Worship and the Presence of God

Our worship and praise bring us into the ultimate of all human experience—the very presence of God. How often are you in His presence?

January’s Awakening, Day 12

I worshiped God as often as I could, keeping my mind in His holy presence, and recalling it as often as I found it had wandered from Him. I found no small pain in this exercise, and yet I continued it, notwithstanding all the difficulties that occurred, without troubling or disquieting myself when my mind had wandered involuntarily. I made this my business not only at the appointed times of prayer, but all the day long; for at all times, every hour, every minute, even in the height of my business, I drove away from my mind everything that was capable of interrupting my thoughts of God.

 —Brother Lawrence 

The most fundamental need, duty, honor and happiness of mankind is not petition, nor even contrition, nor again even thanksgiving—these three kinds of prayer which, indeed, must never disappear out of our spiritual lives—but adoration.

 —Von Hügel, Friedrich

            To rise to the pinnacle of spirituality, to enter into the very presence of God and to clearly hear His Divine Whisper and embrace His essence fully, one must continually be in the stance and mindset of praise and adoration. Nothing else will bring you closer to God than worshiping Him and having a mindset and heart overflowing with praise. Having a repentant heart and one full of thanksgiving is critical also, but it is our worship, praise, and adoration of who God is and all that He has done for us that breaks through those seemingly impenetrable spiritual barriers.

            If you feel that you are having difficulty hearing God’s voice and knowing His direction for your life—worship and praise Him. If you feel as if your prayers are being blocked or unanswered—worship and praise Him. If you are just beside yourself in one of life’s darkest moments—worship and praise Him. It sounds like the cure-all and quite frankly—it is—worship and praise Him. Being in the very presence of God is the ultimate healing and human experience possible. Practice being in His presence. Practice it often.