It
is possible to live in the presence of our Supreme God each moment of the day.
Some people say that they do not feel God's presence with them, their prayers
bounce off the ceiling unanswered, and they feel abandoned by their Savior.
There
are several reasons for this malady. Maybe you are not truly converted, because
you got convicted and prayed a prayer, but you did not truly believe. You are
the same person that you have always been, and the Holy Spirit has not done any
sanctifying work in your life.
Another
reason may be that you are Born Again, but you are believing Satan's lies (1
Peter 5:8). He whispered some reasonable sounding thought in your mind, you
entertained that thought, and succumbed to his deception (Luke 4:13). (
http://www.transformationprayer.org/ )
Or
maybe you are living for yourself rather than for God, and you are spending all
your time, resources and energy to further your kingdom on this earth (Haggai
1:4). Are you neglecting times in worship and Bible study, allowing various
duties to rob you?
Even
if we do not feel Jehovah's presence, however, He is always within us
(Galatians 2:20). As we focus less on our circumstances and more on Christ in
us, we have hope of God's provision for our life (Colossians 1:27). We praise
Him for the good and the bad times (Philippians 4:4-8).
God
is not our Aladdin's Lamp to grant our wishes or to do our bidding. He is our
Sovereign Lord and Benevolent Father. Jesus
is in us and with us, surrounding us with His unconditional love and blessings
(Matthew 28:20; Romans 8:35-39).
As
we seek first His Kingdom, God provides what we need when we need it (Matthew
6:33). Jesus constantly intercedes for us to our Father (Hebrews 7:25), and is
working out everything for our ultimate good (John 5:17; Romans 8:28).
Prayer:
Father
God, remind us not to blame You, when we do not feel Your presence with us, but
to take an inventory of our own thoughts, feelings, words and deeds to see what
is blocking our connection with You (Ephesians 4:30-31). Help us to be honest
about our relationship with You. Are we truly Born Again? Reveal to us the lies
of the devil that we believe, when we should cling to Your Word instead.
Create
a sanctified heart in us, restore to us the joy of our salvation, and renew our
spirit's connection with Your Spirit (Psalm 51:10). Help us to follow the
guidance of Your Spirit throughout our day, to submit to His guidance and to
live in the center of Your will for each moment of our day. Thank You for
moving into our life and never leaving or abandoning us (Hebrews 13:5).
Thought
for the Day:
When
the circumstances in our life turn ugly and our trials overwhelm us, we can be
sure that Jesus is always with us and in us, until He comes again to take us to
be with Him in Paradise forever.
- Matthew 28:20; John 14:3; Luke 23:43
