Desperate for His Presence: How One Moment with God Changes Everything

When we look at the early church in Acts 2, we see a community that experienced something remarkable - "a deep sense of awe came over them all." This wasn't just emotional excitement; it was the tangible presence of God manifesting in their midst. At Presence Church, our first value is being desperate to experience God's presence, because one moment in His presence changes everything.

Does God Still Manifest His Presence Today?

Some Christians believe God doesn't show up miraculously anymore - that spiritual gifts and divine manifestations ended long ago. But where does Scripture say this? The truth is, we're living in the same spiritual age as the first church, and God still chooses to manifest His presence.

A powerful example occurred on February 8, 2023, at Asbury University in Kentucky. What began as an ordinary chapel service transformed into a 16-day outpouring of the Holy Spirit. People traveled from across the globe, some even selling their cars to buy plane tickets. The small town was overwhelmed by tens of thousands of visitors seeking to experience God's presence.

What's particularly beautiful is that this movement was primarily led by Gen Z. God wants to do something unprecedented in this generation - something that draws people of all ages into His presence.

How Did Moses Experience God's Presence?

In Exodus 33, we find Moses developing an extraordinary relationship with God. After the Israelites' rebellion with the golden calf, God tells Moses He will send them to the Promised Land but won't go with them: "I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn and rebellious people."

Moses had a practice of setting up a "tent of meeting" outside the camp. When he entered this tent, "the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend." The original language suggests an even more intimate "mouth to mouth" communication - a deep friendship with the Creator of the universe.

Moses' assistant Joshua would remain in the tent even after Moses left, lingering in God's presence. Is it any wonder that when Moses died, leadership passed to Joshua? There's something powerful about simply lingering with God.

What Makes God's Presence Accessible to Us?

Moses demonstrates two key principles for experiencing God's presence:

1. Desire for Deeper Relationship

Moses said to God, "Let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully." He wanted to know God's thoughts, feelings, and ways of operating. This is like when someone gives you their full attention, puts away their phone, and genuinely asks about your life. Moses attended to God's presence with this same intentionality.

2. Valuing God's Presence Above Everything

When God offered to send the Israelites to the Promised Land without His presence, Moses made a remarkable statement: "If you don't go personally with us, don't make us leave this place."

Think about this choice. The Israelites were living in tents in the desert, eating only manna, and drinking water. The Promised Land offered abundance - "flowing with milk and honey." Yet Moses essentially said, "I'd rather stay in this difficult place with your presence than go to the place of abundance without you."

He understood that God's presence was what truly set them apart: "How will anyone know that you look favorably on me and on your people if you don't go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth."

What's the Key to Experiencing God's Presence?

The principle that deeply impacts our experience of God's presence is humility. Moses held his own life and security with an open hand before God. He acknowledged God's place in his life as first and foremost.

We see this same humility in Acts 2. The early believers built a beautiful community in the power of the Holy Spirit, putting others' needs before their own, living sacrificially, and selling possessions to provide for their community's needs.

1 Peter 5 instructs us to "dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another. For God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humility isn't about pretending everything is perfect; it's about acknowledging our need for God and others.

The Asbury Revival: A Modern Example of Humility

The Asbury outpouring didn't begin with an extraordinary service. The preacher, Zach Meerkreebs, even texted his wife afterward saying, "That was a stinker. I'm coming home to take a nap."

What's remarkable about Zach's story is that he had previously been fired from a prominent church because of pride. He found himself washing windows at a restaurant, watching his former team meet inside - literally on the outside looking in. This humbling experience led to repentance and a restart.

When he delivered that "unremarkable" message at Asbury, the main ingredient wasn't talent or flawless execution - it was humility. God doesn't need our talent or gifts; He asks for our humility.

Life Application

Winning in the spiritual realm isn't based on our performance but on our willingness to make less of ourselves and more of Jesus. Here are some practical steps to experience God's presence:

Confess your need for Jesus - Whether you're exploring faith or have been a believer for years, acknowledge that you need a Savior. Romans 10 reminds us that salvation comes through believing in our hearts and declaring with our mouths that Jesus is Lord.

Practice regular confession - 1 John 1 promises that "if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." Don't avoid confession out of fear of rejection; God's response to honest confession is always forgiveness.

Build authentic community - James 5:16 instructs us to "confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." We were designed to live in community, loving one another deeply and being vulnerable with each other.

Questions to Consider:

How desperate am I to experience God's presence? Would I choose His presence over comfort and abundance?

What areas of pride might be hindering my experience of God's presence?

Am I willing to be vulnerable in community, confessing my struggles to trusted believers who can pray for my healing?

How can I create more space in my life to simply linger in God's presence?

Remember, one moment in God's presence changes everything. Let's become a community that is truly desperate for His presence.