A Prayer for God’s Presence
By Debbie Przybylski
May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! - Psalm 20:1
With all the turmoil and fear over the global pandemic of Covid-19, we desperately need God's presence here on earth. The earth is shaking and the birth pangs before the Lord's return are getting stronger. Prayer warriors are needed to contend for God's presence everywhere. He is looking throughout the earth for those who will give themselves to prayer and to seeking His face. We read in 2 Chronicles 16:9, "The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." We have to evaluate our life in our personal time with the Lord and ask:
"Do I know that God is searching the earth, and is my heart completely His?"
The problem is that most of us are not aware of where we are personally and what is available to us. We are too busy. Our hearts are not burning for God, and we have settled for lesser things. But the eyes of the Lord are searching. He wants to take us deeper into His intimate presence internally, and He wants to invade our neighborhoods and cities with His presence outwardly. Then we will see His miraculous power and salvation demonstrated in our streets and everywhere we go.
We must admit that we are living in perilous times. We need God's captivating power and presence in our cities and in our personal lives. One thing that God wants us to realize is how very desperately He cares for the lost in our cities. He is a God of compassion (Psalm 116:5, Lamentations 3:22), and the pain and cries in the city have touched His heart deeply. He longs for us to partner with Him in bringing hope into our cities. He is the answer to all the problems and pain, and His presence in our cities will make all the difference. When we see the ruined condition of our communities, it should break our hearts and stir us to prayer.
We have underestimated the pain in God’s heart over the devastation and brokenness of people who live in darkness. Isaiah 9:2 declares what the result would be when Jesus’ presence came to earth: 'The people walking in darkness have seen a great light' (NIV). God fully intends to continue to bring hope and restoration to forsaken, desolate communities, and He is looking for those who will partner with Him.
It’s time to contend for God’s presence in prayer. Will you join me in this great endeavor to go deeper with God in prayer for such a time as this? It will be the best thing that we can do because He longs for our intimacy and wants to invade our world with His power and presence. He is the God of hope and we can anticipate His help and encouragement in even the darkest hour. "The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love" (Psalm 147:11).
Let's pray:
Lord, we thank you today that you are all-powerful, all-knowing and always perfectly good. Thank you for your daily mercies to us as we struggle through such challenging times. Father, we confess that we do not seek your presence as we ought. We confess that we have settled for lesser things, when we know you desire us to have a personal, close relationship with you. Lord, revive our love for you. Draw close, let us know your presence in our lives. And help us to in turn share your love with our neighbors. Lord, we put our hope in your unfailing love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
*Editor’s Note: The following article is an abridged version of A Prayer for God’s Presence by Debbie Przybylski. To read the full article, follow this link.
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