Capturing His Presence
Capturing His Presence Through Truth and My Unworthy Rants
By Mark Seay
www.LighthousePrayerLine.org
"And she named the child Ichabod, saying, 'The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.' And she said, 'the glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken' " (1 Samuel 4:21-22 KJV).
This was a sad day for the nation of Israel. The ark represented the presence of God in their midst. It was the focal point of His being with them in authority, government, power and glory. Unfortunately, because of the sins of the priest of that time, the ark had been captured from the Israelites and given into the hands of their enemies. The glory of God had departed because the sacrifice of the Lord had been held in contempt. The best was kept for themselves and not for the Lord God Almighty (Himself). Sin was practiced in the sight of God and in His temple; this grieved the heart of God. Could it be that this is happening today in some of our America's churches?
The churches in most areas of our nation placate the unbeliever to make them feel welcome and accepted into their congregations. Meetings are structured to look more like the world so as to attract the world; to most, God is no longer attractive. The only problem with being a "seeker-sensitive" church is that it nullifies the power and truth of the Gospel. In essence, the church becomes nothing more than a powerless and spiritually-dead life. Because this message has been watered-down, it is void of the true life of Jesus Christ (what He stands for & died for...). The glory of God (His presence) is a rare phenomenon to encounter. It is one thing to compromise our methods to win souls, but it is another to compromise the message to get large crowds.
Paul teaches that we should become all things, to all men, in order that we might win some to Christ: "When I am with those whose consciences bother them easily, I don’t act as though I know it all and don’t say they are foolish; the result is that they are willing to let me help them. Yes, whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so that he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him. I do this to get the Gospel to them and also for the blessing I myself receive when I see them come to Christ" (1 Corinthians 9:22-23 TLB). Paul was willing to change the way he presented himself (his approach), in order to have the opportunity to share the Gospel. We, too, should attempt every method possible to be creative in presenting the Gospel to the world. We can clearly see that through the letters Paul had written, he never compromised the Word of God. He preached and taught the unabridged counsel of God's Word. And too, when he ministered, he did so with a demonstration of God's power; he introduced them to the God of Heaven.
"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" (1 Corinthians 2:4).
"For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake" (1Thessalonians 1:5).
The Bible warns us that in the last days many will turn from sound doctrine. "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:13-16 KJV).
The power and presence of God (full counsel of His Word) is life changing, convicting and transforming. His presence will stir up a great hunger to live for Him and Him alone. We all have struggles in our lives; no one is perfect except Jesus Himself. He died to make us the righteousness of God. But, is there an atmosphere of His presence created that causes a relentless desire for change towards this righteousness in God.? Do we produce trees that are both good and bad? ...streams that are both dirty and clean? Is money the true treasure of the church? It seems to be the most popular and most preached message that can be heard in today's sermons.
Jesus has told us that wherever our treasures are - our hearts will be there also (Luke 12:34). God wants His people blessed in every area of their life, and that includes finances. Funds are needed so that the kingdom of God may be blessed and advance the work He has called us all to do. "Yes, God will give you much so that you can give away much, and when we take your gifts to those who need them they will break out into thanksgiving and praise to God for your help. So two good things happen as a result of your gifts—those in need are helped, and they overflow with thanks to God. Those you help will be glad not only because of your generous gifts to themselves and to others, but they will praise God for this proof that your deeds are as good as your doctrine. And they will pray for you with deep fervor and feeling because of the wonderful grace of God shown through you" (2 Corinthians 9:11-14 TLB).
It seems though, the teaching of finances has become strictly for our own luxuries and comforts. Although not dared to be spoken, money has taken precedence over souls. Programs are more important than His presence. We can pick and choose which parts of the bible we wish to embrace in this life. I'm not quite sure what these luxurious church buildings have to do with faith (exactly)? However, it seems to be the most contagious where it is most religious, geographically speaking. Many of these structures are gigantic! Most require a small fortune to build! It makes me think about all the hungry people that could've been fed.
When you stand in the Holiness of God, do you think of sinful acts and long to get back to them? Or do you run to Him and cry for forgiveness and mercy? Indeed, His presence creates an atmosphere of change! The Holy Spirit knows just what is needed in our lives more than we could ever imagine, yet He is not welcome or invited to most meetings (Romans 8:26). What have we become? Where is the lamp of the Lord? Where is the Spirit that searches the heart of man and brings true repentance in the gatherings under His name? It is not that we are no longer His! We have just lost our way. We have let the world creep in and dictate what we have become. The beautiful thing about our Lord Jesus Christ is that all that is required of us is to look to Him and ask Him to come into our lives. He will always forgive us for the distractions we have allowed into our lives. And then, times of refreshing will come from the Lord (Acts 3:19).
