THE POWER OF GOD’S PRESENCE
Study Text: Exodus 33: 12 – 16
Introduction:
- There is nothing as magnificent or glorious as a child of God carrying the presence of God with them wherever they go.
- The secret of success, victory and unusual exploits that the anointed servants of God achieve in life, is in the fact that God’s presence is always with them.
- Do you want to overcome great problems? Do you want to fulfil your divine destiny? You need the power of His presence.
- When the presence of God envelopes you, people will say yes to you even when they intended to say no. It’s like an aura you carry about with you.
- Satan cannot give divine presence. It is more costly than gold. The people mourned when God’s presence left them. It is a calamity and a tragedy when a Christian does not carry the presence of God.
- God’s manifest presence is the key to your undeniable breakthrough without which it can never be possible. It is impossible to operate in the supernatural without divine presence.
- Having the presence of God with us is worth more than riches or fame or power. We can go anywhere when the presence of God is with us.
- A sleep is dangerous when the presence of God is absent. In the presence of God, there is fullness of joy but out of His presence, there is frustration, multiple demons, discouragement sorrow, fear, sickness, sin, suicide, distress, etc.
- The question I would like to ask us is this: Do we have the presence of God with us? Or have we lost His presence? More than anything else in your life, ensure that you have His presence with you always.
- Psalm 51:11: Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. This is a powerful prayer. We need to have the presence of the Lord in our lives; it is a wonderful experience. It is essential in our everyday life.
- We shall discuss the topic under three sub-headings:
1. The Conditions for God’s Presence
2. The Characteristics of God’s Presence
3. The Capacity of God’s Presence
1. The Conditions for God’s Presence
1. Holiness (Seeking after God and His righteousness): Isa 59:1
- The sacrifice of Jesus for our redemption is a complete work and there is nothing we can add or remove from it. However we need to continue to pursue or press forward for righteousness diligently to stay in His blessings. (Matt 6:33, 1Tim 6:11, 2tim2:22).
- Which means we are to stand upon the imputed righteousness and do righteousness (1Jn 2:29, 1Jn 3:7) I.e. to live by it.
- (1Jn 3:10) if you are not living in righteousness you are not His child and therefore cannot experience His presence
2. Praise Ps 22: 3, Ps 100: 1-4, Mal 2:1-3
- This is the trigger that turns on the manifest presence of God 2Chro 20:15-24
- Paul & Silas Act 16:25 also disgraced prison obstacle trough the weapon of praise.
3. Word presence (John 1:1, 1King 8:9- 11) Word soaked environment 1king 8:9
- God and His word are the same and cannot be separated, the more word filled your heart is the more of His glory that you reflect.
- That is why we need to diligently seek Him and study and meditate on the word of God.
- It is not just the quoting of the word but the dimension of revelation of the truth or Light that floods your heart and that you live by.
4. Sacrifice 1King 3:3 – 15
- Solomon triggered an undeniable presence of God leading to undeniable encounter with God and He gave him not only what he wanted but all he needed.
5. Love for God (honouring) 1King 3:3, Jn 14:23 – 24
- Everybody naturally wants to be where he is loved and honoured, as we love, honour and celebrate God, His presence is announced in our lives and situations in an undeniable way.
6. Obedience: Ps 40:6 – 11
- No matter the sacrifice you give and your prayers it will not make a difference if you live in rebellion and walk out of God’s will.
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us (1Jn 5:14 KJV)
- Remember God and His will or His word will never change, in order to enjoy His backing for anything we have to align with His plan and purpose first.
There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. Proverbs 19:21 (KJV)
7. Healthy Personal Fellowship
- Do not joke with your quiet time. You must plan to have a quiet time with the Lord daily and regularly, it is the time when you will pray meaningfully, study and memorise the word of God diligently.
- The Bible says that Daniel prayed three times a day. You too can. You can however choose the very early hours of the morning when everywhere is quiet. You must plan to follow. You should also decree the word of God throughout the day from time to time.
