Finding God’s Presence in Our Lives
When I went to seminary to become a pastor, one of our very first assignments was to remember a time when God had been present and had helped us. Then we were to share it with each other. The exercise was to teach us how to recognize God’s presence in our lives, a need so many have.
It was a very useful assignment. Many times, people can go through something and it is not until they look back on it that they are able to say, “I think God was present and He helped me through that time.”
However, if we are blessed and learn how, we can begin to see the world with what I call “God glasses.” By that, I mean we get so that we don’t have to look backwards and then say, “Ah ha! Now I see that God was with me in that thing that happened last year!” No, with “God glasses,” that is, spiritual eyes that are helped or trained to see spiritually, we begin to realize right in the present moments that God is with us, speaking, helping, comforting, etc.”
You can learn to sense God’s presence
We don’t have to expect that it is only in looking backwards that we will see God’s hand. Growth can occur to where we sense His presence constantly. As a result, we can expect His goodness now and as we go forward. Being aware of God’s presence brings extraordinary healing and strength to our lives. There is a song, “Oh, The Glory of God’s Presence, that expresses this so well.
“But how?” Many very understandably ask. “How can I feel His presence? Better yet, how can I hear His voice?”
I get asked this question often by people in addiction recovery. They are understandably very eager, very concerned, to find out how to sense the presence of God. They want to hear His voice – because, if He can become absolutely real for them, perhaps they will never relapse again. That is their desperate hope and longing.
But it isn’t just addicts in recovery who hunger to sense the presence of God more. Most everyone does. So:
How Can We Recognize God’s Presence More Often?
1. Practice Gratitude as Often as You Can
When you make up your mind to see the blessings in your life, no matter how small, something will shift in your thinking and emotions. Instead of giving room to negativity, your gratitude will begin to let “the sunshine in.”
As you feel more peaceful, more content because you choose to see what you have versus what you don’t have, you then will be able to take the step of seeing God’s hand behind those blessings. You will know how to recognize God’s presence through gratitude. Remember, even the littlest of things – a cup of cold water, food, a good night’s sleep, a clean, available bathroom – in anything and everything, say thanks.
2. Give God the Credit
In the opening pages of my book, Jesus and the Addict, several people in recovery offered praises to God and spoke of how divine healing has been the route for them into sobriety. One young man, Marcus, wrote:
“It has taken six felonies, five trips to the Department of Corrections, the loss of my grandparents and my mother to cause me to start looking for God. [He was at the end of his rope and found God’s address!] And then, it only took me finding fifty cents while I was living in a homeless shelter to show me He loves me.”
There are those who would read about this man’s finding fifty cents and attributing it to God and say, “No, that was just coincidence.” And perhaps they are right. But this man was most likely so desperate and alone and without resources when he arrived at that shelter. Perhaps he was praying, “Oh God, help me,” or “Show me you’re real,” and then he found a few coins.
Finding two pennies everywhere
I used to find two pennies (two copper coins like from the biblical story of the widow having only two coins to give) in the oddest of places while I was doing ministry work. I would be standing by a counter or a table that was bare and then look and see two pennies suddenly. It was as if the Lord was saying, “Well done! I see what you are doing.” Coincidence? Maybe. But they would appear out of nowhere. Were they there and the Holy Spirit drew my attention to them? No matter how the appearance occurred, I had a deep and profound feeling of the love and affirmation of God each time. I sensed God so near and real.
I am simply saying we can retrain ourselves to say, “Oh, God, thank you that You sent that person to speak kindly to me. Or, thank You that the check showed up in the mail. Thank You that I rested well after praying. Thank You that the job opportunity happened for me and I was treated kindly by the interviewer.
When you begin to give God the credit for the blessings and say thanks for them, it’s amazing how increasingly real and near God becomes. And you start to “connect more dots.” You say, “I felt God leading.” “I felt God providing, etc.” This is an important step in learning how to recognize God’s presence.
3. Study Scripture for Stories of God Encountering People
In scripture, there are so many stories of people encountering God through His presence in scripture, in their dreams, through angelic encounters, through experiencing His power. There are stories of miracles, signs, and wonders. Countless stories of encounters. These stories will encourage you and cause you to reinterpret some of the things that happen in your own life. You will say more often, “I think it was God that did that!”
