Practicing His Presence

It’s far too easy to become busy for God—serving, singing, teaching, preaching, and going to the mission field. None of these things are wrong; in fact, they’re all good. But they’re often a misguided attempt to create intimacy with God. Why would believers choose artificial closeness with the Lord when He wants to give His children the real thing? One reason is that being known by God requires intense vulnerability and the humility to receive His.…

How we arrange our days and spend our time is central to becoming the kind of king to whom God can entrust his creative power. It is this slow and steady exercise—or better said, consistent practicing over time—that produces the kind of king God intends us to become. What is the relationship between the kind of human Jesus was on earth and how he spent his time? We can draw from several foundational truths expressed through his life. We know he spent time in.…

Have you ever sensed the Holy Spirit prompting you to take a break from the holiday preparations and sit for a while in Jesus’ presence, only to brush it off and focus on the next task on your list? I know I have. We often push ourselves at breakneck speeds, waking early and staying up late, squeezing every daylight hour for all its worth. Then we’re so exhausted by our hustle, we can hardly savor the beauty of the season. And sometimes, this busyness is really…

There are many lessons for us to learn in the Christian life, and one of the hardest involves patience. When we have a problem, we want an immediate solution, but that’s not always God’s will for us. He wants us to trust Him and leave the timing in His hands. As you read today’s passage from Psalm 27, notice that David coupled the admonition to wait upon God with encouragement to be strong and courageous (Psalm 27:14). In our culture, people are quick to…

“Deck the halls with boughs of holly,” the well-known carol begins. And so we do. Some of us prepare for Christmas at the first hint of cold weather, while others postpone the inevitable as long as possible. But at some point we all get caught in a vortex of activity—most of it fun and festive but exhausting nonetheless, leaving our souls feeling both stuffed and empty. Often, it’s in the midst of this hubbub of holiday cheer that we quietly wonder, &ldquo…

Just after they escaped from Egypt, Moses encouraged the Israelites with those words. Perhaps he understood that our natural reaction in moments of uncertainty is to restlessly bounce between anxiety and despair. Feelings of uncertainty can result in the prefrontal cortex in your brain “shutting down”: impairing your ability to solve problems, pay attention, and stay flexible. This increases your chances of engaging in irrational behavior and makes you more…

Do you hurry through your prayer time so you can get to other things? If so, consider the values Jesus modeled when He spent time with His Father. Solitude. Though Jesus was constantly surrounded by people as He tended to their needs, His own need for seclusion was important. Often, after an intense period of ministry, He’d retreat from the crowds—and even His disciples—to pray in private. Safeguarded time. Jesus protected His time so He could rest in the,…

Walking with God leads to receiving his intimate counsel, and counseling leads to deep restoration. As we learn to walk with God and hear his voice, he is able to bring up issues in our hearts that need speaking to. Some of those wounds were enough to break our hearts, create a rift in the soul, and so we need his healing as well. This is something Jesus walks us into—sometimes through the help of another person who can listen and pray with us, sometimes with God.…

When you’re waiting on God, remember that you’re in good company. Millions of saints before you have sat in God’s waiting room. You’re not alone. In fact, if you’re in the waiting room right now — maybe you’re waiting on a job, on an answer, or on a prayer — there are a lot of other people around you who are in that same situation. Hebrews 11:2 says, “People who lived in the past became famous because of faith” )…