“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14, NKJV)
In the New testament, we are told God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit. When Jesus walked the earth, His anointing was evident in the miracles He performed and the lives He touched.
What is this ‘anointing’?
It is the presence of God.
How do you experience the presence of God?
Not by hanging a crucifix from the rear-view mirror of your car or tucking your Bible under your pillow. It can be experienced by living a lifestyle of worship and prayer, and reading your Bible every day.
THE IMPORTANCE OF GOD’S PRESENCE
If there’s anything Daniel was most aware of it was the manifest presence of God. Many people today are deceived into thinking if they truly live in God’s presence, they have no earthly use. This is a notion from the pits of Hell!
When you learn to live in God’s presence, it produces the best in you so you can excel in all areas of your life. Now, isn’t that awesome?
When Daniel was brought as a slave to the sinful nation of Babylon, he did not allow himself to be subject to their culture of corruption, profanity or wickedness. Instead, he remained faithful to God and continued to live daily in His presence. God rewarded Him by making him the Prime Minister of Babylon.
Great and mighty things happen when we live in God’s holy presence.
THE ATMOSPHERE OF GOD’S PRESENCE
Have you ever noticed how swiftly fish glide through the waters of a river? They seem so comfortable and at ease. But if you pull one out of the water, it will wriggle around, struggling to breathe, and eventually die. This is because it is created to live in the atmosphere of water. In the same way, we are created to live in the atmosphere of the God’s presence.
WHAT IS THE EASIEST WAY TO CAST OUT GOD’S PRESENCE?
When you repeatedly ignore someone close to you, they will eventually get hurt and walk away. In much the same way, some of us tend to ignore God’s presence Monday through Saturday. We get so caught up with our lives. If a loved one can get hurt, imagine how much more your Heavenly Father – the God who created you – feels. Therefore, ignoring God is a classic way to keep His presence at bay. Honouring God, on the other hand, is a beautiful way of cultivating the culture of living in God’s presence.
9 THINGS WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF GOD
- The Scriptures begin and end with God’s presence.
- Humanity’s mission and God’s presence are inseparable
- God’s presence is intimate
- To be a joyful Christian is to know the presence of God
- The presence of God finds its greatest expression in ‘Immanuel, God with us’
- The purposes of the Church are tied to the presence of God
- God’s presence is here (manifest presence) and everywhere (omnipresence)
- His presence is not stagnating – it takes us to a higher place (calling)
- In His presence, you will find goodness and mercy
This November is the month of Anointing, a month of ‘go in the Holy Spirit’. When you ‘go in the Spirit’, you will find rest. “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14, NKJV). If you are currently experiencing stress – financial stress, relationship stress, spiritual stress – it may be because you are ignoring God’s presence.
Ask the Lord to give you a desire for His presence. Just like King David, no matter how grave his sin, he always longed for God’s presence, and God honoured him for it. The anointing of the Holy Spirit is not just limited to that weekly prayer meeting. You can live in it in your home, work place, college campus – anywhere!