4. Study Scripture and See How It Relates to You
One of the things I do so often with people in recovery is teach them how to read scripture devotionally. There is a way to read it “as a scholar,” to study the context, the history, the original language, and so on, of the text.
But a place where many people have a big hole in their approach to the Bible is in hearing God speak to them through it. This is important so that they can find God’s presence in their lives.
A note of gratitude for revelation
I carry a note in my Bible from a young man that I met in recovery. He had told me that the Bible “left him cold,” and that he didn’t know how to get anything out of it.
I took him to a story from John and we read it together. We reflected about what it meant at the time of Jesus and John, but then I asked him, “Who are you in this story?” And I showed him how to see where his current situation and emotions connected to the Bible story. His eyes lit up and he was deeply moved. God was speaking to him through the Bible. He had discovered a beginning for himself in how to recognize God’s presence.
This is a little of what his note says:
“I found our talk last Friday deeply impactful and I have been reflecting on the advice you gave me all week. I have been reading John a few verses at a time and then stopping and thinking about how those miracles relate to my life.” He then said, “And I have been telling others.”
5. Recognize the Many Ways God Is Speaking to You
God can speak to us in so many ways, through His scriptures, through people, through preaching, through the worship service, in nature, through works of art, His thoughts joining our thoughts (when we have a really selfless, noble, kind idea), etc.
I remember one time taking a walk and feeling very melancholy. Some old, difficult memories surfaced, and I could feel the tenderness of the Lord as I walked and thought about this. My eyes landed on a word printed on a trash can, and I felt the Lord saying, “that word summarizes the actions of the person you are remembering, doesn’t it?”
Wrapped in a blanket of love
As I walked on in the sunshine, I felt wrapped in a blanket of love and understanding. I just felt “not alone.” I sat on a bench and a mother with a baby in a stroller and her dog jogged by. The dog left the path, and without missing a beat, ran close to me and gave me a “drive by” kiss on the hand. I suddenly began to laugh and the whole, heavy mood was broken.
I thought, “And yes, Lord, You can even speak to us through a dog.” I felt God’s presence so profoundly.
Again, some reading might think, “Oh, that’s silly.” Or, “dogs are like that.” Or, “just coincidence.” But I felt a communication from God all along that trail because I have allowed myself to think that way. And I have trained myself to think that way.
“Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” – Jesus (Matthew 18:3)
Some Scriptures About Recognizing God’s Presence
Jeremiah 29:13 NIV “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Psalm 145:18 NIV “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on Him in truth.”
Psalm 139: 17-18 NIV “How precious to me are your thoughts, God. How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand – when I awake, I am still with you.”
John 14:15-17 NIV ” If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate 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.”
May God bless you and be ever more real to you with every passing day! Amen.
Additional Resources:
Five Keys to Powerful Biblical Meditation
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Thank you.
? Thank you for your kindness! I am from Brazil.
Brazil is a beautiful country. I have been able to be there several times and would leave hearing worship songs in Portuguese in my mind which made me feel very close to the Lord.
Thank you for inspiring me to read God’s word again. It 5:19 am in New York
Thank you, I’d like more resource from you
Marie, I would be happy to help you. I will email and see what resources you are looking for. God bless you.
How do I stay in God’s presence what are some of the things I should do
Arthur, This is a wonderful question and I will give you some thoughts about staying in God’s presence. You may say, after you read them, “I already do this.” So, contact me if you need to go further in this conversation.
I think one of the things most needed to stay in God’s presence is to worship Him in humility. Be sure you have been honest with Him. Confess your sins. Confess your state of mind. Tell Him of your hunger for Him and just stay near Him by worshipping with songs that most move your heart. Worship Him by reading scripture and pondering it, asking Him questions in prayer. You know, so many people want to “feel” God or have a powerful experience, they forget how much it pleases Him if you read and meditate on His Word. Be sure to do that.
Be obedient, if you think you are hearing something from Him. If you think He is saying, “Call this friend, or give this offering for the poor,” – whatever it is – do it. Even if it’s hard. If you are sure it’s from the Lord, be quick to obey.
Forgive others! The presence of the Lord will dissipate quickly if you are holding on to any bitterness or resentment. Sometimes it’s so hard to release those things. I know! But, the Holy Spirit remains where He is not grieved.
