The Presence of God

The presence of God is constant. It is the instilment of confidence, the peace within a storm, the direction through chaos, the love that moves us, and the joy that lifts us. The presence of God is a tangible reality that connects Heaven and earth. However, so often we walk through life blind to His presence. In Christian culture, we love to talk about the presence of God. We dote on the how much God “moved” in a specific service, and how “God really showed up,” but what if we were to live our lives with the same awareness possessed in those moments?

As I reflect on the moments where God “moved” the most in my life, it’s in the times where I was listening to and seeking Him. It’s in the moments where I set aside my personal agenda, let go of what I considered realistic or possible, and simply sought God with an openness in my spirit. One of the most powerful moments I ever experienced was after school with the small Christian club we had called Converge. Thinking I was going to attend a typical meeting with a brief discussion and lesson, I soon found out that we were instead going to be traveling around Macomb to different locations to pray for people. Admittedly, I heard this and basically wanted to make a run for it. The introvert in me found that idea to be not only terrifying, but extremely awkward. When we were told to take a few minutes and ask God to give us direction regarding this evangelistic opportunity, I hoped to come up with an escape plan, and I prayed to God about my concerns. Praying for people I’ve never met around the city was not an exercise for an introvert like me. It didn’t seem realistic for me to partake in this excursion, and it certainly didn’t meet my expectation of what I considered to be a “cookie cutter Christian life.” As I battled through this, I felt God was reminding me of what it is to be a Christian. So much of the Bible revolves around people going outside their comfort zone and trusting in the presence of God. As my heart and mind began to open, I prayed, “God do what you want in and through me. Give me direction and strength, because I really don’t think I can do this.”

Soon enough, our prayer time before heading out to reach our city came to a close. We joined together to head out in the direction we felt the Lord leading us, and in that moment, God placed the name of a woman on my heart that we would meet that evening. Although I was terrified, I told the group about this woman I believed we would have the privilege to pray for. About an hour in, after we had some powerful times of prayer with many different people, I was still waiting to meet the woman about whom God had spoken to me. It wasn’t until we stumbled into a small shoe store that we found Helen. Helen…the woman God spoke to me about.

It wasn’t a moment of grandiose or God sweeping through the shoe store with a mighty wind. It was a still, real, tangible presence. God was there through it all-- I simply needed to trust Him. I needed to notice Him. I needed to follow Him.

I challenge you this week to seek God’s presence. Don’t just pray when you’re at church. Don’t limit God’s power to when you are amongst a congregation. Know that God can speak to you, use you, and dwell in you anywhere---even in a little shoe store.

Written by: Tamara Sturdivant

Edited by: Jenelle Kelly