April 5, 2021

Practice His Presence

(c) 2012 by Anna Hazen

Genesis 3:8-9 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid…

Here is God, taking a stroll through the garden in the cool of the evening, desiring to spend some quality time with His human creation. He knew what they had done. There isn’t anything He doesn’t know. He tells us even today, “Where art thou? I woke you up this morning. I even saw you when you fell. Don’t you realize that I AM here with you now?”

He saw Adam and Eve when they disobeyed Him. Can you imagine what would have happened if they hadn’t run and hid themselves, but stood in front of Him and confessed their guilt? It is not only their sin that caused them to be cast out of Eden, but because they ran and hid themselves in their sin.

Walking in God’s presence is cleansing, Walking in God’s presence is help and strength and joy. Walking in God’s presence is guidance in time of need. When we practice the presence of Jehovah-Shammah, He will carry us through any and everything that satan tries to throw at us!

Adam and Eve rejected God’s fellowship. Man has a tendency to reject God’s fellowship especially when we have sinned. We run and hide instead of confronting the sin and renouncing it and allowing our Father to bring us out of it.

John 10:10 The thief comes not but for to steal (your joy), to kill (your body) and to destroy (your spirit). I (Jesus Christ) am come that they (all who accept Him as Lord) will have life and that they might have it more abundantly.

All He wants us to do is walk with Him! He wants us to practice His presence! … act like we know He is here with us!

Are you listening to God’s voice walking in the cool of the day, in the garden? When we practice the presence of God; Jehovah – Shammah, we are also practicing the presence of His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Just as we practice our typing, or playing a musical instrument, to get better at it, we must practice acting as if we know that God is there in the same room as we are, right now, walking and talking with us, watching us. As we do, our relationship with Him will grow. And with our relationship’s growth, watch the blessings come, and come, and come…

God has given us His commandments, which are simple if you love God as He tells us to, to live by, for our own good, to enjoy happiness and prosperity while we live on this earth. The two commandments that Jesus gave are simple:

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Mark 12:29-31 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

In other words, when you obey these two commandments, the others will be easy to follow. You really won’t even consider that you are actually obeying them because you just don’t want to commit any sins against God or anyone else. How much more simpler can you get than these two commandments?

Only those born again can truly love themselves as God commands us to, because we cannot do it without His help. He is the one who guides us into all things… His word will absolutely come to pass whether we like it or not.

Isaiah 55:7-11 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

What God wants us to do is simply leave our current lifestyles and turn to Him and live the way HE desires us to live; healthy and prosperous. He will protect us from our enemies, which are also His enemies. He will always be there to help and encourage us.

Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD

God Himself will back us up on every righteous thing we do or ask for in Jesus name. He is always by our side, or rather, in our Spirit, protecting and providing for us who believe and trust in Him… He is our awesome God!!!

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

6-7 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me (or know me now), ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9-23 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, (truly, truly) I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

15-18 If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

19-20 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

23-24 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.

25-26 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Practicing God’s presence is putting into action what you believe. Jesus told us, Himself, that He will abide in us who are called by God! Therefore, we are ACTUALLY commanded to practice His presence. If we don’t practice His presence, how then, can we expect to receive from Him?

“Well”, you may say, “I have sinned against someone, and I don’t think God will listen to me because of it. I was ‘saved’ before (as so many believe), but since then, I have been afraid to talk to Him”.

Beloved of God (and you are) let me tell you that ONCE YOU BECOME SAVED, YOU ARE SAVED ETERNALLY! What you do with your life afterwards is what you will be judged and punished or rewarded for. You can’t lose your salvation!

1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

John 10: 9-10 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

27-29 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

Jn 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Once you are born again by the water and the Spirit (of God) NO ONE can grab you out of God’s loving hand! NO ONE!! Once you are saved, you are saved for eternity!!! What you must do, now, is obey God’s commandments. Do not let anyone convince you otherwise. Some may say to you that, “since you have backsliden, you are no longer saved and must start all over again”. They are sooooo wrong. God’s Word states emphatically that God forgives and gives us the victory over the enemy… and GOD IS NOT A LIAR!!!

2 Timothy 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Romans 8:1-6 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

14-16 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

26-31 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32-39 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another (only the one you sinned against (not some priest who supposedly has the power to absolve you of all your sins – only God can do that!), and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

19-20 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

1 John 1:7-10 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 Corinthians:12-13 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

In other words, we must always remember to keep in our hearts what God did for us through His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. When we do this, there will be nothing that we can’t overcome. But we must practice the Presence of Jesus Christ – act like He is there with you whether you see Him or not. He even told us that by doing this we will get blessed by Him.

John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

To continue in Ephesians 5: 1-2 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15-20 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

By practicing the presence of Jesus, this allows HIM to be our attorney in front of God Almighty. Jesus Christ is the “Perry Mason of the cosmos”; He has NEVER lost a case. It could be said that the trial has been fixed in our favor because Jesus Christ “bought off the judge” with His ultimate sacrifice!

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

1 John 1:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

6-17 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

John 10:17-30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.

PRACTICE GOD’S PRESENCE FOR ALL HE’S WORTH! WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T DIE WITHOUT HIM!

Prayer: Lord, God, we ask that you would show us your way. We give our lives to you. Help us to practice your presence, constantly, in our lives. We accept your Son, Jesus Christ, in our hearts. Teach us to live our lives the way you want us to live it. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen and AMEN!