Be grateful. If you experience something and tell yourself, “The Lord must have been in that good thing that just happened. Thank you, Father,” you are going to be more likely to feel Him with you.
Read all you can on the Holy Spirit from the Bible and from trusted teachers. Jennifer Eivaz wrote a good book about this called, Glory Carriers. Bill Johnson wrote a good book also called Hosting the Presence. See if you can find these or others to supplement your Bible reading. Put the Bible first. I think all these things may help you. God bless you.
I have also for along time been yearning to recognise the presence of thd Lord and I am so grateful for this article. Blessings. From Uganda
Allan, May you encounter the living Presence of Christ more and more and be so filled with His love. God bless you!
Thank you so much.I use to hear God clearly but I got carried away with the cares of this life and now I feel so dry.
I’m hoping and praying for restoration over my fellowship with God again.I want to go back to that place where I will hear him clearly and just love Him so much.
Rose, I know many people, including myself, go through these dry spells – often because of heartache and burden. We love a Lord who knew what it was to be tempted and suffer trials. He knows our way is hard many times, but He is waiting for you to turn to Him so He can help you back to where you were. If you have a moment, go to the podcast page here on the website. I did an episode called “How Do I Find Personal Revival with God after Spiritual Dryness?” The date of it is Feb. 15. 2022 to help you find it. God bless you so much.
Thank You so much for this, I am from Nigeria, this came to me when I needed God to bring me out of a bad mood, thanks alot
Blessing, I am so glad that you read this article when you needed it. I am so glad when God does that – brings people to soothing words that are on target for their needs. God bless you much.
I would like keep in touch with you Ma’am Pam Morrison and get deeper knowledge in the presence of God
Arnem, Please do stay in touch. Bookmark this website or join our email list. I would love to have you come back!
Thank you .
God shone through me.A man saw it.God profised thr me God took back what the devil wanted to stealGod changed a death threat forin him showing his wrath for me.
Haleluuuuuuuya 🔥🔥🔥🔥,it’s powerful,
I’m a university student at KIRINYAGA UNIVERSITY and I would like to study more on youth evangelitic ministry and I was requesting if you can offer me training on the same
Ojuang, I do not offer youth evangelistic training personally, but there are other organizations who specialize in this. Please research Christ for All Nations, CfaN. This is an organization based in the USA, however, they work around the world – especially in Africa. You may be able to become involved in their training. God bless you so much.
I am so with you with bible verses. I know that God is with me, but I’m struggling and shouldn’t be. I have a negative voice with God or my spiritual angel. I know this sounds bad, but while in combat in my head I heard holy, holy, holy, but because I was confused because of hearing more than one and the other was negative. I told it to stop. I believe my angel was speaking to me seph angels. Sorry I can’t spell its the angels with six wings. I have never been through anything like this. I have never heard an angel before. I’ve seen them. I hear the voice is in my head. I am not crazy. It’s been hard because I thought I was just hearing things. I was sick and the hospital and heard God I believe. I just didn’t recognize him again I said stop it god doesn’t talk to me that way. I’m so upset but I was sick and don’t deny him or betray him. I tell him I love him daily. I don’t want him to hate me. I’m confused about what is going on. I have so much confusion I pray it stops and that god makes it happen. It’s hard with a positive voice, but then there is a mean person. When will god make it stop and take control. Why if God is with me. Why am listening to such bad language and threats of violence. Help me understand. Holy, holy, holy is something I never seen or heard by scripture. Confused about why I can’t talk my family or look at pictures of them.
Melissa, you are hearing two voices in your mind? One that seems to be of God and the other a mean or negative voice? The opening words of 1 Corinthians 14:33 say, “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace…” You are right – God is not involved with the negative or mean things you are hearing. And God does not want you to be double-minded or feel disorder in your mind. You can take authority over these negative thoughts by telling them to be still in Jesus’ name, by stating, “I am a believer in Jesus Christ and only have ears for His voice. You might also seek some prayer and ministry from an experienced leader. Are you part of a church? Can you talk with someone about this struggle and ask for their prayer? You can have the peace of your mind restored.
