We are the temple of God if we are in Christ.

Do we live in the presence of God throughout our day?

If we take a minute to think about our day as it comes to an end, there are many stretches of time in which we didn’t feel God’s presence at all. It could be while we were taking care of obligations, or working with people or computers, or just being entertained.

When we are talking to people, we often forget about God. What could be a conversation that glorifies God stops at how fun the weekend will be.

When we have some free time, we neglect to pray. We know we should, but our phone or something else draws our attention.

When we have busy days, our other priorities drown out any meaningful time with God.

Most of us have experienced time with God that is one of the best experiences of our lives. Whether it is alone time with him and his Word, or prayerfully ordering our life and conversation to glorify him, it is awesome. We were passionate, purpose-filled, joyful, and impacted everyone we met with the love of Christ.

Why can’t we be like that all the time?

As Christians, our days should become more and more like that. As we grow in him, the fruit of the Spirit grows in our lives.

In order to grow in God, his presence must be in our lives. While we all have the Spirit if we are believers, there are many commands to believers to live in the Spirit. If there are commands to live in the presence of God, there must be a way for Christians to live without fully experiencing his presence.

So how do we live in God’s presence as we are told to do? Galatians 5:25 says “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”

1. Kill the sin in our lives.

Romans 8:13 says by the Spirit we must put to death our sin, so that we can live. Sin is the number one thing that will keep us from the presence of God. Psalm 66:18 says “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” God won’t even listen to us if we continue in sin. Repent of what is keeping you from God.

2. Order our lives correctly.

Psalm 50:23 says “To one who orders his way rightly, I will show the salvation of God!” We must prioritize God in our lives. If we notice that we are forgetting him during most of our day, something needs to change. Making our soul satisfied in God every day should be top priority. Having a plan and following it is not legalistic; having a plan to live by the Spirit is what keeps us growing when our feelings fade. Proverbs 21:5 says “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.”

3. Delight in prayer and the Word.

Psalm 1:2 shows how the person who experiences the fruit of the Spirit is the one who loves time spent with God: “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” If we are not longing for time with God and his Word, there is something in our lives that must change, and much prayer should be devoted to changing this in our lives.

The truth of God will only change our lives to the degree in which we give our time to it. The most profound, transformational encounters with the presence of God come only from prolonged time with him and his Word. Don’t settle for stagnant days when eternal life in the presence of God is available right now for those who will invest time into their relationship with their Heavenly Father.