Be still and soak in His presence. Imagine for a moment that you could spend a day with Papa God

Go ahead, soak in His presence. If it helps to put on a quiet worship CD, feel free to do that. You can find Him in so many ways. One of my favorite ways is sitting on my deck listening to the birds singing or the thunder and rain. You can find Him in the love letters (the Bible) that He wrote for you to read. You can see Him in the flowers that are blooming and in the creation all around you. You can see Him in the Body of Christ. But draw closer to His loving

How to Be Still and Soak in His Presence

1. Get alone with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Rest around the ark, like Samuel did. Take a "selah" pause from the hectic pace of this life. Rest. Wait. Repose. Reflect on the One who loves you more than you love yourself. Worship. Listen. Respond.

2. Get still before Him to commune with Him. (Read Psalm 46:10; 2 Samuel 7:18, Revelation 3:20; Habakkuk 2:20.)

3. Draw near to His heart. (Read James 4:8; Isaiah 55:1-3, 6; Psalm 42:1-2; Psalm 65:4; Psalm 73:28; Psalm 84:1-4, 10; Hebrews 10:22.)

4. Seek His face. Seek His face, not His intervention. Seek God for God's sake. When you seek Him, you will find Him. (Read Matthew 7:7-8; Psalm 27:4, 8; Psalm 63:1-8; Hebrews 11:6; Jeremiah 29:11-14.)

5. Just spend time in His presence. Become an "Exodus-33-aholic" like Moses. (Read Exodus 33:14-15; Psalm 16:11; Psalm 89:15; Isaiah 29:13; Isaiah 63:9; Lamentations 2:19; Jude 24-25.)

6. Keep your oil replenished. Keep your lamp trimmed and ready. Get to know God. Address Him by one of His many names. You can find over a hundred of them in His Word. Sometimes one of them will capture your heart. Stay with it a while, even for the rest of the day.

I remember one time when I landed on "Friend of Sinners," and the Holy Spirit just fastened it onto my heart and unfolded it to me. You can get to know God, and you can minister His presence to others, when you address Him by various names and learn to know Him through His Word. (See Matthew 11:29; Jeremiah 9:23-24; Philippians 3:8, 10.)

7. Count all things as loss in comparison to knowing Him—that's getting oil in your lamp. (Read Philippians 3:7-8; 1 Chronicles 21:23; 2 Samuel 24:24.) It's also a great trade!

8. Allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the amazing Person you are speaking with. You are talking with Him, not merely to Him; He is speaking back to you. The God of the universe likes to hear your voice. (Read Romans 5:5; Psalm 143:8, 10; Isaiah 54:10; Lamentations 3:22-25; John 17:23; Romans 8:35-39.)

Be still. Soak in His presence. He loves to spend time with you!

Prayer to Soak in His Presence

Father, I present myself before You in Jesus' great name. All I want is more of You. Let my words be pleasing to You. Awaken my soul and spirit to hear Your voice.

I love you, and I want to love you more. I want to be like young Samuel and learn to rest around the ark. I want to soak in Your presence. Draw me close to You. Let me hear Your heartbeat. Pull my deepest heartstrings. I want to know Your voice and mirror Your ways. I choose Your ways over mine. Give me oil in my lamp, and grace me to be a wise attendant in these days. I come to You with expectancy and joy. Amen