Cultivating the Presence of God

One of the most basic understandings of the nature of God is that he is everywhere present at the same time. This is what theologians call the omnipresence of God.

The Psalmist acknowledged God’s omnipresence in the form of a rhetorical question. “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7) The obvious answer is “nowhere”. God is everywhere and fully aware of everything going on in every place he has created.

But there are some places where he makes his presence known in special ways in response to our invitation to meet with him. Jesus promised that he would show up in a special way “where two or three are gathered in my name.” When we gather in his name we can claim his promise that “there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20)

That is what we might call the cultivated presence of God.

Does God seem near to you? If not, you might want to check your calendar to see how often you have prioritized gathering with two or three others who are gathered in the name of Jesus. God loves to draw near to those who seek a meeting with him.

And he loves to answer the prayers of people who prayed like Isaiah. “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence.” (Isaiah 64:1)

This Sunday at 4 pm, New City Church will be gathering in Jesus’ name. If you want to experience God’s presence, I invite you to be present as we cultivate the presence of God together.