Presence of God

Present: (Dictionary) -“Being, existinga or occurring at this time; to furnish or endow with a gift; to formally introduce a person to another.”
Present: (Bible) “To stand by; to present; the present time; to be at hand.”
The English language must seem a bit odd in places as people study to learn English. The words “present” or “presents” can mean different things but are spelled exactly the same way. The word “presence” sound like “presents” but is spelled differently.
The Jews were well acquainted with the presence of God. They had seen His glory at the tabernacle many times in the wilderness and at Mount Sinai. They understood that God was not only very real, but was in the midst of them and abundantly available for help. He provided food and water and protected them in their journeys and often against great odds. People who study God’s word know that God’s heart is to give:
James 1: 16-18:  ” 16 Don’t be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. 17Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. 18By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.”  (HCSB)
Our Father provides all we need and gifts us in many ways. However, some people want or seek His “presents” rather than His “presence”. God desires to have an intimate relationship with us and one of the things that happens within that fellowship is God’s release of gifting into our lives and into the church of Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7:  ” 4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (NASB)
God will gift each believer with the gifts that are best for us- whatever they may be. He desires to see His children walking in Spirit and truth and seeking Him and His kingdom. Out of that relationship will flow all the gifts (presents) that our God releases in our life.
The Scriptures are filled with amazing promises and reveal the heart of our heavenly Father. But we also need to have a clear understanding of what it means to be in God’s presence. King David knew what it meant to be in God’s presence and he also knew what it was like to leave that presence to pursue his own path. David’s sin with Bathsheba led him to cry out to God in Psalm 51.
Psalm 51:10-12:  ” 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.  11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.   12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” (NKJV)
David had seen what had happened to King Saul when God removed His presence and David did not want to lose his relationship with the Lord. He knew it would result in a disaster. The Lords presence is seen and felt in His creation, in praise, in worship and in prayer. The creator of the universe seeks to have a relationship with us and invites us into His presence so we can be washed in His grace. All through the Psalms we see a focus on God’s presence.
 Psalm 16:11:  ”You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.” (HCSB)
Psalm 100:1-2:  ”Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!2 Serve the Lord with gladness;  Come before His presence with singing.” (NKJV)
The writer of the book of Hebrews called attention to the need to seek God’s presence:
Hebrews 4: 16:  ” 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (NIV)
Jesus also wanted us to know the power of being in God’s presence and experience that intimacy:
Matthew 6:6:  ” 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (NKJV)
Matthew 14:23:  ” 23 After dismissing the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone.” (HCSB)
Jesus would often pray alone. He went away from distractions and focused on His prayer time.
As followers of Jesus we should be students of His word and seeking the truths that are there. Being in the presence of God means there will be peace-even when the things around us are in chaos. Being in His presence means having joy in the midst of trials. Being in His presence means singing “Amazing Grace” when your life situation is painful. In His presence there is peace and joy. We need to find that place so we can truly be lights in this world. If our spirit is hurt or we have not been seeking God, we need to change direction and cry out to our Lord:
Acts 3:19:  ” 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,” (NIV)
Our majestic, loving Lord is there, waiting for us. Let us cast aside all restraints and take action. Let us seek Him in prayer, praise and worship. We all know that we have one life to live. The best way to walk out our salvation is abiding in His presence! Thank you Father for hearing our prayer-help us enter into your presence and to abide there.  Amen
http://sevenminutesermons.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/presents-and-presence/
How to Practice God's Presence
By Rick Warden, eHow Contributor
Practicing God's presence has to do with developing an awareness, by faith, that God is with us each moment of the day. A revered 17th Century French monk, Brother Lawrence, coined the phrase in his writings. He laid hold of powerful truths in the New Testament and his posthumous book, "The Practice of the Presence of God," is widely read to this day. The following seven steps include Lawrence's main principles and additional scriptural doctrines.
Instructions
Things You'll Need
⦁ Bible
⦁ Daily devotionals
The first step sets us free to enjoy the others. Receive Jesus Christ as savior and lord. Jesus taught in John 3:3 that we need to be born again spiritually to establish a connection with God.
2.  Recognize your body has become a temple of the Holy Spirit. When we become children of God, our whole perspective on life should change. We are to no longer live just for ourselves, but with an attitude of surrender and submission to God. See 1 Corinthians 6:19. This outlook leads to a closer sense of communion with God.
3.  Relate with God throughout the day, every day. The essence of the new covenant is the ability to have a personal and intimate relationship with the living God. See Jeremiah 31:31-34. This ability has been promised by God, but we have a conscious choice regarding our mindset. The Apostle Paul wrote: "Be joyful always; pray continually." (1 Thessalonians 5.16-17). There's real joy in God's presence and this can be increased by developing a continuous sense of thankfulness to God.
4.  Renew your mind with the word of God. Romans 12:2a says "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Meditating on scripture and daily devotionals, asking God questions and putting your knowledge into daily use are all helpful towards practicing God's presence.
5.  Resolve to love God in all you think and do. The minute we recognize anything in our minds and in our lives that will hinder our close relationship with God, we are to turn away from it completely. This is perhaps the most difficult step, requiring the most self-discipline.
6.  Repent sincerely when needed. We all sin and sin separates us from fellowship with God. Ideally, we will repent quickly and turn from our sin when we slip up. But we also need to recognize there may be deeper issues that may require a longer process of healing along with repentance.
7.  Run the race of life as an adventure. In a dynamic, living relationship with God, each day truly is a new adventure. The more we are able to practice the presence of God, the more we will be in awe at the things we see God doing in us and through us.
Tips & Warnings
Plug into a church and community of other Christians who also desire to grow spiritually. Growing in knowledge and experience will help you practice the presence of God for the long haul.
Be cautious of living only for the sake of experience. Seeking God's presence is a good thing, but the main goal for the Christian is to glorify and please Him.
Don't be discouraged if you find this practice difficult. Brother Lawrence, for example, wrote, "This proved to be an exercise frequently painful, yet I persisted through all difficulties."
http://utmost.org/
http://www.ehow.com/print/how_7241240_practice-god_s-presence.html