Hekko
Hello! How are you Pam
Hello! How are you Pam
Hello! How are you Pam
Hello! How are you Pam? My name is Vanessa. I have been praying to God asking him to put his powerful hands on my knees because they hurt. Being in the hospital has made the osteoarthritis in my knee worse.I did physical therapy in while I was in the hospital.
I am also kind of weak. I want to Medical Rehab so I can do physical therapy. I have been praying asking please don’t let me fall etc. I have also prayed asking God please don’t let me go back to medical rehab.
Pam I would like for God to heal me. I’ sure God hear my prayers. I wish God would answer my prayers.
Vanessa, do you have access to the Bible? I would encourage you to keep reading all the stories of healings done by Jesus that you can. Keep reading them and praying, “Thank you, God, that all these healings are true, and available today. I can receive this too.” Pray believing that God is a good God, a good Father. Shut out doubts and negative thoughts. So often the Bible says, “Jesus healed ALL.” He also wants to heal Vanessa! And “by His stripes (the wounds He received), we are healed.” Healing was won for us on the cross. Keep these things in your mind and heart and pray. God will work through your doctors too.
Amen
Amen
The Alpha and the Omega.
A good article.
Sydney, Thanks so much for taking the time to read and may you encounter God so constantly and deeply and be blessed abundantly.
Thank you for sharing with us on how to recognise the presence of God Almighty.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting. Realizing God’s presence is what we all need so that we bloom and grow. God be with you!
Amen
Good morning God ??and children of the living God. I need God everyday of my life.
Amen, Janice. We cannot live without Him every minute of the day. God bless you!
Thank you.
Joyce, Thank you for reading and commenting. God bless you much!
Thank you for inspiring me to read God’s word again. It 5:19 am in New York
Monique, What wonderful words to read – that you feel inspired to read God’s word again. I pray you will read and you will hear Him speaking directly to your heart, that you will sense where He is leading you and how much He loves you. Thank you for taking the time to write me, Monique.
Thank you for the message above,iv learnt alot,kindly send more message on how to purse God and how to enter the holy of holies
Doris, Thank you for reading the article and commenting. I appreciate it. And, thank you for your suggestion on writing more about pursuing God and entering the Holy of Holies. I will work on doing that. I have been thinking of writing several articles on Holy Spirit and holiness as we enter the New Year. I will include your suggestion!
I am from Papua New Guinea.
Thank you so much Pam for this very inspiring and helpful article. I am so blessed and encouraged to read God’s word and to thank and give credit to God always.
Nicole, what a lovely thing to hear from you – all the way from Papua New Guinea. Thank you for your kind words. I am glad you felt blessed and so glad you stopped by to read.
Thankyou for this, I am so desperately seeking God’s presence. I am in early recovery again and I’m wanting this time to be different to the others and I truly believe that my ability to feel God’s presence that I am striving for will be the difference so I’m praying for Jesus to surround me and I know I need to count my blessings every day no matter what
David, counting your blessings is a sure path to sensing more of God’s presence. You begin to notice what you do have and give God the glory. That way, He becomes more real. I am so glad you are giving recovery another try and I will be praying for you to feel God’s presence and to do so well in your recovery. I am also going to write a little more by email. God bless you.
Hello,
I have never heard, seen, or felt anything from God. 42 years since I gave myself to God through Jesus. 42 years of nothing but silence, absence, and unanswered prayers. Your article makes it sound like God is just in our head. To me, presence means actually being there. Example; Mr. Teacher calls for attendance. He gets to Jack and there is no reply to his name being called. There is no reply because Jack isn’t there. Not present. Jacks presence is absent. I don’t believe that I can just imagine God and He appears. To be present in any situation means that the object or person must be either seen, heard, or felt. The truth is that someone/something must be noticeable to be present. God is not present in my life.
Thanks and God bless you, in Jesus holy name, Amen.
Kenneth, I am so sorry for your disappointment and inability to see, hear, and feel God in the 1000s of ways He makes Himself known – maybe first and foremost to us all, through scripture. Have you never felt your heart strangely warmed by something when you were pursuing God? Even being in nature. I don’t know how many times my heart rises up in praise when I walk through a field and see the animals, the wildflowers, and the wind blowing through prairie grass. Just that makes me feel His presence. So, no, God is not just in our head, not in mine, not in yours or else why would you close with God bless you, in Jesus’ holy name. What is the point, if He really doesn’t seem real to you. Try again, Kenneth. Look to the little things that warm your heart, say thanks for them, and see if God’s reality doesn’t grow stronger.
