Practicing God’s Presence in 2017

"Every moment is alive with My glorious Presence, to those whose hearts are intimately connected with Mine. As you give yourself more and more to a life of constant communion with Me, you will find that you simply have no time to worry. Thus, you are freed to let My Spirit direct your steps, enabling you to walk along the path of peace." Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

Dear intercessors,

As we enter into a new year, it is absolutely essential that we learn to walk in God's presence. We need to be intimately connected with Him as we face an unknown future and uncharted waters. We are in a new day with so many stresses and strains in our everyday life, and what God wants from us in the midst of a chaotic world is to walk in His Presence and live from that place of peace. Worry, anxiety, and fear are at an all-time high, but this is not what God wants from us. He wants us to be free from negative emotions so that we let His Spirit direct our steps with confidence and joy.

To help you this year, I want to give you a gift of 11 crafted prayers that will empower you with new joy and breakthrough for what God has in store for you during this new season. CLICK HERE or the title below to receive your gift called:

11 Breakthrough Prayers to Empower Your Life in 2017!

Take time to realize that God will take you farther than you ever dreamed possible if you learn the secret of practicing His presence. What a privilege to become a best friend of God! Have you grasped the reality of what this means?

“Knowing and loving God is our greatest privilege, and being known and loved is God’s greatest pleasure. - Rick Warren

Look at the amazing example of Brother Lawrence. He was a humble cook in a seventeenth-century French monastery who was able to turn even a boring job, such as washing dishes, into an act of worship and an opportunity to build his relationship with God. He said:

“The key to friendship with God is not changing what you do, but changing your attitude toward what you do. What you normally do for yourself you begin doing for God, whether it is eating, bathing, working, relaxing, or taking out the trash.”

Following Brother Lawrence’s example, let’s realize that worship should not be so much an event as a perpetual attitude. We read in Psalm 16:11, “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

I once read about a man who said that he wanted to learn to pray all the time in every situation day and night. He wanted to live in constant fellowship with God and moment-by-moment companionship with Jesus. This is a holy ambition and motivated me personally to develop this kind of intimate relationship with God. When we pray, we are speaking to God, and when we meditate on God’s Word, He speaks to us. We need both as we develop our friendship with God. Practicing the presence of God will give us rest and lead us into a more fruitful lifestyle.

But how can we practice God’s presence on a daily basis? Here are two key ways.

How  to Practice God's Presence

“When you think about a problem over and over in your mind, that’s called worry. When you think about God’s Word over and over in your mind, that’s meditation. If you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate! You just need to switch your attention from your problems to Bible verses.” Rick Warren

As you apply the following two ways of practicing God's presence, you will realize in a deeper dimension His companionship with you. As time goes on, it come will become a natural practice in your everyday life, and you will realize afresh that Jesus really is your best friend. You become more aware that He is with you through all the joys and sorrows of daily life. A deeper joy invades your life as you realize that you are learning to abide in Christ.

• Use Breath Prayers - Pray a brief phrase to Jesus throughout the day that you can repeat in one breath. You may want to pray phrases such as, “You will help me,” “You promise to never leave me,” “I can do all things through Christ,” “Your joy is my strength,” “I love You,” and “Help me trust You.” Breath prayers, unlike regular prayers, are short with just a few words that you can quickly pray to God at any time. They will keep you more conscious of your relationship with God on a moment-by-moment basis, and you will walk in less worry and greater peace. 
  
  “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14).
• Think About God’s Word. Meditate on God’s Word throughout the day. Focus your thoughts on the Bible. Write down short Bible verses and repeat them often. Think about who God is and what He has done. This takes time to learn, but Scripture offers a promise of God’s prosperity in our lives when we meditate on His Word:
  
  "His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in seasonand whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers (Psalm 1:2-3).

Do you want to move into a new place in prayer this year and practice God’s presence even more than you ever did before?We are entering days when the Word of God in our hearts is going to be absolutely necessary. We can live above all that is happening here on earth if we keep in mind that everything we do can be spending time with God. We only need to be aware of His presence during the day, whatever we’re doing. He wants to be invited into the center of our activities.

As world conditions worsen, we will ride on high places above the storm. This is how we will defeat the enemy. Practicing God’s presence through short prayers and meditation will make all the difference. Together let’s stay aware of His presence and step up higher, into a new realm of intimacy. Let’s learn to rest in God’s presence rather than worry during 2017.

A Prayer to Practice God's Presence

Father, I pray that You will help me to cultivate Your presence in my life. Remove the distractions that keep me from Your presence [Repent of any distractions in your life]. I repent of any pride or personal idols that have taken me away from having you in first place and being completely Yours (Name them one by one - i.e. television  material possessions, food, sports, work, etc.]. Remove the compromise in my life, and set me on fire for You. I want to be a clean vessel, bringing light into the darkness and carrying Your presence wherever I go. I want to come up higher around Your throne and sit with You in heavenly places. 

Help me to worship only You. Take me deeper in my prayer life and in intimacy with You this year. Help me to walk in Your light and holiness. I want to know You more. “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord” (Psalm 89:15). Give me joy in Your presence and help me to bring joy into the lives of others. I want to dwell in Your house and gaze on Your beauty. I want to seek Your face. “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple… Hear my voice when I call, O LORD" (Psalm 27:4, 7). In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Together in the Harvest,
 
Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC)
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org