Pursuing the Heart of God – Day 42
I am with You
Lord, I hear and know in my mind that You are with me. I read Your promises in Your Word. I can repeat these verses in my head, however, sometimes, it just doesn’t seem real. My heart does not always feel alive with Your presence. Lord, help me to know how to feel the joy of Your presence at all times. I will say the prayer of David from Psalm 51:10-12, 10Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.” Lord, renew a right spirit within me. Please give me a fresh filling of Your Spirit today.
A Message from God’s Heart to Yours:
My beloved one, I will say it again for you: I am alive and I live in you. You may not always feel My presence, but I am here with you at all times. Listen to My voice; know and feel the joy of My presence. Seek Me first; spend time with Me in the morning. I will give you a good start to your day. You may hear a word of encouragement from Me, or an instruction, a blessing, or a command I want you carry out. Let’s connect daily; I wait patiently for you to seek Me, because I love you. Blessed are you when you acclaim Me, when you walk in the light of My presence. Rejoice in My name all day long (Psalm 89:15-16). Speak to Me throughout your day.
You are never alone when you are walking in relationship with Jesus. He is the great Shepherd of the sheep (Hebrews 13:20). He will leave the ninety-nine in the open field in search of the one lost sheep (Luke 15:4-7). And when He finds it, He joyfully places it on His shoulders and brings it home. Feeling lost? Stop your wandering, little sheep. Jesus, your shepherd, knows exactly where you are. His sheep hear His voice, “Come home, little lamb. Come home.” Listen and obey. Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you (James 4:8). Remain in Me, and I will remain in you (John 15:4). Love Me by obeying Me, and we will make our home with you (John 14:23).
Of course, when you sin, we must deal with it as quickly as possible. When convicted by the Holy Spirit, confess your sin and turn from it. Disobedience stands in the way of close relationship with Me. I do not remain anywhere close to sin, so it separates you from Me. Quickly get rid of any roadblock that stands in the way of a close relationship with Me. “Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me” (Revelation 3:19-20). Feast on My words; enjoy My presence. Let us break bread together. I am nourishment for your soul. I bring refreshment to your days and life to your spirit. I am with you always (Matthew 28:20). Bear witness to My goodness; share the message of My love and salvation.
Prayer:
Dear Father in Heaven, the secret to feeling Your presence is spending time in two-way conversation with You. I must know You to feel You with me. I can know You by spending time in Your Word and speaking with You in prayer. Lord, You promise that “I will seek You and find You when I seek You with all my heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Lord, I will seek You while you may be found; I will call on You while You are near (Isaiah 55:6). Lord, hear my cries and answer me. Share Your heart with me now, O Lord, as we sit together in the secret place. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Two-way Conversation with God:
- Father God, it amazes me that You desire a close relationship with me. Will you describe what that looks like to You? (Record every word and thought He gives you now.)
- Jesus, my Friend, will you share Your heart with me now. You are Immanuel, God with us. How do I feel Your presence? What shall I do? (Write His thoughts that pop into your head.)
- Holy Spirit, I am drawing near to You now. Will you draw near to Me? Please convict me of anything that stands in the way of my relationship with God. (List any sins or shortcoming that the Holy Spirit reveals to you now. Confess your sin and ask the Lord’s forgiveness.
Review God’s thoughts and impressions you’ve sensed and written above. What Scripture comes to mind as you review your notes? Use the concordance of your Bible to look up an impression from God’s Word. Record the verse or passage here. Write all insights and encouragement the Holy Spirit illumines for you as you read God’s Word right now.
Prayer:
Lord God Almighty, thank You for the work of Your Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross who provided me the way back to You. Thank You that I, myself, may personally approach You any time. I am grateful that You want to enjoy a relationship with me, Your child. I do not deserve any amount of time You give Me, and yet, You are generous to remain with me always. Thank You for sharing Your heart, what it means to be in relationship with You, and for Your forgiveness when I fall short. Lord, I love spending time with You. Please help me to make it a regular practice, in good times and bad, every day, all day. In the name of Jesus, my Savior, I pray. Amen.
Supporting Scripture:
Exodus 3:11-12, 11But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12And God said, “I will be with you, and this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
Joshua 1:5,9, 5“No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you…9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Judges 6:12, When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
Psalm 16:11, You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
Psalm 21:6, Surely You have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of Your presence.
Psalm 23:4, Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 41:12, Because of my integrity You uphold me and set me in Your presence forever.
Psalm 51:10-12, 10Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing sprit to sustain me.”
Psalm 89:15-16, 15Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, Lord. 16They rejoice in Your name all day long; they celebrate Your righteousness.
Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 55:6, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.”
Jeremiah 1:4-9, 4The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” 6“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” 7But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. 9Then the Lord reached out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put My words in your mouth.”
Jeremiah 1:19, They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 29:11-13, 11“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”
Zephaniah 3:17, The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.
Matthew 1:23, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Luke 15:4-7, 4“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. 6Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep,’ 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
John 14:23, Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”
John 15:4-5, 4“Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you; you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Acts 2:28, ‘You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence.’ (see also Psalm 16:11)
1 Thessalonians 3:9, How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?
Hebrews 13:5-6, 5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
Hebrews 13:20-21, 20Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21equip you with everything goof for doing His will, and my He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
James 4:8, Come near to God and He will come near to you.
Revelation 3:19-20, 19“Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me.”
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