Here's a few verses that share how we may obtain better access to His presence and power:
1) "A lamp from the LORD is the breath of man; it searches through all his inmost being" (Proverbs 20: 27);
2) "Let us search and examine our ways that we may return to the LORD! Let us reach out our hearts toward God in heaven!" (Lamentations 3:40-41);
3) "Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer" (Psalms 19:12-14);
4) "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalms 139:23-24); and ...
5) "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise" (Psalms 51:17).
One may ask, “What am I supposed to see when I think about God?” The answer is "nothing." On one hand, it is impossible to see the Creator; on the other hand, everything that exists is a manifestation of Him. However, we should focus on the simple fact that His presence is here, now. For instance, when you meet someone you love and haven't seen for a long time, you rush to embrace him or her. You close your eyes and take time to enjoy being with the person. You don't need to look at them at that moment. You just want to savor the warmth of their presence! The same goes with our Father, except sensations like feelings can be misleading, and often disastrous. One's faith must be grounded in His Word.
What if an airline pilot ignored the plane's instruments, and instead decided to fly just by his gut feeling? You see, we must rely on objective measures just like the Truth of His Word.
Let me explain. The Bible affirms that a prophet can speak in the name of God and his prophecies be supernaturally accurate and yet if his message does not align with Scripture, it is merely a test that must be utterly rejected (Deuteronomy 13:1-4). If the great apostle Paul, who worked miracles in name of Christ, proclaimed a gospel different to that recorded in Scripture, his words must be rejected. The same, he insisted, applied to a message from an angel (Galatians 1:8). Even the most anti-God force in all creation can appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
The Deceiver could possibly give you a false spiritual experience, but he cannot change the Bible. ‘Heaven and earth will pass away,’ said Jesus, ‘but my word will never pass away’ (Matthew 24:35). In other words, we don't have to create His image in our minds; we can focus simply on the fact that He is presently here!
It’s no use thinking, "If God gave me some sort of sign or feeling it would strengthen my faith." You would be hoping to put your faith in the memory of the sign or feeling, rather than in the integrity of God. You are indicating that you regard what you see and feel as being more dependable than Almighty God.
We need reliable evidence of our salvation. Without it, we can begin to doubt. And when we begin to doubt is when we become most vulnerable to the devil. The importance of this confidence, this assurance of salvation, is shown in a piece of the armor of God - the Helmet of Salvation (Ephesians 6:17). In battle, the helmet allows one to have confidence to boldly stand and fight. Assurance of our salvation eliminates all doubt and gives us the ability to stand for the truth, defend our faith and resist Satan's attacks. We need this confidence.
The Bible tells us that we can be assured of our salvation. “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God”(I John 5:13). God wants us to know that we are saved, not think we are or wonder if we are. We can know it! But the real question is, “How?” How can we have this assurance? How can we know that we are saved? What is our evidence of pardon? Is it our feelings?
Some people say that they feel they are saved. They had an emotional experience, a strong feeling came over them, and that’s when they knew they were saved. Are personal feelings really proof? Even strong feelings? No.! The only thing that feelings prove is that we feel a certain way. I’m sure there are a lot of prisoners who feel like they should be set free, but they are still behind bars.The Bible warns us about our feelings. Our hearts can deceive us: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). The conscience alone is not a safe guide. The apostle Paul believed he was doing the Lord’s Will when he was persecuting the church (Acts 23:1, 26:9-11).
Some believe they are saved because they had an experience with the Holy Spirit. They would rather give a testimony than study the Bible. Some churches and people thrive on this kind of emotionalism, but it is not reliable. The fact is that our hearts can deceive us. We can’t trust our feelings alone. They may be right, but what if they are wrong?!
Could our assurance and faith be grounded on the words of others? Some believe they are saved because a loved one, friend or preacher told them they were. I am glad that people have friends and loved ones that they feel they can trust. But the Bible tells us that our soul’s salvation is too important to take anyone’s word for it. Paul told Christians to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). Peter admonished the Jews on Pentecost to “... save yourselves from this crooked generation,” (Acts 2:40). The apostle John warned, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
We are not to believe someone just because they claim to be speaking the truth. We are to test their message and prove it to be true to the Word of God. The Bereans are noted for this very thing: “…they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily to see if those things were so. Therefore many of them believed,” (Acts 17:11-12a). They were not willing to accept Paul’s message as truth until they had first examined it in light of what the Scriptures said. Inspiration calls these people “Noble” for demonstrating such respect for what God’s word teaches, even though it was one of Christ’s apostles who was preaching to them!
