Sabbath Inspiration: Practicing His Presence

Is it possible to earnestly pursue Jesus and abide in the modern age?

Practicing His Presence Open your soul and entertain the glory of God. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (John 15:4)

Dear Wanda, Shabbat Shalom! One of the goals the Lord laid on my heart for our Empower 2000 team this year was to revisit the teachings of Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach. These two men lived centuries and worlds apart. Brother Lawrence served as a friar in a Carmelite monastery, and Frank Laubach was a missionary to the Philippines and renowned educator whose education program has been used to bring literacy to 60 million people in 132 languages.

What these two men shared was a lifestyle that focused on ABIDING in CHRIST. They both wrote books about the practices they developed to continually discipline their hearts and minds to be aware of God's presence, His leading, His desires, His instruction, His correction, and direction at every given moment. While this may seem impossible, Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach are living testimonies of the power, grace, and transformation that take place when our focus is not just an occasional check-in with the Holy Spirit, but a continual sensitivity to His voice. They demonstrate exactly what Jesus said in John 15: 5, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

The intense focus on Jesus exponentially increased their effectiveness and reach. As they turned their attention to Jesus, His manifest presence surrounded them and went before them, opening doors no man could shut, setting captives free, and ministering to all who came near. I feel the Holy Spirit is highlighting this message for us afresh. I feel so strongly about the need and the calling of the Lord to ABIDE in HIM, that I dedicated the opening session of our Awakening Gathering to this message. I would love to introduce you to some of the nuggets the Lord has given me and our team as we have turned out hearts to ABIDE in a new and intentional way! Here are a few highlights from the session: Abide means to remain, never ceasing, never leaving. It seems impossible, except Jesus asked us to do it. So there must be a way to live a life of abiding in Him without ceasing. Frank Laubach practiced the presence by dedicating one second of every minute to turn his attention to the Lord. An easy way to refocus your heart is to say "Thank you" or "Jesus" once per minute or per hour. There is great EASE in the name of JESUS. We have to lay aside expectations to make way for the Holy Spirit to come in the way He is choosing. When the 120 were in one accord, abiding in rest and waiting in the upper room, the Holy Spirit came in a way never seen before. To be on the cutting edge of the kingdom requires rest. A cutting edge gets dull faster than a knife that remains in the drawer. The best balance to stay sharp is one second of use, one second of sharpening. It's the rhythm of breathing. The sharpening comes in the resting. Jesus comes in the REST. Be at EASE in Jesus. Open your soul and entertain the glory of God and that glory will be reflected in the world around you. The purpose of devotionals is not to check off an item on your to-do list. It is to meet with God, and have personal encounter. Moment by moment surrender to God, abiding in responsive obedience and sensitivity to His presence, makes one able to respond to Jesus Christ as a violin to the bow of its master. The soul is made tender by great anguish. Suffering is not without purpose. Any hour of any day can be made perfect by merely choosing to focus on Jesus and His will. God is looking for prime real estate - that's you filled with His presence and spreading the knowledge of His glory everywhere you go. Be quiet, Slow Down, Listen!!! The presence of the Lord will draw people to you for divine appointments, tear down obstacles, and ministers to those that come into your sphere of influence. You can abide as an individual, and you can abide by dedicating your territory to be a habitation of His presence. People will come on your property and encounter the Lord because of His abiding presence in your home, your land, your territory. These highlights are just that. There is so much more the panel brought in their anointed discussion on what the Lord has been unveiling to them in powerful dreams, visions, and testimonies as they have started to focus on abiding even more. I encourage you to watch the whole session by clicking here. You will be so glad you did! The replay will be available for 3 days.

Click to watch the replay for Practicing His Presence

PRAYER POWER Abba (Father), I open my soul today with faith and expectation that I will encounter your glorious presence in ways I have never known before. Forgive me for the times that I have grown too busy or focused on my own agenda to even pause and whisper Your name. Help me to press in to discover the Ease in Jesus. Give me a heart to earnestly pursue You, earnestly seek You, earnestly turn my ear to hear You at every moment of every day. Awaken my heart to rest in your presence and delight in Your will. I ask for a deep awareness that brings me into harmony with You.

If you have any questions, please email support@empower2000.com. Blessings to experience God's glorious presence in a whole new way! Joseph Joseph Peck, M.D. The Time Doctor Empowering Dreams Author, I Was Busy Now I'm Not

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