His Presence

One of the greatest lessons I have ever learned in my life is that God is my best Friend, and a close relationship with Him is vital to my existence in this world. He cares for me and loves me in ways no one else ever has been able to love me. There is nothing that I do or don’t do that affects the quality of our relationship. He loves me unconditionally. What I do or don’t do may affect what happens in my life here on this earth, but it does not affect God. He is always the same.

As a Christian, I have not done bad stuff, but there are areas of my life that need great change. God wants me to change my mindset about certain ways I think. He wants me to think the way He thinks. It is of great benefit to me to think God’s thoughts. His thoughts produce positive results in my life and the lives of those for whom I pray.

This morning, in my prayer time, I understood how to pray for people. So many of us are praying from the vantage point of the person we see, the outward man and what he does. God is telling us that we are to pray from the vantage point of the spirit. What is controlling that person? What causes them to do what they do? People are subject to the spirits that govern their lives. For example, if a person is serving satan, they do not recognize truth. They lie without even knowing they are lying because satan is the father of liars. Instead of condemning these people, we must pray that the eyes of their understanding will be open to the truth and they will recognize the need for coming to the Lord and serving Him.

God’s presence is so needed in our lives. We need Him to direct our attitudes and our understandings of ourselves and others. In His presence, there is understanding of the spiritual realm. We have discernment and recognition of what is happening in someone’s life. We then have the ammunition to shoot down the devil’s schemes to control them.

It is not about coming against a person. It is about taking authority over the spirit that is controlling that person. It is about praying in God’s presence in that person’s life. With our prayers, we must give the Lord an open door to come and minister to that person. Then that person has the option of accepting or rejecting the Lord and His advances toward them. Ultimately, it is about their choice. Once we have completed the assignment in prayer for someone, it is their choice to accept or reject what they are seeing.

Ah, the presence of the Lord! Don’t you love to spend time with Him. He is like a breath of fresh air in the middle of the pollution of life here on this earth. He is a refreshing stream of the water of life. He is a drink in the desert. He is the way in the wilderness. He is the One Who leads us beside the still waters of peace, when the storm is raging around us. He is Lord! Yes, He is still Lord of all.

Regardless of how we feel or what we think that is contrary to God’s Kingdom of Love, He is still Love Himself. He is still joy and peace and goodness and kindness and love. When we walk in this life in His presence, we walk free from the outward circumstances of this fleshly world in which we find ourselves living as His ambassadors. The only way we can remain untouched by evil and its consequences is to remain sheltered under the canopy of God’s Love, which is His presence, which is His glory. We are protected in Him.

Today, wherever you are and whatever you are doing when you read this Pearl, stop and enjoy and be thankful for God’s presence in you. You are one with Him. He is One with you. In that unity, there is great power. Don’t ever forget that. That’s why the devil attempts to bring strife, resentment, enmity, jealousy, envy, anger, irritability, and finally division. Divided, we fall; united, we stand. Let’s stand with Him and thus stand in His presence all the days of our lives.

We will be noticed in our position of unity because His presence will be felt by those around us. The fragrance of Him will be sensed. There are two reactions to His presence----people either embrace Him or they reject Him. He will do all that He can to help them walk through the open door of His presence, but ultimately, it is their choice.

Rejoice in our Lord God today and enjoy the beauty of His presence which clothes us with a sense of well-being and protection. Breathe in the perfume of His presence. He loves you so dearly.