God could instantly give you feelings but in the long run it wouldn’t help. Your faith must be in the bedrock of the Word of God, not the shifting sands of feelings.
Aside from these feelings, prayer allows us to know who we are. Its precursor reminds us that we are all sinners in
the hands of an angry God. It informs us of who we are meant to be. We, as believers, are intended for battles that exist only in the spiritual realm. God has equipped His people with the gift of intercession. And so, we are called to annihilate the enemy in the spiritual realm, even before evil manifests itself here on this earth.
We are also called to speak life unto death. Although it may appear as if Satan is winning in many of these situations when observed in our natural state, I can assure you that he is not. Sure, he may be reaping havoc all over the earth, but he’s not winning. I can testify to the fact that I wouldn't be here today, or even serving in His ministry if victory was the enemy’s. Praise Jesus!!
Prayer can alter the atmosphere to which the Holy Spirit convicts and operates in. God purposed prayer as being critical. Job’s blessings finally came to pass when he prayed for his friend. God has even assigned angels the duty of carrying our prayers before His throne (see Romans 8:3).
There are three ways to grow our faith; it is through praise, feeding on His Word, and prayer. So please get on your face before our Holy God. Let’s close our eyes and feel His presence here because of the Truth that He has revealed to us. Pray in your own words something to this effect:
Lord Jesus,
I am selfish. I want what I want, when I want it. Too often, I think only of myself. I am ashamed of who I am, and what I have become before You. I come to you now asking for forgiveness of my sins. I come to You now asking for a portion of Your power to help me push aside my selfish nature, to help me to place "the least of these" above myself, and to help me say "good-bye" to all these terrible entanglements. They are choking the life out of me.
Put in me the knowledge of Your Truth and the passion to do (only) Your Will, instead of my own. God, search me! Know me! Show me those things that you find displeasing to you. Help me to put away the obstacles of offense that keep me from Your awesome presence. Help me commit to a deeper walk with You. Come to me God. Allow me to experience Your goodness and times of refreshing from You.
All these things I humbly pray in the name of my most Blessed Lord Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen!
____________________
"... if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).
By Mark Seay
www.LighthousePrayerLine.org
"And she named the child Ichabod, saying, 'The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.' And she said, 'the glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken' " (1 Samuel 4:21-22 KJV).
This was a sad day for the nation of Israel. The ark represented the presence of God in their midst. It was the focal point of His being with them in authority, government, power and glory. Unfortunately, because of the sins of the priest of that time, the ark had been captured from the Israelites and given into the hands of their enemies. The glory of God had departed because the sacrifice of the Lord had been held in contempt. The best was kept for themselves and not for the Lord God Almighty (Himself). Sin was practiced in the sight of God and in His temple; this grieved the heart of God. Could it be that this is happening today in some of our America's churches?
The churches in most areas of our nation placate the unbeliever to make them feel welcome and accepted into their congregations. Meetings are structured to look more like the world so as to attract the world; to most, God is no longer attractive. The only problem with being a "seeker-sensitive" church is that it nullifies the power and truth of the Gospel. In essence, the church becomes nothing more than a powerless and spiritually-dead life. Because this message has been watered-down, it is void of the true life of Jesus Christ (what He stands for & died for...). The glory of God (His presence) is a rare phenomenon to encounter. It is one thing to compromise our methods to win souls, but it is another to compromise the message to get large crowds.
Paul teaches that we should become all things, to all men, in order that we might win some to Christ: "When I am with those whose consciences bother them easily, I don’t act as though I know it all and don’t say they are foolish; the result is that they are willing to let me help them. Yes, whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so that he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him. I do this to get the Gospel to them and also for the blessing I myself receive when I see them come to Christ" (1 Corinthians 9:22-23 TLB). Paul was willing to change the way he presented himself (his approach), in order to have the opportunity to share the Gospel. We, too, should attempt every method possible to be creative in presenting the Gospel to the world. We can clearly see that through the letters Paul had written, he never compromised the Word of God. He preached and taught the unabridged counsel of God's Word. And too, when he ministered, he did so with a demonstration of God's power; he introduced them to the God of Heaven.
"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" (1 Corinthians 2:4).
"For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake" (1Thessalonians 1:5).
The Bible warns us that in the last days many will turn from sound doctrine. "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:13-16 KJV).
