One crucial aspect of prayer is to learn how to enter His presence through praise and worship. Let me tell you something - God isn't the frivolous character we sometimes think He is. God is an awesome being. He is holy and pure.

So as we come before God's throne in praise and worship, there will be times when all we can do is lie prostrate before Him in the majesty of His manifest presence.

You see, the presence of God and the manifest presence of God are not the same. The presence of God is always there. But when God manifests Himself to you, you become tangibly aware of His presence.

Walking in the manifest presence of God is the difference between your living a nominal Christian life and a life filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit.

"But Lynne," you might say, "what if I spend hours seeking and yearning after God and I still don't find Him?" Don't worry about that. God wants to manifest Himself to you. He wants you to know Him better.

In fact, He promised in Hebrews 11:6 that He is "the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." And you can rest assured He will keep that promise.

So you can pray in faith for increasing degrees of awareness and a more perfect consciousness of God. You can pray like the apostle Paul did, "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; The eyes of your understanding being enlightened...." (Eph. 1:17,18).

You can also ask the Holy Spirit, who dwells within you every moment of every day to help you become more sensitive to His guidance. As you spend time fellowshipping with the Lord on a daily basis, you will find that prayer being answered beyond anything you could have imagined.

You will learn to recognize God's voice the moment He speaks to your heart. And your faith will grow ever stronger as you walk in His presence each day!

Source: Renewed in His Presence by Lynne Hammond.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers