Take Hold Of The Faith You Long ForSample

Practicing God’s Presence

“If you feel far from God, guess who moved?” is a common saying. But God is not a being who can be moved away from. There is nowhere you can go that is away from His presence. But (and this is a big but) you can feel far from God. The cure for the feeling of farness comes in capsules of praise, thanksgiving, and acknowledgment of His presence. It comes in practicing the presence of God.

We practice the presence of God when we acknowledge His presence in all of life—in the boardroom, the bedroom, and everywhere in between. It is a two-step, danced to the rhythm of God’s cadence, in the spin of the laundry and the sizzle of bacon in the pan. Practicing the presence of God is the constant awareness of His presence and the attentive acknowledgment of His workings. 

All of us feel closer to God at some times more than others. But it is just a feeling. The truth is, I feel closer to my husband at some times more than others. But that doesn’t mean I’m any less married at some times than others. I usually feel closer to him after we’ve enjoyed a fun time together, been especially intimate, or gone through a struggle in which we’ve locked arms and walked together. 

It’s not that much different in my relationship with God. I might feel closer to Him when we’ve had a good time together (as in worship), been especially intimate spiritually (as in a morning quiet time), or gone through a struggle in which we’ve locked arms and walked through the difficulty together (as in mourning the death of a loved one). 

But just because I feel closer to God in a particular moment doesn’t mean I am. A wife cannot have that giddy feeling about her spouse all the time. Likewise, we cannot have that giddy feeling about God all the time. 

We will always feel far from God when we ignore Him, live independently from Him, or rush about expecting Him to tag along. And while your humanness wavers between spiritual times of plenty and times of want, the feeling of nearness to God is always just a whisper away as you acknowledge His presence with you and in you. 

When have you felt especially close to God?