pay.

* If you're praying and having difficulty praying, begin to praise. You'll have an ocean of words to swim in!

* Just praise the Lord. I'm telling you, friend, when you're discouraged, His presence will see you through.

* When you're lonely, his presence will cheer you up. When you're worried, his presence will calm you down.

* And when you're tempted, his presence will help you out.

* This is the greatness of the power of the presence of God in your life!