Joy in His Presence

When we seek Him with all of our hearts, we will find Him. God’s word makes this promise in Proverbs 8:17 and Jeremiah 29:13. Revelation 3:20 tells us that Jesus stands at the door and knocks, and that He will come in and dine with whoever opens the door to Him. Isaiah 7:1 4 and Matthew 1:23 portray Jesus as Immanuel – God with Us. 2 Timothy 1:14 teaches that the Holy Spirit dwells in us.

What does this mean? Jesus Christ desires a relationship with us. He delights to have us in His presence and promises repeatedly in scripture that there, in His presence, is where we find joy.

So what does it take to tap into this source of joy? What must we do to enter the presence of the Holy One? In simple terms, we must seek Him. Practically speaking, we seek Him in His Word, in prayer, and in worship. As with any relationship, the key is spending time together and Jesus meets us, anywhere we are, when we simply turn our eyes toward Him. He has made Himself fully available to us and stands ready and waiting to draw us closer to Himself.

I challenge you this week to purposefully reach out to Him. Seek Him in some respect starting today and continuing for 7 consecutive days. Spend time with Him in prayer, in worship, and in His Word and give Him your full attention as you do so. It doesn’t take hours; in fact, even a few minutes can make a big difference.

This challenge is not meant to be a magical formula to get “in touch” with God. These practices are intended to help you build a habit of spending quiet, devotional time with the Lord and to take the first step toward a life-long habit of knowing and loving Him. Once you have finished this 7 day assignment, examine yourself to identify how your life has been different since you began.  

Here are my suggestions for the week:

Day 1: Read Psalm 63 aloud, slowly and with affection as if you are reading it to the Lord. Praise Him in a heartfelt manner using the words of the Psalmist.

Day 2: Read Colossians 1:9-14 and pray this prayer for yourself, substituting the word “I” (or appropriate pronoun) anytime Paul uses the word “you,” referring to the Colossians. For example: “Lord, I ask that you fill me with the knowledge of Your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…”

Day 3: Read John 14:15-26 and complete the following exercise:

•  List the facts of this passage
• What do these facts mean to you personally?
• How can you walk out what you have learned through the passage? (ask yourself how effectively and consistently you are doing the will of the Father as revealed in this passage).

Day 4: Read John 15:1-11 and complete the same exercise as Day 3.

Day 5: Spend devoted time in prayer today focusing on:

a) praising Him for Who He is
b) thanking Him for what He has done or is doing in your life
c) asking specific forgiveness for ways that you have fallen short of pleasing Him
d) interceding (presenting your “wish list” for others and for yourself)

Day 6: Read Ephesians 1:3-14 with the sole intention of knowing God more. Ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you and make a list of His characteristics as found in this text.

Day 7: Read Psalm 34 and complete the same exercise as Days 3 and 4. Next, Ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you and make a list of His characteristics as found in this text.

Experts say it takes 21 days to create a habit. If this exercise has blessed you and if you are beginning to find joy in God’s presence, consider continuing for two more weeks! Ask the Lord to show you which passages of His Word to use.