Enter His Presence
Many have asked me, how do you enter the presence of Jesus? It’s the hot question asked more than any other. So, I’ll be sharing how I enter the presence of Jesus.
About fifty years ago, when I began my prayer time, it involved fundamental Bible reading followed by simple prayers. Then, as I slowly figured out the barriers standing between me and experiencing the presence of Jesus, I went after removing those obstacles. I developed consistent daily disciplines of whole-hearted worship, intense bible study, deeply felt prayer, and patiently waiting on Jesus. In other words, I learned not to ‘rush in and out’ of the secret place.
My disciplines also included being obedient to His will in my life. So, regardless of the personal cost, I learned to reply ‘yes’ when I know it’s the answer He wants and ‘no’ when it isn’t His will for my life. In hindsight, each act of obedience played a massive role in my spiritual growth and, ultimately, the close relationship I enjoy with Him now.
Mix It Up
Over the years, I experimented by mixing up my prayer times to see what worked best for me. However, I don’t believe my approach is the right fit for everyone. Consequently, I encourage you to launch out by pursuing Jesus with all your heart. Then, because we each are wonderfully unique, test the waters to see what works for you in encountering His presence.
So, the first thing for you to figure out, what is your goal? For me, I discovered my goal when I read Exodus 33:11 for the first time. It says, “The Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.” That’s what I want! To be a close face-to-face friend of Jesus. So, with my goal articulated, I went after developing a friendship with Him.
Many of us know true friendships require transparency with one another in building a lasting relationship. So during my prayer time, I began sharing my present joys and my past sorrows with Jesus. Heart to heart. Spirit to spirit. Then guess what happened. He began sharing His grief and delights with me! He’ll do the same with you.
Hungry for Relationship
One of the spiritual principles Jesus gave me for encountering His presence is: “Keep concepts at bay. These become barriers to experiencing My presence. I’m not a concept. A concept is relegated to your intellect. A relationship with Me emanates from your heart. Not from religion.” After this, I stopped looking at the rearview mirror containing the binding religious beliefs of my past and, now set free, stepped into His presence.
As I poured out my love for Jesus in worship, my love for Him was like a magnet drawing Him to me. How do I know this? Because Jesus told me. He said, “My heart hungers for more of you. You ask, ‘How can this be?’ I’ll tell you how. Your presence to Me is like My presence is for you. You hunger for My presence to manifest to you as I hunger for you to come be with Me.”
Love Note for You
Yesterday, I received a message from Jesus that He asked to be included in this post. It’s a love note from Him to you, the apple of His eye. Here it is:
“My Beloved, everything the world offers you falls short, leaving you unfulfilled and longing for more. So, pursue the only thing that will satisfy your heart. Enter the open door into My presence, where all is well. Nothing else satisfies.
I long for you just as you long for Me. I long to walk and talk with you. To see you smile when you recognize My presence is before you. I long for intimate conversations where we share our hearts face to face. No barriers. No fear. Only love emanating from a mutual desire to be transparent with each other. When you experience My presence, you won’t want to let Me go.
Come, I’m waiting for YOU with open arms.”
“In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”
Psalm 16:11 NASB