The power and presence of God (full counsel of His Word) is life changing, convicting and transforming. His presence will stir up a great hunger to live for Him and Him alone. We all have struggles in our lives; no one is perfect except Jesus Himself. He died to make us the righteousness of God. But, is there an atmosphere of His presence created that causes a relentless desire for change towards this righteousness in God.? Do we produce trees that are both good and bad? ...streams that are both dirty and clean? Is money the true treasure of the church? It seems to be the most popular and most preached message that can be heard in today's sermons.
Jesus has told us that wherever our treasures are - our hearts will be there also (Luke 12:34). God wants His people blessed in every area of their life, and that includes finances. Funds are needed so that the kingdom of God may be blessed and advance the work He has called us all to do. "Yes, God will give you much so that you can give away much, and when we take your gifts to those who need them they will break out into thanksgiving and praise to God for your help. So two good things happen as a result of your gifts—those in need are helped, and they overflow with thanks to God. Those you help will be glad not only because of your generous gifts to themselves and to others, but they will praise God for this proof that your deeds are as good as your doctrine. And they will pray for you with deep fervor and feeling because of the wonderful grace of God shown through you" (2 Corinthians 9:11-14 TLB).
It seems though, the teaching of finances has become strictly for our own luxuries and comforts. Although not dared to be spoken, money has taken precedence over souls. Programs are more important than His presence. We can pick and choose which parts of the bible we wish to embrace in this life. I'm not quite sure what these luxurious church buildings have to do with faith (exactly)? However, it seems to be the most contagious where it is most religious, geographically speaking. Many of these structures are gigantic! Most require a small fortune to build! It makes me think about all the hungry people that could've been fed.
When you stand in the Holiness of God, do you think of sinful acts and long to get back to them? Or do you run to Him and cry for forgiveness and mercy? Indeed, His presence creates an atmosphere of change! The Holy Spirit knows just what is needed in our lives more than we could ever imagine, yet He is not welcome or invited to most meetings (Romans 8:26). What have we become? Where is the lamp of the Lord? Where is the Spirit that searches the heart of man and brings true repentance in the gatherings under His name? It is not that we are no longer His! We have just lost our way. We have let the world creep in and dictate what we have become. The beautiful thing about our Lord Jesus Christ is that all that is required of us is to look to Him and ask Him to come into our lives. He will always forgive us for the distractions we have allowed into our lives. And then, times of refreshing will come from the Lord (Acts 3:19).
Here's a few verses that share how we may obtain better access to His presence and power:
1) "A lamp from the LORD is the breath of man; it searches through all his inmost being" (Proverbs 20: 27);
2) "Let us search and examine our ways that we may return to the LORD! Let us reach out our hearts toward God in heaven!" (Lamentations 3:40-41);
3) "Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer" (Psalms 19:12-14);
4) "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalms 139:23-24); and ...
5) "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise" (Psalms 51:17).
One may ask, “What am I supposed to see when I think about God?” The answer is "nothing." On one hand, it is impossible to see the Creator; on the other hand, everything that exists is a manifestation of Him. However, we should focus on the simple fact that His presence is here, now. For instance, when you meet someone you love and haven't seen for a long time, you rush to embrace him or her. You close your eyes and take time to enjoy being with the person. You don't need to look at them at that moment. You just want to savor the warmth of their presence! The same goes with our Father, except sensations like feelings can be misleading, and often disastrous. One's faith must be grounded in His Word.
What if an airline pilot ignored the plane's instruments, and instead decided to fly just by his gut feeling? You see, we must rely on objective measures just like the Truth of His Word.
Let me explain. The Bible affirms that a prophet can speak in the name of God and his prophecies be supernaturally accurate and yet if his message does not align with Scripture, it is merely a test that must be utterly rejected (Deuteronomy 13:1-4). If the great apostle Paul, who worked miracles in name of Christ, proclaimed a gospel different to that recorded in Scripture, his words must be rejected. The same, he insisted, applied to a message from an angel (Galatians 1:8). Even the most anti-God force in all creation can appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
The Deceiver could possibly give you a false spiritual experience, but he cannot change the Bible. ‘Heaven and earth will pass away,’ said Jesus, ‘but my word will never pass away’ (Matthew 24:35). In other words, we don't have to create His image in our minds; we can focus simply on the fact that He is presently here!
It’s no use thinking, "If God gave me some sort of sign or feeling it would strengthen my faith." You would be hoping to put your faith in the memory of the sign or feeling, rather than in the integrity of God. You are indicating that you regard what you see and feel as being more dependable than Almighty God.
