Practicing His Presence

I am a nature lover. I feel so much closer to God when I enjoy what he created, especially animals and birds. Birds of prey are my favorite. From the Peregrine falcon that inspired the B2 bomber, flying at speeds of 69 miles per hour chasing prey (and often straight down from the top of a high tower); to the Great Horned Owl who can catch a mouse under a foot of snow in total darkness; to the Osprey, aka fish-hawk, who soars over the ocean, lakes and even rivers worldwide…

In Psalm 139, David marvels at the closeness of God – that there’s nowhere he can go to be outside the Lord’s presence. Have you ever felt this way about God’s presence? When I was in elementary school, probably 1st or 2nd grade, I recall standing in a field near our playground – gazing into a blue sky filled with white billowing clouds – imagining the God of the universe was up there somewhere watching my every move. I created an image…

As I walked along the Atlantic surf on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, my question was simple. What do you got for me Lord? I’ve done this on many occasions and eagerly expected an answer. He did not disappoint. If you think committing your life to following Christ is easy and mostly without angst, you’d be wrong. So many questions are left unanswered. Or so it seems. This was a question that I desperately needed to have Jesus answer. In 2019 God asked me to…

When I was a child, I would often have visions and dreams and at times, believe I could hear God's voice inside of me directing my path. But as I grew older, I fell prisoner to the belief that God no longer speaks to us directly unless we are possessed or mentally ill. And so, I denied my experience for years. In my early 30s, I became dissatisfied with serving such a distant God when the bible was full of instances of God walking and talking with his people. So, I…

There are times when I’m thoroughly convinced that I’ve heard clearly from God. Without mistake. It’s as if he shouted in my ear exactly what fork in the road to take. Like when he handed Moses the tablets of stone and wrote on them himself. There are other times when I barely hear a whisper but know it’s his still small voice. And then… I’m not sure if I hear, but think I do, yet it’s more like silence. I proceed convincing myself it&rsquo…

“A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing. Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing” - Martin Luther, ca. 1527 One of the primary purposes of the holy scriptures is to reveal the nature and character of God. He is frequently described throughout the Bible as being a place of refuge for his people – A place of safety, a place of comfort, a place of hiding. Martin Luther penned the famous hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God;…

I’ve been enlightened on the subject of conversational intimacy with God over the last several years. Growing up in a conservative protestant church I was not exposed to the category of hearing from God, except perhaps in my own innocent imagination. I did believe we heard from God in the obvious place, His Word. That’s a no-brainer for anyone who professes a faith in Christ. I learned over the years that He spoke to me through other people and through.…

Let’s go through a time of hearing from God in a step-by-step way. This process is called meditation or, as I like to call it, sitting before the Lord.There are five basic steps in this process:1. Setting Aside Time — Meditation requires a commitment of time. I encourage you to think of this as a season of time. The exact length of time will be determined by your purpose and your state of being as you come before the Lord. Your goal is to have a mind committed…

What you hear from God is determined in part by the attitude you carry into any conversation with Him. Our mind-set toward a conversation with God is affected by these things: Our Prior Relationship With God — Each of us has a history with God that began even before birth (Jeremiah 1:5). He ordained us to be on earth, and He has a plan and purpose for us, even though we may not have recognized them. However, until a person has received Jesus Christ as his personal…