A Note from Pastor Daniel

The word God has given me for this year is PRESENCE. God has given me a desire for us to become people of the presence. I’m talking about something beyond a vague consciousness of God’s existence. I’m talking about actively walking in the manifest presence of God. There’s a world of difference between those two things.

Psalm 139:7-10 describes the omnipresence of God, which means God is simultaneously everywhere at the same time: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.” As beautiful as the omnipresence of God is, there is another dimension of God’s presence: the manifest presence of God. His experiential presence revealed to us in a tangible way awakens our awareness of His nearness. It’s God showing up in the burning bush or coming as a mighty rushing wind and tongues of fire. I believe there are certain environments where God seems to be more present than others.

I’ve walked into a room and known instantly, He’s here! I’ve been in gatherings where the whole atmosphere suddenly shifts as God enters the room. I’ve seen it in corporate settings, and I’ve experienced it in my own quiet times with the Lord. Those have been some of the most incredible and unforgettable moments of my life.

As New Testament believers, we don’t have to worry about the Holy Spirit departing from us (as some Old Testament characters like Samson experienced). Jesus promised to, “never leave nor forsake us.” God’s abiding presence in our lives is a settled fact. But I also truly believe God is inviting us into a deeper dimen- sion of His presence this year. His presence is what we were made for. It’s what our hearts have been craving since the Garden of Eden. We were designed to live in constant fellow- ship with God. My prayer is that He will teach us to be hungry, holy, and humble, and that we will begin to walk in greater degrees of intimacy with Him in this coming year.

I pray that these forty days will bless you as you experience God’s presence!