How do we become aware of God’s Presence?
It is a question we, as Christians, struggle with our everyday living. I know there could be many suggested ways out there to help answer the above question.
But, based on Luke 9, I would say there are four tips to help us be aware of God’s Presence in life.
“Who do you say that Jesus is to you?” is a question when answered will help us begin experiencing God’s Presence in life.
Being able to answer the above question also defines the foundation of our faith.
Answering the question then implies what kind of relationship we need to have with God, which should be at a personal level.
[bctt tweet=”A personal relationship with God, cultivates in us an attitude of longing and expectancy.”]
Who Jesus is to us reminds of God’s Presence with us while also helps wait for the second return of Jesus Christ!
Prayer, as another way to experience God’s Presence, is the only means to talk to God, but also a way to listen better to God
Prayer opens us up to the supernatural. It moves us from what we cannot do to what God can. It is also the only means that allows us to see what we could not see before.
Prayer was essential in Jesus’ life that He pretty much did pray, and a lot.
Prayer was not just an occasional spiritual discipline Jesus practiced when He was on earth. He prayed throughout His life in this world.
For instance, “very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1: 35). Other times, He prayed with all His disciples and even taught them how to pray (Matthew 11: 25-26).
He also went to the mountains to pray to Himself (Matthew 14: 23). Sometimes, He spent the entire night praying to God in those mountains (Luke 6: 12).
While praying to Himself, Jesus prayed for His disciples and everyone else. For example, he prayed for Peter so that his faith might not fail (Luke 22: 32).
What is happening, in Luke 9: 29, is that while praying, “the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.”
As the three disciples continued to watch, two men appeared and started talking to Jesus. These people are Moses and Elijah (verse 30).
Why Moses and Elijah?
This Scripture does not say why only these two people had to appear in this moment. They, however, shared one thing in common with Jesus. They both spent 40 days and nights in the wilderness just as Jesus did at the beginning of the ministry.
Also, Moses represents the Law and Elijah the Prophets. Jesus came to fulfill both the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5: 17). Both Moses and Elijah found fulfillment in Jesus Christ. So should we!
The Holy Spirit helps us experience God’s Presence
In Luke 9, the Holy Spirit had to cover and overshadow the disciples for them to re-center and focus on Jesus Christ.
All that took place in the form of a cloud, which I describe as personal experience (sometimes physical) of God’s presence resulting from prayer.
This is an area that belongs to God’s expertise. What happens at this point is beyond our human understanding and capabilities.
The only prayer took the disciples and Jesus to that spiritual dimension of seeing the cloud and even later hearing God’s voice, which we will discuss next.
The cloud came down on them as they were getting human ideas such as building tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. As the could be covering them, Moses and Elijah departed from them too.
[bctt tweet=”No matter what good works we intend of doing, Jesus should always be the focus of it all. “]
[bctt tweet=”The Holy Spirit re-centers us on Jesus through the spiritual practice of prayer. “]
That is the role the cloud played in the text (Luke 9: 34). This role is also described as the role the Holy Spirit would play to make possible the birth of the Son of God, Jesus Christ (Luke 1:35).
God’s Voice reassures us of His Presence
It is only after focusing on Jesus that God will speak to us. We will hear His voice. The Bible says that they listened to a voice.
The voice came out of the cloud after Elijah and Moses had already departed from the mountain. They left as the cloud was coming down to overshadow them.
The other place in the New Testament where we come across “to overshadow” is when the angel visited with Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1: 35).
God’s voice can be heard when our focus is on Jesus Christ alone.
Prayer helps us shut down all the noises that prevent us from hearing God’s voice.
As you may already notice, answering the question about “who Jesus is to you and me” and actively engaging in prayer as a daily practice are the only two things you and I can do to experience God’s Presence.
The third and the fourth ways to help us become aware of God’s Presence are what God does. He fills us with the Holy Spirit and helps us hear His voice.
In summary
Just like in real life, daily practicing of prayer, as a personal spiritual discipline, will make us better prayer warriors! The more we pray, the more capable we also become to clearly hear God’s voice and eventually focus more on Jesus Christ.
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