8. Healthy Congregational Fellowship
- Do not neglect the fellowship of the saints. Do not be the Christian who misses services.
- Do not be a Christian who only attend church services when there are special programmes. Have a consistent attendance of God’s fellowship.
2. The Characteristics of God’s Presence
1. God’s presence is everywhere
- God’s presence is everywhere, or God is present everywhere. Psalm 139:7 - 10
- God’s Word tells us in this verse that there is nowhere that we can go without God being present.
2. God’s presence is personal
- God from the beginning had time for a personal relationship with man.
- Genesis 3:8 talks of God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day. Although on that particular day, Adam and Eve had sinned. They would have spent times with God until they sinned.
- After their sin, they were removed from that Garden and the intimate fellowship. Sin broke off the sense of the personal presence of God.
- It does the same thing today. Isaiah 59:2, Psalm 66:18. How can we have a personal relationship with the presence of God when we have sinned against this holy God?
3. God’s Presence is Practical
- God’s presence is something that is to be practiced in our lives. God’s presence is beneficial and useful. God’s presence is something to be enjoyed.
- Practicing God’s presence is called “abiding”. John 15:4-5. Abiding is practiced when we trust God in all situations. Proverbs 3:5-6
John 15:7 - If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
- We are to let God’s Word abide in us. This includes memorization and meditation upon the Word of God. Psalm 119:97, Joshua 1:8
4. God’s Presence is Peaceful
- God’s Holy Spirit dwells in your life if you are saved. He produces “fruit” in your life. Part of that fruit is “peace”.
- And think of the peace that Jesus has promised in
John 14:27 - 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.
5. God’s Presence is Powerful
- How rich is God? He owns everything on earth. According to those riches, He wants to strengthen us in the inner man by his Spirit. Eph 3: 15 - 17
As a result, as we strengthened, Christ will dwell in our hearts. He’ll be at home there, He’ll rule there!
3. The Capacity of God’s Presence
- There is a great power that goes with the presence of God. This power has:
1. Capacity for Creation. Gen 1: 1 – 3
- At the creation of the world, the Spirit of God moves, and a word of authority that brings about a perfect creation was spoken.
- Whenever there is God’s presence, we can believe Him for creative miracles. Things that were not there can be put in place.
- Moses experience creative miracles by the presence of God:
i. The creation of a walking path in the sea.
ii. The creation of drinking water from the rock
iii. The creation of Manna from heaven.
2. Capacity for Restoration. Psalm 51: 12
- The presence of God has capacity to bring about divine restoration of all that the enemy has stolen, killed or destroyed.
- At the presence of God, we can believe Him for restorative miracles and blessings. There can be restoration of hope, health, wealth, peace and joy.
3. Capacity for Protection. Luke 10: 19 -20
- The presence of God with a man brings about divine protection around him against all kinds of evil and dangers in the physical and spiritual.
- We can engage the power of God’s presence for protection in every area of our lives, and this gives us lasting victory over the enemy. Isaiah 54:17
- When God opens the eyes of Elisha’s servant, he saw that there were angels protecting them from the attack of the enemy as his master has told him. When the presence of God is sustained in our lives, our divine protection from all evil at all times is guaranteed.
4. Capacity for Destruction. 1 John 3: 8
- The purpose of the manifestation of the son of God is to destroy the works of the devil.
- We are expected at all times to engage the power of God’s presence for the destruction of all satanic activities we can see or sense in any area of our lives.
5. Capacity for Impartation. Acts 2: 1 -2
- The power of God’s presence has capacity for divine impartation, where the people of God will be empowered for supernatural manifestations.
- Each time we gather in the presence of God is an opportunity to be imparted with more grace and power of His presence.
6. Capacity for Revelations. Deut. 29: 29
- The presence of God has capacity to bring about heavenly visions and revelations that will bring about effective performance in His Kingdom.
- There is also insight and understanding in the word of God and knowledge of His will.
- Joseph and Daniel had grace to understand and interpret dreams and revelations because of the presence of God in their lives.
