Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Or where can I flee from Your presence?  If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. Psalm 139:7-8 (NKJV)

We know God has an abiding presence that is everywhere at the same time. No matter where you are on this earth, He is there! You cannot hide from His presence. Ready or not He is always there. It is comforting to know He is always standing right beside us. At times He is unnoticed and unseen, but yet He stands behind the shadows ever so desiring to reveal Himself to His people in a personal way.

I was going through a really tough time once that really discouraged me. I was even questioning my calling. I felt the prophetic voice inside of me was being silenced. I knew the Devil was working over time to keep the message within my heart quiet. He did not want the people to hear the message of Intimacy. Satan knew if people really caught this message it would bring a powerful visitation of the Spirit of God. Satan would rather keep people in religious bondage. Every time I turned around I could feel the enemy weaving a plan to silence me. This made me exceedingly discouraged.

One day I was driving my vehicle down the road, I had to be somewhere promptly. I felt the Spirit of God stir inside of me. I knew He wanted to meet with me. I obeyed and parked my car near a park and got out to walk across the grounds. As soon as I sat by a tree and placed my hood over my face, His presence came so strong I could not compose myself, I became undone. I literally felt like the Lord had come to stand right beside me. I could not see him with my eyes, but I knew He was there standing to my right. Some may not believe, but nevertheless I know what I experienced. For sometime I could not move, His presence was there. I wept and wept and wanted more privacy so I went into my SUV and laid face forward on the back seat. His presence continued to be poured out to me. I knew He had come to let me know He was with me, He had a plan for my life, and His words in my heart would have a platform in His time. This encounter brought me through some tough days that were ahead of me.

Abiding Presence

This presence I'm speaking of is His manifest presence. It is when the Lord reveals Himself as a person with personality and feelings. To experience His manifest presence is to be quickened and renewed with a deep inner contentment that cannot be described only experienced. His presence that was intangible becomes tangible and weighty. It is when He reveals Himself in a very personal way.

His "abiding presence" is everywhere at the same time, but His "manifest presence" is when He reveals Himself. Did you know the Lord desires to meet with you in a personal way? He desires to hold you in His arms and ravish you with His love. You can sit together, not necessarily talking a lot, but just being together and sharing what you wouldn't want to share in public or with anybody else. His manifest presence will be made known to you if you hunger for more than just a casual relationship with Him.

She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying.  Luke 10:39

There is such a present need in our day for God to have a people that knows what it means to sit before Him.  Only a chosen few really practice this. In today's world we have many distractions to occupy us. God is looking for someone to rise up above the distractions.

If we really are going to sit before Him we must cherish solitude and silence. We have to be away from the people. We must push aside our schedules and come away.”

Jesus practiced withdrawing himself from the crowds and being alone with His Father. We too must discipline ourselves to withdraw from the public and sit in anticipation before Him. In the sitting we learn the ways of God, He speaks to us the very knowledge of who He is.

In the silence comes His sweet embrace, His glorious face, and His intimate communion.

The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning. Ps 25:14 (AMP)

I like the French translation even more:  And the intimate communion of the Lord is with them that fear Him.”

Friendship with God

Friendship with God is reserved for the obedient. We must fear Him and tremble at His word. As we sit before Him to revere and worship Him, we have the greatest gift given to man, Intimate communion with the Lord.  He shares His heart with us and we become His spokesman. Our heart is connected to His.

We cannot be His spokesmen, if we don't sit at His feet to listen. A friend shares with a friend that they do not share with everyone. They share secrets. The secrets of the Lord come to those who sit before Him. Why, because they took the time to listen? The spiritual hungry sit before Him daily hanging on every word he says. He speaks when we are alone with Him.

There has never been another prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.  Deut 34:10

The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. Exodus 33:11

Moses knew the Lord like few have. He knew how to withdraw and sit before him. Moses knew the ways of God.  He was a friend of God, a companion, an intimate of God. He leaves us the challenge to also know our God face to face. To walk toward the burning bush and cry out for more glory.”

Jesus cried out that they may know you. John 17:3

Do you really want to know your God? In the final analysis we must know Him. How can we be interpreters of Him to the world if we don't know Him and sit before Him? He has been waiting “all night” for us and He is still waiting, hoping, whispering, sighing-He wants to come in-He wants to be with us. What is our response? When He calls you what is your initial reaction? Are we sensitive enough to know His knock from every other knock? Can we hear the sound of the Lord found in His manifest presence? It is only through spending time with the Lord in personal, quiet solitude that anyone can be taught the “Distinction in the sounds, and know His ways.