I do not Feel God's Presence - The Main Reason

 

There is a big difference between Conviction and Conversion in a person's life. I want to explain the difference to you in case you may have been convicted, but never converted.

If we say that we are saved, but our life is not transformed, and we do not feel His Spirit within us or see a difference in our thoughts and behavior, we were convicted, but not converted.

Believing in our mind is not enough, because even Satan believes and trembles” (James 2:19).

There are many examples of good people in the Bible who thought they were saved, but they never had a personal relationship with Jesus. (Matthew 7:21, 25:11; Luke 6:46, 13:25). 

Satanic strongholds in our life may keep us struggling with our walk with the Lord. Maybe God told you to stop doing something that grieves His Spirit, but you are still doing it. Then, you will not feel God's presence (Psalm 32:3-5).

Possibly, you are more interested in what God can do for you, rather than what you can do for God. Your motive in believing may be to change your circumstances, but God calls us to first change our heart and obey Him (John 14:15, 23).

We cannot save our self, we need God to save us through Jesus' sacrifice on Calvary's cross. God is not our servant, but we are His servants.

He is not the granter of our wishes or requests, we serve Him whether He gives us what we ask for or not, because He is God and He is worthy.

Prayer:

Sincerely pray, giving ALL of your life to God and holding nothing back for yourself:

"Lord Jesus, I do not want to live my life as a slave to myself, sin or Satan. I ask You for Your forgiveness and that You save me completely. I relinquish my sinful nature to You.

"I dedicate my life to You. I submit my life to Your Holy Spirit to live within me, to change me from the inside out and to direct me through each moment of my day. Please keep me away from anything, which might take Your place in my heart. In Jesus' name and for Your glory. Amen."

Though for the Day:

If we are double-minded in our prayer for salvation, and not sincere, nothing will change; we are still lost in sin for eternity. - John 3:18, 5:24; Hebrews 3:19

That Feeling of Intimacy

So many people tell me that they no longer feel God's intense presence like they once did, and they want that feeling back. They say that God left them alone in the wilderness, and they cannot find His presence. This is impossible. God lives within us (Colossians 1:27). There is no way that He would ever leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

If we do not feel His presence it is for one of two reasons. Maybe we sinned and grieved the Holy Spirit. When this happens, God turns His back because He cannot look upon sin (Habakkuk 1:13). The other reason is that He is enjoying some companionable silence with us; and in our insecurity, we fail to realize that He is still and always will be right here within us.

God is constantly near us. He sees us no matter where we are or what we are doing (Psalm 139:8). He fills the heavens and earth, and this includes the lives of those who put their trust in Him (Jeremiah 23:23-24). The first step in restoring our intimacy is to allow God's Spirit to search our heart (Psalm 139:23-24). He will point out to us any idol or sin, which is blocking the connection between Him and us.

The second step is to relax and enjoy God's companionable silence. We do not need goose bumps, constant revelation from His Word or His still, small voice within us in order to believe that He is with us. We have His promise that He is there, and that is all we really need. Rather than seeking a feeling, just spend time praising God, because our connection with Him can never be lost.

Prayer:

Father God, You inhabit the praises of Your people (Psalm 22:3). There is no quicker way to connect to Your presence in us than to praise You with an obedient heart full of gratitude and trust. Remind us that once we are free from unconfessed sin, empty of all known idols and trusting in Your goodness, we will bask in the waterfall of Your love, which You pour over those who rest in Your will.

Thought for the Day:

Never allow Satan to convince you that this perceived "dry spell" means that God is withholding His presence from you; confess known sin and then enjoy His companionable silence by sitting still and knowing that He is Your God now and forever. - Psalm 46:10

Behavior Does Not Define Us

I used to think I was a bad girl, because I occasionally did bad things. It took me years to come to the realization that I am a good girl, even though I do bad things sometimes. I did not realize that I am a separate entity from my behavior.

I thought that my behavior defined me. I tried to earn my goodness by my behavior; then, when I failed, I felt utterly lost and worthless.

On a glorious day in February of my 18th year of life, God made real to me the fact that He bought me by the blood of Jesus and redeemed me by His Son's resurrection (1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Peter 1:19). 

He came to live in me and He started the process of converting my carnal nature into the nature of Christ. He set my feet on high places (Psalm 18:33), and renewed my self-image to my true identity in Christ (1 Corinthians 6:17).

I am no longer burdened by the notion that I need to be perfect in order to be loved. Father God, who created me, and Jesus, my Brother, who laid down his life for me, both love me unconditionally. I am not a mere mortal, but I am empowered and indwelt by the Spirit of the Living God (2 Corinthians 3:18).

I am not the person that I was at 18. Over the successive years of my life, God freed me from the tyranny of self-effort (Ephesians 2:8-9). He taught me that I am not a bad person, but I simply do bad things now and again. 

He is faithful and just, and He always offers me forgiveness for my transgressions at the very moment I repent of them (1 John 1:9).

We never have to allow satanic influences to condescend, criticize or bully us into thinking that we are "less than" we should be. We are actually complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10). 

We are "more than" conquerors through Him, because He loves us (Romans 8:31-39). With Christ in us, we are lovable, interesting and sufficient individuals (Philippians 4:13) who are loved by the eternal King of the universe.

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You for redeeming us and making us special and unique individuals in Your Family. You give us victory each and every day (1 Corinthians 15:57). We continually walk in Your love and bask in Your fellowship. 

Thank You that Jesus also loves us and gave Himself up for us, as a sacrifice to atone for our sins (Ephesians 5:2).

Thank You too that we are the apple of Your eye (Zechariah 2:8; Psalm 17:8).

Thought for the Day:

We are crucified with Christ and our flesh no longer lives, because Christ lives in us and freed us from our sins by His blood. - Galatians 2:20; Revelation 1:5

God's Got It All Under Control

Regardless of our social, economic or religious standing, we often feel disappointment throughout our lifetime. It is clear that disappointment is no respecter of persons. We all foster expectations and we hope to achieve certain goals, which never come to pass. We sink into the pits of discouragement and flounder in the sea of despair. These negative emotions are murder on our body and soul (Proverbs 13:12).

The alternative is to surrender our expectations to God and to gratefully accept the conditions He allows to come our way. Then, we will live in serenity. God has a perfect plan for each life and only in the center of His will do we find perfect peace and contentment (Isaiah 43:1-2). Faith in God’s faithfulness will provide us with inner joy and tranquility regardless of our circumstances (Romans 5:3-4).

When we compare our issues with the life of those who are persecuted for their faith, we gain a better perspective. When we prioritize our life with our standard as eternity, our temporal issues are trivial at best (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Christians throughout the ages all faced discouragement (2 Corinthians 1:8-9); but authentic Believers have no need to surrender to discouragement. God give us glorious, indescribable joy (1 Peter 1:8).

A personal, intimate union with Christ provides us with the protection, guidance, comfort and strength of the Lord (1 Peter 5:10; John 3:16). As we submit to God's will, we realize that He is always in control (Ezekiel 38:4; Proverbs 21:1). Nothing, which occurs in our life, surprises Him, because He already planned an equitable solution for us (Romans 8:28). With God on our side, nothing will ever occur without His knowledge (Romans 8:31-32).

He is actually greater than the spiritual forces of darkness, which come against us (1 John 4:4). With Christ dwelling within us, our heart is no longer anxious or frightened (John 14:27). We can count it all joy when we face various trials and tribulation (James 1:2), because we see His hand working out everything to our advantage (Romans 8:28). The seeds of the ultimate miracle within our suffering and disappointment end up increasing our faith (Colossians 3:15).

Prayer:

Father God, our deepest sense of joy comes from a life surrendered to You (Hebrews 13:5). An optimistic unbeliever can radiate a positive attitude in negative circumstances, but they are still missing the joy and peace, which only You can provide (Philippians 4:7; Ephesians 3:19). We are a witness to a lost and dying world of Your protection and provision (John 16:33; Romans 8:28, 37). We gain strength in our weakest times from the presence of Your Holy Spirit within us (2 Corinthians 12:8-10). At the center of Your will, we find deep and lasting peace (Isaiah 26:3).

Thought for the Day:

Anyone, who is born of God and believes in His Son, has His faith dwelling within us, helping us to overcome the negative issues in the world. - 1 John 5:4-5

The Tyranny of Self-Effort

Our human effort can never produce spirituality. No amount of carnal exertion, ceremonies, rituals or precepts can govern the spiritual world. Repentance is the first step to true spirituality. This humbles us and allows God into our life. The more we worship our Creator and King, the more spirituality we encourage in our life. This creates a new attitude and mindset in us.

God gives us gifts to use to minister to the lost and dying world around us (1 Corinthians 12:4). We testify to others about what God does in our life. Many will turn a deaf ear, because their life is ruled by the tyranny of self-effort. However, some who are tired of servitude to the dictates of the flesh will be ready to surrender their life to God and to enjoy His love and blessings like we do.

