​My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.
[Exodus 33:14]

QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK…

What has experiencing the presence of God to do with rest?
How can I develop an intimate relationship with God?

​HAVE YOU GOT A QUESTION?​

MY QUESTION

MAN'S ORIGINAL DESTINY

We read in Genesis that God created the earth in six days, and on the seventh He rested. Man’s first day was a day of rest. Not only was it a rest in the provision of God (see Genesis 1-2)—we can imagine Adam and Eve spending that first day exploring the Garden, and revelling in all they found—but it was a rest in the manifest presence of God too. There is beautiful snap-shot in the account of the Lord God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day, and looking for Adam and Eve to fellowship with them. Sadly, because of their rebellion, sin entered Paradise, and they could no longer walk freely with the Lord. Their intimate relationship with God was broken, and rest was forfeited.

We hear the tragic cry of their son Cain, after he murdered his brother:

Today You are driving me from the land,
and I will be hidden from Your presence;
I will be a restless wanderer on the earth,
​and whoever finds me will kill me.
[Genesis 4:14]

GOD’S PLAN OF REDEMPTION

In these circumstances we find the starting point for the human malaise: restlessness, fear, toil, stress and anxiety.

The Lord however, in His foreknowledge, already had a plan of redemption. He was unwavering in His intent to have a people whom He could live amongst [Leviticus 26:11]. He chose the nation of Israel as His own, and manifested His presence among them in a pillar of cloud by day, and fire by night; in the tabernacle which was pitched in the middle of the camp, and specifically over the Ark of the Covenant which was carried before them into battle, and on their journeying. Later, we read that the glory of the Lord, which is one expression of the manifest presence of God, filled the magnificent temple which was built to house the Ark. And in the golden age of Solomon which followed, the Lord gave them rest from their enemies [1 Chronicles 22:9].

​This rest however, was largely the external rest of peace and prosperity. The internal condition was a different matter. For the majority of Israelites, the prospect of meeting God was a thing of terror, and the glory of the Lord was something to be marvelled at from a safe distance. There were only a handful of people who had any sort of intimate relationship with God, and knew the benefits of the pursuit of His presence in their personal lives.

JESUS - THE MANIFEST PRESENCE

​
​Into this context came Jesus—God Himself made manifest. He literally ‘tabernacled’ among us [John 1:14; the Greek ‘skene’ (dwelt) means ‘to pitch a tent, to tabernacle’]. And the manifest presence of God became available to everyone who came into contact with Him—rich and poor, young and old, healthy and sick.
​

'Come to Me', Jesus said,
​'all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.'
[Matthew 11:28]
​

​And those who responded to Him received healing, deliverance, peace, forgiveness, love and acceptance. They received rest.

Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in Thee.
[Augustine 397 AD]

Jesus died so that the separation between the holy God and sinful man could be bridged, so that the Holy Spirit, who is God Himself, could come and invade every life which gives Him welcome. The presence of God is available to everyone who comes to Him through the open door created by the death and resurrection of Jesus.

We are to live with the awareness of the presence of God in us and around us.

God's presence is, for us, coming ‘home’, it’s where we were always meant to be.
​
To experience God's presence in our lives, we have to enter into a relationship with Him. Learn more by visiting the page A BRAND-NEW LIFE.

THE HOLY SPIRIT: GOD'S PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES

​When it was time for Jesus to return to the Father, He made His disciples a promise:

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate, (helper, comforter)
to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.
The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him.
But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
[John 14:17-18]​

RECOGNISING HIS PRESENCE

​​Science teaches us that there are radio signals constantly flowing around us, however we only hear the sounds those signals are making if we have a radio switched on, and tune in to the frequency correctly.
​
This is a physical picture of a spiritual truth: the earth is filled with the presence of God—but if we have accepted His invitation to come into relationship with Him, He actually chooses to take up residence in us. By our faith in the Lord Jesus, we have been ‘switched on’ to God; but then we need to learn to ‘tune in’ to His presence—and this takes practice.

TRY THESE STEPS:

1. Give thanks throughout the day for the truth of His presence with you: 
 
Lord, thank You that according to Your Word, You are filling this room (or wherever you are) with Your presence. Thank you that through the Holy Spirit you also fill me with Yourself. Thank you for Your promise that You will never leave me or forsake me.​

2. Then take time at intervals during the day to really focus: Get very quiet inside, and turn your ‘heart of affection’ towards the Lord. 

Ask Him to help you experience His presence.

​Wait quietly, keeping the ‘gaze of your heart’ on Him—and listen. Write down, or speak out the thoughts and impressions which come to mind.

​Finish by thanking Him for all He has done for you.

In the same way that our physical bodies react to external stimuli—heat, light or water, for example, people often report experiencing specific sensations when the Lord has ‘come present’ in a special way. Some sensations which have been described to me include a feeling of deep internal silence or peace, shaking or trembling in the body, spontaneous laughter, tears welling up, a frisson of inner excitement, an intense emotional reaction to beauty, and feelings of joy, or of being loved.

Everyone is different and you will react to the presence of God in your own unique way. It is really important that you value your own manner of response rather than comparing yourself with others.
​
Don’t worry if you don’t feel anything at first—sometimes it takes time for our souls (where our emotions live) to catch up with the truth which has taken hold in our spirits; and it also takes time to recognise our own particular response. 

*RHYTHMS OF GRACE:

RECEIVE His wonderful provision
First, we need to ‘switch on to God’ in order to experience His presence. Find out how, by visiting the A BRAND NEW LIFE, and THE HOLY SPIRIT AND YOU pages.
 
Then take the steps outlined above to learn to recognise the Lord’s presence.
 
GIVE FREELY because you are blessed:
As children of God, we are also to carry His Presence in us not just for our own benefit, but for the world around us. We can ask the Holy Spirit to fill us daily, and then cause His ‘rivers of life’ to flow out of us to touch everyone we meet. [John 7:38]
                                        
*For more information on how the term ‘rhythms of grace’ is used on this website, please see the INTRODUCTION TO RHYTHMS OF GRACE: A JOURNEY INTO REST AND PEACE.

FACING FEAR IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD: PSALM 91

Click on the picture

Is your present situation stressing you out? Are you afraid of the future? Continue to the next page in this section to read the psalm which describes the power of experiencing God’s presence and protection…

BUILDING A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

To know God's presence, we have to enter into a relationship with Him. 
​

Click on the picture

RESOURCES

Download this PDF and declare these truths about experiencing God’s presence daily:

​​OTHER RESOURCES: Please see the 'Note on Resources' below, right.

The spiritual classic:
​'The Practice of the Presence of God', by Brother Lawrence.

I also love these beautiful tracks by Brian Longridge, for just relaxing, and being in the Lord's presence. Available for mp3 download from Amazon** by clicking below:

Brian and his wife are missionaries and psalmists in the Philippines, who work with prisoners, and people who have leprosy, as well as churches, for a revelation of intimacy with God.

This track is from his You Tube Channel:

We are to live with the awareness of the presence of God in us and around us.
God's presence is, for us, coming ‘home’, it’s where we were always meant to be.

www.rhythmsofgraceuk.org/experiencing-gods-presence
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RHYTHMS OF GRACE: A JOURNEY INTO REST

[Photo credits:  Jan Kaluza (garden);  Noah Buscher (helping hand);  Paul Zoetemeijer (stained glass); 
​Joshua Earle (man in mountains); Jackson David (two hands) @ Unsplash, with thanks]