We should be studying the benefits of abiding in the presence of God, and how the mercy of God makes His presence available to us as believers. But it's time for Christians to discover how to get into God's presence and stay there. It doesn't do you any good to know how wonderful the presence of the Lord is if you don't know how to get there.

Let's begin with some general guidelines for moving into the presence of the Lord.

Thanksgiving
First, we should be asking ourselves, "What does the Word have to say on the subject of God's presence?" Let's look at Psalm 95 to find the answer.

"Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms" (Ps. 95:2).

This verse contains two key elements that bring us into the presence of God. The first is thanksgiving. Thanksgiving escorts us into the presence of God like nothing else can.

The first thing I do during my prayer times with the Lord is to spend a few moments thanking Him for all He has done for me. This never fails to usher me into God's presence. It also focuses my attention on the goodness and faithfulness of God rather than on my problems.

If, instead of complaining, you will spend some time thanking God for all the things He does for you, you will find yourself in the right frame of mind to enter God's presence.

Praise
The second element to successfully entering the presence of God is praise. We see this in the last part of the verse we just read from Psalm 95: "...make a joyful noise unto him with psalms."

Praise is similar to thanksgiving but not the same. Thanksgiving honors God for what He has done. Praise honors Him for Who He is.

To bring God on the scene, you have to start praising Him. As Psalm 22:3 says, God inhabits the praises of His people.

Make a Joyful Noise!
We see both of these elements, thanksgiving and praise, in the familiar Psalm 100. This psalm almost draws us a road map to the throne of God.

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing" (Ps. 100:1-2).

Here we see one of the two elements we have already identified. The joyful noise we are to make represents praise. We are to come before His presence with singing.

You may not be able to carry a tune, but you should be singing a song of praise to the Lord from your heart. He will honor that by filling your heart and your room with the sweetness of His presence.

During biblical times, if you were entering the temple in Jerusalem, you would come first to the gates. After passing through those gates, you would enter the courts. Then and only then would you be prepared to enter the Holy Place where the presence of the Lord dwelt (but only if you were the high priest). This is the imagery we can see in this psalm:

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name" (Ps. 100:4).

Here we see these two vital elements together - thanksgiving and praise. We are told that thanksgiving will get you through the gates and praise will take you through the courts.

What is it that takes you the rest of the way into God's presence? Our old friends, goodness and mercy.

"For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations" (Ps. 100:5).

Now let's get practical and specific about how you are to cultivate the presence of the Lord in your life. There are actually several avenues available to you for reaching the presence of God and living in His presence. Any of them will get you there, but all of them are important.

The Word
We have made reference to this principle throughout this book. Now it's time to just lay it out, plain and simple.

By getting into God's Word, you are entering into His presence. God is His Word.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).

God and His Word are inseparable. When you open the Bible with a heart to see and hear God, you won't be disappointed.

You simply can't be exposed to the presence of God through His Word without being changed. It will affect you. It will change your thought patterns and your habits. It will change your desires, your attitudes, the way you look at things.

The reality is, no one can force you into the presence of God. You have to make that choice yourself; no one can make it for you. To reap the benefits of His presence, you have to make a quality decision to spend time in God's Word on a regular basis.

I don't mean throwing your Bible open for a few minutes every now and then while you keep one eye on your television. I mean making a commitment to set aside concentrated quality time in the Word.

This is what separates the powerful, victorious Christians from the "wannabes" - those who want to experience victory but don't want to pay the price.

You can't give yourself to every influence and activity under the sun, while dedicating only a few token moments a week to God's Word, and still expect to walk in victory and power. It simply won't happen.

You have to make up your mind to get into the Word.

You also need to get involved in a church where God's Word is being taught uncompromisingly. You can't sit under teaching that's filled with religious tradition, doubt and unbelief, and expect to experience the presence of God on a regular basis. The bad teaching you receive will inevitably come out of you when the pressure is on. Find a church with a pastor who preaches the Word and sit under that teaching every opportunity you can.

Start letting the Word of God change your thinking. As Romans 12:2 says, "...be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind...." Renew your mind with the Word of God. This is a powerful way to experience His presence.

Prayer
Another way to experience the presence of God is through prayer.

I'm not talking about the "Now I lay me down to sleep" kind of praying practiced by some believers (which is as deep spiritually as they will ever go). I'm talking about moving into a realm where you and God talk to each other as intimate friends.

Prayer isn't to be just a monologue, with you conducting a one-way transmission of your needs to God. Prayer is communication. It's give and take, talking and listening, fellowshipping.

There are many types of prayers, but one of the most powerful and most effective involves praying God's Word. As was previously pointed out, God's Word ushers us into His presence. So, what could be more powerful than praying the Word?

God's Word is His will. His will is in His Word. If you are praying what God's Word says, you can know beyond all doubt that you are praying in accordance with the will of God.

Giving Thanks
We have already touched on this. Giving thanks brings us into the presence of God. As Psalm 100 says, we enter into His courts with thanksgiving.

This is why the apostle Paul said: "Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thess. 5:17-18).

Paul knew that thanksgiving would usher us into the presence of God and that His presence was the master key to all the promises of God.

Source: Answers Awaiting in the Presence of God by Creflo A. Dollar, Jr.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers