W@W WRAP – Week 369

The Presence of God

Read:

Act:

Let us be determined this week to:

Draw near to our Lord by entering into His presence through His Word, prayer and worship. Approaching our Lord is an amazing privilege that is ours only because Jesus was willing to die on the cross and shed His blood so we can have everlasting access to our Father in Heaven, walk in sweet communion with Him, and joyfully follow His precepts.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, resist the temptation to run from God’s presence. In a world that is filled with distractions and ungodliness, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the burden of guilt and shame (Hebrews 10:19-21 & 10:17), unforgiveness (Matthew 6:15), the lack of faith (Psalm 34:8 & Hebrews 11:6), a lack of hunger for more of God (Psalm 63:1-4 & Matthew 5:6), or the search for satisfaction elsewhere (Jeremiah 2:13). However, let us remember that God’s presence in our lives is an amazing gift, accessible to all of us, if we repent of our sin, ask for forgiveness and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. As our Lord promises us in Jeremiah 29:12-14 (NIV): “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord…”

Share the wonder of being filled with the light of Jesus with others. As we diligently and faithfully spend time in God’s presence, drawing closer to Him and growing in our relationship with Him, may we ask our Lord to fill us with His light. This way, we can be ready and prepared to love and serve those around us and share the good news with all we encounter.

To conclude, I am convinced that nothing is better, or worth more, than being in the presence of our Lord. His consistent presence is a powerful promise that brings comfort, contentment and joy to our lives. As we seek closeness with God through prayer, studying His Word, worship, and fellowship with other believers, may we be overwhelmed with joy, peace and love as we encounter our Lord. I love how A.W. Tozer describes the significance of being in God’s presence: “I believe that once we truly experience the conscious, manifest presence of God, we will lose interest in everything else in this world.”

Pray:

My prayer for you and me is that we will not miss a day without experiencing the joy of His presence. In His presence, there’s fullness, and there’s joy. So, from Isaiah 55:12, this is a covering over you: “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Amen and Amen. Father, we thank You for time in Your presence. We love You, Lord. We praise You, and we thank You. We thank You for Your Son, who makes it possible for us to come into Your presence. Hallelujah. We love You.

Father, thank You so much that we can gather together from so many corners of the world. Lord, from across oceans, to get together around Your Word and Your special message to us. A message, Lord, that presses on our hearts to always be ready. Always be prepared. Always be shining Your light, Lord. Always being ready to share the gospel. Always ready to share Your love and Your mercy with the lost and the dying world, Lord. In a way that lightens up the lives of people so that many more can hear the wonder of Your mercy and that You be glorified in it all, Lord. Thank You for allowing us to pray in Your wonderful name.

Dear Father, You are gracious and merciful, and we love You. It is my prayer and hope that each of us will behave in a way that is pleasing to You and that we will allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and allow Him to remove anything that hinders us from forgiving others. Let us allow You, God, who can do immeasurably more, to work all things together for our good. Help us be more like Jesus. We pray this in His holy and worthy name. Hallelujah.

Lord, we admit that sometimes we’re so busy running to we don’t even know where, but we’re so busy running from Your presence. Today, we want to take this moment, and whatever is keeping us from sitting at Your feet or dwelling in Your presence, we want to lay it at Your feet. Lord, take it away. Take it away because all we want is You. All we want is to dwell in Your presence. And all we want is more of You every single day of our lives. We long for that peace, that joy, that contentment that You promise us when we dwell in Your presence. Lord, this world is difficult, it’s challenging, it’s a very sad place. But we pray, ask, and seek Your presence, Lord. Because we know that in Your presence, there is fullness of joy. In Your presence, there is contentment. And in Your presence, we will be okay. Help us, Lord, to live in Your presence every single day of our lives and to share that with whoever we encounter.

Our Father in Heaven, may we always be aware of Your divine presence that is with us at all times. It is in Your presence that we experience the fullness of Your unconditional, sacrificial love; Your grace and the forgiveness of our sins; power, strength and guidance for the journey ahead; and Your perfect peace and joy that enlighten our path with hope. Thank You that we will find You, when we seek You wholeheartedly.

Now, may the amazing grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Now and forever! Amen.