“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,” Acts‬ ‭3:19

The presence of God brings refreshing, and rest. God Himself said the same thing about His presence. “And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”” Exodus‬ ‭33:14‬ ‭One of the things that should mark us as different than any other people on the earth is that we carry the manifest presence of God. Moses told the Lord, “Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”” Exodus‬ ‭33:15-16‬

First encounters

When I first encountered the presence of God, I was scared. I didn’t know it was God! I remember being very distressed one day at work because I was feeling something touching my forehead and shoulders. Obviously invisible, I was worried that it was an evil spirit. I thought because I had gone to a Holy Spirit night at the Barn Vineyard church, that this was an attack. Silly me! The more time I spent with God, I realized what I was experiencing was a different manifestation of His presence.

The first encounter was so wild. My physical heart felt like a ball of fire trembling inside of my chest. I could actually feel heat coming from my chest. Most of the time though, God’s presence comes as a weighty presence of glory. His majesty rests upon His people, and even still, I and other people can feel the radiance of His presence coming from me and others. New age people call it an “aura”, but even that isn’t a good representation of God’s presence. They tell me that they have never met someone with “this kind of aura”, but they know it’s something real. Anywho, I am glad the Lord is with me. I need His presence. It gives me life.

One night I was in my room by myself praying, and I was suddenly overcome by an incredible sense of joy. It filled my whole soul and body. I giggled and laughed and stumbled around my house. I believe it was what people call “drunk in the Spirit”. It’s really the only thing that can describe what I experienced.

How wonderful He is

Ever since then I’ve been in love with God’s presence. It carries His mood. There are times in services when everyone is silent, in reverence to God. This is known as “Holy hush”. There are other times where it feels like your skin wants to rip open and your spirit and soul explode from your body, because God’s presence is more than we can handle. It was said that when Smith Wigglesworth prayed, the presence of God came down so powerfully, everyone crawled out of the meeting. They felt as if they would be crushed under the weight of God’s presence. I want that so bad! Imagine how utterly terrifying and wonderful that is! I am so in awe of the Lord, His wonders and ways make me so passionate to know Him more.

There have been times where I’ve experienced the love of God so powerfully that I didn’t even realize I could cry that much. We often talk about the love of the Father, but it’s something completely different to experience it. The love of God is so personal, so intimate, that it literally changes you from the depths of your being. You have to have Him for yourself.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Psalms‬ ‭34:8‬

This is experiential language! I can hardly put it into words. He is so good. Please ask Him to show you Himself, because what I’m talking about isn’t just a feeling. What I’m talking about is God revealing His love and glory, giving you Himself. The presence of God is something to jealously guard.

For the love of holiness

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:14‬

Now, I understand that this verse is talking about seeing the Lord one day, but it is also talking about “tasting” and “seeing” right now! Holiness is how we stay close to God. You see, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is wise to desire God above anything else. He is jealous for you. So, holiness is not an end to itself. Holiness is not only created from God’s presence, but it also keeps us in His presence.

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭7:1

What now?

If you feel far away from God, ask Him to invade your life. If you have willful sin in your life, get clean, or get delivered. If you have questions, ask me or someone you trust to answer and pray for you.

You may say, “I’ve never felt the presence of God”. The answer can be any number of things, but grace is the most important thing to remember. God wants to be close to you, ask him to come close. “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you…”

Be blessed!