The steady habitation of our spirit by the Spirit of God gives us peace and joy, which transcends what the world and its religions can offer to us. Our connection to God becomes our foremost priority. We deepen our relationship through prayer, Bible study, fellowship with other Believers and Christian service in our community. We encounter God’s hand in our life through many significant ways.

God cares about us. He even lived in human form and suffered in every area in which we do (1 Peter 2:21-22; Hebrews 4:15). God cannot fellowship with sin, so we must not grieve His Spirit with our carnality and self-effort (Habakkuk 1:13; Ephesians 4:30). God’s Spirit continually transforms us with the mind of Christ. If we give our constant attention to His will and ways in our life, we will sense God’s powerful presence.

Prayer:

Father God, we relinquish every area of our life, which serves as a distraction to us from following You with our whole heart. We confess every sin, which stands between Your heart and ours. We trust in Your faithfulness and surrender our anxieties and stress to You for Your miraculous healing and provision. Remind us not to allow the cares of this world to choke out our focus on You (Mark 4:19).

Thought for the Day:

A personal encounter with God on a daily basis will free us from the tyranny of self-effort.

Hopeless and Alone

At times our soul is depressed and full of anxiety within us. We are drudging through a dry desert and our soul is parched and thirsty. That is the time to put our hope in the Lord (Psalm 43:5). God alone will pour out His Living Water on our thirsty soul and bring streams to the dry desert (Isaiah 35:1, 44:3). Our soul – our mind, will and emotions – find rest in God alone. We put our faith and trust in Him and believe that all things are possible for us in Him (Mark 9:23). We cling to Jesus when our faith fades and our strength weakens, because He understands our doubts, questions and grief over the losses in our life (Hebrews 4:15).

When we draw near to God, He renews our strength and causes us to take flight with wings like an eagle’s (Isaiah 40:31). He is close to the brokenhearted. He saves everyone who is crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). He takes our infirmities and He carries our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4). He heals the desolate and binds up our wounds (Psalm 147:3). He upholds us when we fall and lifts us up when we are discouraged (Psalm 145:14). He rescues His godly Saints from our trials and makes all of them turn out for our good (2 Peter 2:9; Romans 8:28).

Jesus died for our sins and gives us His Spirit to fight our battles. We have no quarrel with people, but our conflict is against the dark world and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm (Ephesians 6:12). Jesus already overcame them on Calvary’s cross. When He comes back to claim His bride, He will wipe away all of our tears and remove pain and death from the world. The old life will pass away and He will make everything brand new (Revelation 21:4).

We put our hope in the Lord only, because He alone is faithful (Psalm 39:7). Before we were ever born, He made plans for our good and not to harm us. He gives us a blessed future full of hope (Jeremiah 1:5, 29:11). We never need to fear, because He is always with us; or to feel distraught, because He is our God. He strengthens us, helps us and holds us up with His victorious right hand. Even when everyone else despises us, He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

There are people in our family, church, neighborhood and workplace who are dying in their sins and sorrows. They are walking in the ways of the world. They sow the wind and reap a whirlwind for their efforts (Hosea 8:7). They spend long hours accumulating things that ultimately bring them no joy. They often despair of ever finding any meaning in life. They need to know our Savior, our Lord, our Redeemer and our Holy One (Isaiah 41:10,13-14)..

Even when we take our focus off the Lord in the midst of our tribulation, we know without a doubt that He is always there for us, loving us unconditionally and giving us the victory through His death and resurrection. Nothing this world has to offer compares to the hope we have, which comes only from Him (Psalm 62:5; Ecclesiastes 9:4). This is the message that our loved ones need to hear. They need to know that God is on their side, ever loving them and drawing them to Himself (John 6:44; Psalm 136:1).

Prayer:
Lord, You are our helper, so we will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to us? In our distress we cried out to You, Lord and prayed to You for help. You hear us from Your sanctuary; our cries always reach Your ears (Psalm 18:8). Help us not to sit on the sidelines and watch those around us perish and go to hell. We present our lives to You and ask You to use us to encourage others to put their faith and trust in You. We give You our undying allegiance and we look to You for direction and sustenance in the world in which we live.

Thought for the Day:

Troubles surround us on every side, but we are not hopeless. Even when things are hard for us, God always gives us a way out of them (2 Corinthians 4:8).