Hello Pam,
You wrote that God’s primary way to reveal His presence is through Scripture. Forgive me, I memory isn’t good enough for this whole chapter and verse thing. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit as a guide for us in His absence. The primary way is by highlighting, bringing to our attention verses of Scripture that relate to our lives. That it’s the Holy Spirit that brings God’s Word to life. I have not experienced this guidance from the Holy Spirit. The Bible is dead without this interaction. I only experience negative feelings when reading the Bible. That is because I read of everything that God promised but never does. That is extremely depressing, heartbreaking, soul crushing torture.
I can see God’s hand in His creation, but that isn’t actually His presence. I don’t get warm fuzzy feelings just being out in nature, or reading the Bible, or praising God, or worshipping, or praying, just misery. Like I wrote I have never seen, heard, or felt anything from God. God just isn’t here for me.
I close with “God bless you, in Jesus holy name, Amen” out of respect, admiration, and love for God and Jesus. I never wrote that God and Jesus don’t seem real. I just wrote that I have never experienced God’s actual presence. Presence requires interaction. God isn’t interactive.
God bless you, through the Holy Spirit, in Jesus holy name, Amen.
Kenneth, I am sorry that God feels distant or absent for you. However, I am wondering if you are as unable to sense His presence as you claim. My reason is because of your words, “I close with ‘God bless you, in Jesus holy name, Amen’ out of respect, admiration, and love for God and Jesus.” Why would you claim love for God and Jesus if you felt they had never come through for you in any way or been real to you in any way?
Nevertheless, to feel the absence of God is very painful. I am going to recommend to you a book I recommended to another woman who wrote me here on the website. If you can, get a copy of “Ruthless Trust” by Brennan Manning. It is a wonderful book, talking about our expectations of God and how to reverse our negative feelings towards Him. I think it would be very helpful for you.
Pam, thank you so much for sharing these inspiring truths! I’m on a journey to build my relationship back with God and it is a most rewarding and satisfying and peaceful journey! I now get up at 4 or 5 am to commune and thank God for my many blessings and for his generous Love, Grace and Mercy. At the top of my thank- you list is sending his son to earth to die for our sins. I’m disabled now and have RA and am in frequent pain but when I think about the pain Jesus went through, I feel ashamed.
Dennis,
God bless you also. I am so uplifted by hearing about your journey to greater closeness with God. I pray that 2 Thessalonians 1:11 would be true for you: “…we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.”
Do you perceive the presence of Jesus? How do you know it is Jesus and not just…you?
https://lutherwasnotbornagaincom.wordpress.com/2022/05/22/dear-evangelical-christian-apologist-do-you-perceive-the-presence-of-jesus/
Yes, I do perceive the presence of Jesus. Your question is a difficult one to answer in the sense that it is hard to pass on to someone else the direct and immediate witness of the Holy Spirit. When you begin to encounter the risen Jesus, you know when you are sensing thoughts from beyond yourself, love that is greater than any you’ve experienced in human contexts, wisdom from above, etc. I can enter a worship meeting and sense if it is just people being busy or the risen Lord being with us. It is a gift of God to sense this. But, it comes about from hunger and pressing in to find it as the most precious thing there is. But, it truly is a real thing and available.
Can you give a percentage of how certain you are that the presence you believe you perceive is the resurrected Jesus? 90%? 100%?
Gary, 100%. I believe and what comes out of the encountering of His presence is further confirmation. We enter the kingdom of God by being childlike. Many times our minds get in the way. And, satan comes with the “Are you sure you really heard that?” doubts. Let yourself really trust even the smallest indication of Jesus’ presence. Read the stories in the Bible about visitations from the Lord. Find books about people encountering the Lord in real and vivid ways. “The Manifest Presence of God” by Walter Beuttler is a great one. Don’t let your doubts keep you from the joy of knowing the Lord personally.
Thank you for the book suggestions. I’m so glad I “accidentally”🙂 found this page today.
Hi Carol, God bless you. Yes, the Holy Spirit leads us to places, books, articles – that we might never have found on our own. May you be blessed and transformed by all that He shows you! I’m so glad to connect with you.