WEEK 1
DAY 1: Develop A Habit Of Thinking About God, Talking Directly To Him And Sense That He Is Right There With You.
Ezekiel 36:27 – I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
God’s message to you:
I have put My Spirit, My very presence within you. I’m right inside your body, which means My Word is living inside you. When you abide in Me by practicing My presence, you will want to follow My requirements and desires. You might discover that you would rather follow My ways, because you are flowing with Me. My Spirit is releasing My Word into your life to form it according to My plan.
In just a short time, you will become aware that Jesus Christ is walking with you just as He said He would. You can actually feed and nourish your soul as you practice walking with Him and depending on Him in everything you do. Stretch your faith and learn to live by what you believe instead of what simply feels comfortable.
1. Establish yourself in sensing God’s presence by continually talking with Him.
Example: “Lord, I’m not exactly sure what to say, but I am imagining that You are right here beside me as I go about my daily duties.”
2. Feed and nourish your soul with adoring thoughts of God, which will yield you great joy in your devotion to Him.
Example: “Lord, I adore You. I devote myself to You and Your ways because they are good.”
3. Revitalize your faith by doing what you believe to be true based on what the Bible says and not by outward circumstances. Avoid petty distractions that change all the time.
Example: “Lord, I’m acting on Your Word. I’m doing what Your Word says to do even though the outward circumstances tell me differently. I’m learning to trust You and Your Word in spite of how I feel about it today.”
4. The way of faith (acting on Scripture instead of what you see) is the Spirit of the Church that will develop you into an excellent Christian.
Example: “Lord, please help me in this way of faith that Your children have walked in for thousands of years. I’m so used to going by what feels comfortable and this is stretching me. I choose to trust You in this as I learn to abide in You every moment I remember to spend with You.”
5. Yield yourself to God in all things, and satisfy yourself only in fulfilling His will whether He leads you by suffering or by comfort, for if you are truly abandoned in Him, all will be equal.
Example: “Lord, I yield myself to You in what I am doing right now. I only want to do Your will in every situation of my life. Lord, I will walk with You and hold on to You no matter what, even if I am in the middle of suffering – I want You and need You to see me through.”
Encouragement:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20)
God’s message to you:
I stand at the door of My church and knock for them to let Me in. Since you are part of My church, this includes you; I am knocking at the door of your heart. I want to come in and commune with you and allow you to bond with Me.
It is not as important to say the right things in prayer, as it is to say something, to keep your dialogue with God going by expressing your heart and thoughts to Him continually and letting His presence envelop you.
Front Flap (150 words)
Whether you are a new Christian or a seasoned Christian, Practicing God’s Presence: A 30 Day Adventure provides you how to develop a new intimacy with God and transform your relationship with Him. Specific how-to skills empower you to walk with Him in a new dimension of intimacy and power through your daily routine. This book will take you by the hand and show you by example how to do it. It describes:
• how to prepare yourself to think in order to open yourself up to God
• what attitudes to develop that will bring you closer to God
• how to get back to God when you find yourself off track
• how to approach your daily tasks in a way that brings life and vitality instead of dread or boredom
• how to develop the good habit of walking and talking with God