We need reliable evidence of our salvation. Without it, we can begin to doubt. And when we begin to doubt is when we become most vulnerable to the devil. The importance of this confidence, this assurance of salvation, is shown in a piece of the armor of God - the Helmet of Salvation (Ephesians 6:17). In battle, the helmet allows one to have confidence to boldly stand and fight. Assurance of our salvation eliminates all doubt and gives us the ability to stand for the truth, defend our faith and resist Satan's attacks. We need this confidence.
The Bible tells us that we can be assured of our salvation. “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God”(I John 5:13). God wants us to know that we are saved, not think we are or wonder if we are. We can know it! But the real question is, “How?” How can we have this assurance? How can we know that we are saved? What is our evidence of pardon? Is it our feelings?
Some people say that they feel they are saved. They had an emotional experience, a strong feeling came over them, and that’s when they knew they were saved. Are personal feelings really proof? Even strong feelings? No.! The only thing that feelings prove is that we feel a certain way. I’m sure there are a lot of prisoners who feel like they should be set free, but they are still behind bars.The Bible warns us about our feelings. Our hearts can deceive us: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). The conscience alone is not a safe guide. The apostle Paul believed he was doing the Lord’s Will when he was persecuting the church (Acts 23:1, 26:9-11).
Some believe they are saved because they had an experience with the Holy Spirit. They would rather give a testimony than study the Bible. Some churches and people thrive on this kind of emotionalism, but it is not reliable. The fact is that our hearts can deceive us. We can’t trust our feelings alone. They may be right, but what if they are wrong?!
Could our assurance and faith be grounded on the words of others? Some believe they are saved because a loved one, friend or preacher told them they were. I am glad that people have friends and loved ones that they feel they can trust. But the Bible tells us that our soul’s salvation is too important to take anyone’s word for it. Paul told Christians to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). Peter admonished the Jews on Pentecost to “... save yourselves from this crooked generation,” (Acts 2:40). The apostle John warned, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
We are not to believe someone just because they claim to be speaking the truth. We are to test their message and prove it to be true to the Word of God. The Bereans are noted for this very thing: “…they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily to see if those things were so. Therefore many of them believed,” (Acts 17:11-12a). They were not willing to accept Paul’s message as truth until they had first examined it in light of what the Scriptures said. Inspiration calls these people “Noble” for demonstrating such respect for what God’s word teaches, even though it was one of Christ’s apostles who was preaching to them!
God could instantly give you feelings but in the long run it wouldn’t help. Your faith must be in the bedrock of the Word of God, not the shifting sands of feelings.
Aside from these feelings, prayer allows us to know who we are. Its precursor reminds us that we are all sinners in
the hands of an angry God. It informs us of who we are meant to be. We, as believers, are intended for battles that exist only in the spiritual realm. God has equipped His people with the gift of intercession. And so, we are called to annihilate the enemy in the spiritual realm, even before evil manifests itself here on this earth.
We are also called to speak life unto death. Although it may appear as if Satan is winning in many of these situations when observed in our natural state, I can assure you that he is not. Sure, he may be reaping havoc all over the earth, but he’s not winning. I can testify to the fact that I wouldn't be here today, or even serving in His ministry if victory was the enemy’s. Praise Jesus!!
Prayer can alter the atmosphere to which the Holy Spirit convicts and operates in. God purposed prayer as being critical. Job’s blessings finally came to pass when he prayed for his friend. God has even assigned angels the duty of carrying our prayers before His throne (see Romans 8:3).
There are three ways to grow our faith; it is through praise, feeding on His Word, and prayer. So please get on your face before our Holy God. Let’s close our eyes and feel His presence here because of the Truth that He has revealed to us. Pray in your own words something to this effect:
Lord Jesus,
I am selfish. I want what I want, when I want it. Too often, I think only of myself. I am ashamed of who I am, and what I have become before You. I come to you now asking for forgiveness of my sins. I come to You now asking for a portion of Your power to help me push aside my selfish nature, to help me to place "the least of these" above myself, and to help me say "good-bye" to all these terrible entanglements. They are choking the life out of me.
Put in me the knowledge of Your Truth and the passion to do (only) Your Will, instead of my own. God, search me! Know me! Show me those things that you find displeasing to you. Help me to put away the obstacles of offense that keep me from Your awesome presence. Help me commit to a deeper walk with You. Come to me God. Allow me to experience Your goodness and times of refreshing from You.
All these things I humbly pray in the name of my most Blessed Lord Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen!
____________________
"... if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).
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