Hosting the Presence

by Bill Johnson

  Many of us have pursued a life of faith for many important reasons. The miracle realm is certainly one of them. Miracles are now a regular part of our lives in numbers I never thought were possible. It is wonderful. But of late I’ve wondered whether we might not surpass what we’ve seen in the miraculous if we used our faith to discover the Presence of God as much as we have used it to get breakthrough for miracles. The bottom line: use your faith to discover God’s abiding Presence on your life. He never disappoints. The overwhelming outcome is learning to live from the Presence of God toward the issues of life. This Jesus did perfectly.

  The Presence of God upon us is due north. When the compass of my heart discovers the Presence of God, everything else falls into place much more easily. And while I may not have the answer I am looking for in every specific area of need, I recognize the Presence that keeps me from the fear and anxiety that blocks my access to answers. Divine order fills the life of the one who has the Presence of God as the priority.

  Deep Repentance

  Trust is the natural expression of the one in deep repentance. The nature of these two realities is portrayed well in Hebrews 6:1, “repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.” In this one verse we see the nature of both repentance and faith—from and toward. The picture is of one making an about face, from something and toward something. Here it is from sin toward God Himself. His Presence is discovered in repentance.

  Repentance means to change the way we think. Our perspective changes regarding sin and God. With deep sorrow we confess (fully own up to our sin without excuse) and turn to God (upon whom we place our entire trust).

  Similar imagery is given in Acts. “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). Note the end result—that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. In these two verses we see the pattern, the order that God created to lead us to Himself, to His manifest Presence. While we were sinners, God chose us to experience Him in such a way that we were fully restored to our original design, to live in and carry His Presence.

  We are either walking in repentance, or we need to repent. Repentance is the lifestyle of being face-to-face with God. If that is missing, I must turn back. I must repent.

  Holy Spirit Praying

  Perhaps the greatest understatement of this book is that the Presence of God is discovered in prayer. And while that is an obvious truth, many people learn to pray without the Presence, thinking their discipline is what God is looking for. Discipline has an important part in walking with Christ, for sure. But Christianity was never to be known for its disciplines; it was to be known by its passions.

  Prayer is the ultimate expression of partnership with God. It is the adventure of discovering and praying His heart. So many spend their life praying to God, when they could be praying with God. This partnership, with its answers and breakthroughs, is supposed to be the source of our fullness of joy.

  But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit (Jude 20).

  With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit (Ephesians6:18).

  One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself (1 Corinthians 14:4).

  When we pray anointed prayers, we are praying the heart of God. His heart is being expressed through words, emotion, and decree. Finding the heart of God is a sure way of locking into His Presence. This privilege of co-laboring is a part of the assignment given for those who would give themselves to carry His Presence well.

  Praying in tongues brings us edification and personal strength. In that kind of praying the Presence of God washes over us to bring great refreshing. I think it’s a bit sad when people emphasize that tongues is the least of the gifts, which seems to give them the right to ignore it while they pursue the greater gifts. If one of my children took the birthday or Christmas gift I gave them and refused to open it because they discerned it was one of lesser value than the others, they’d hear a sermon from me they’d not soon forget. Any gift from God is wonderful, glorious, and extremely necessary to live in His full intentions for us. This particular gift is brilliantly useful for living in the Presence continually.

  Creative Expression

  One of the great mysteries in life is to see the descendants of the Creator show so little creativity in how we do church and life in general. I don’t think that lack comes from people who like to be bored or who like to control things to death. It usually comes from a misunderstanding of who He is and what He is like. People often fear being wrong so much that they fail to try something new, thinking they will displease God. If more people would relax in His goodness, we’d probably give a more accurate expression of the God who is never boring. He is still creative. And it’s in our nature to be the same.

  During my prayer times I have to have paper and pen with me because of the ideas I get while I’m praying. I used to think it was the devil distracting me from praying. That’s because I measured prayer by how much time I spent doing a one-way conversation. God measures prayer through time spent in interaction.

  Time in His Presence will release creative ideas. When I spend time with God, I remember phone calls I need to make, projects I long forgot about, and things I had planned to do with my wife or my children. Ideas flow freely in this environment because that’s the way He is. I get ideas in the Presence I wouldn’t get anywhere else. Insights on how to fix problems or people that need to be affirmed all come in that exchange of fellowship between God and man. We must stop blaming the devil for all those interruptions. (Many of us have too big a devil and too small a God.) And while the enemy of our souls will work to distract us from the Presence, he’s often blamed when he is nowhere near because we misunderstand our Father and what He values. When we realize that often it’s God interacting with us, we are able to enjoy the process much more and give Him thanks for having concern for these parts of our lives that we might often think are too small for His input. If it matters to you, it matters to Him. These ideas are the fruit of our two-way conversation. But in order to keep from leaving the privilege of interaction with God to work on other things, I write these things down so I can return to my worship and fellowship with Him. The notes I write give me directions I can return to later.

  Because God is resting upon us, we should expect new levels of creative ideas with which to impact our world. By referring to creative, I’m not just talking about painting or writing songs, etc. Creativity is the touch of the Creator on every part of life. It’s the need of the accountant and the lawyer as much as it is for the musician and actor. It is to be expected when you’re the son or daughter of the Creator, Himself.

  Prayer Time, Worship Time

  My prayer times are less and less about issues of need, and more and more about discovering this wonderful person who has given Himself so freely and completely to me. I remember hearing Derek Prince speak on this subject about 40 years ago. It impacted me so profoundly. He said if you have ten minutes to pray, take about eight minutes for worship. It’s amazing what you can pray for in two minutes.

  Worship has become a primary part of life. It’s wonderful when it’s in the corporate gathering. But it’s shallow when it’s only corporate. My personal life must be one of continuous worship to experience the transformations that I long for. We always become like the one we worship.

  I still believe in prayer and intercession. It is a joy. But my heart has this bent toward the Presence that is bigger than the answers I am seeking. There’s a person to be discovered, daily. He must be enjoyed, and discovered yet again. And it’s all His idea. I can seek Him only because He found me.

  Five-Minute Vacation

  One of the more meaningful parts of my life is the five-minute vacations I take. They can happen any time or anywhere. The amount of time I take varies, but the activity does not. For example, if I’m in my office, I’ll ask my secretary to hold my calls for a few
minutes. I will sit down and generally close my eyes and pray something like this, “God, I’m going to sit here quietly, just to be the object of your love.” The flow of His love for us is huge, likened to the water that flows over Niagara Falls—except Niagara is too small. Becoming aware of that love and experiencing that love is wonderful beyond words. It has the side benefit of driving out all fear.

  There are only two basic emotions in life: love and fear. Turning my attention toward His love for me only increases my love for Him. It’s an unending love fest where I delight in Him as He delights in me, which only increases my delight in Him. He is the ultimate pleasure and must be treasured as such.

  Many of us have been raised thinking there was a lot of work in prayer. Actually, I still value that model, but now only when it comes out of the lifestyle of Presence and romance. It is most effective when I’m in love. Discovering His Presence daily is the surest way to stay in love.

  I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken (Psalm 16:8).

  This psalm of David is a favorite for a number of reasons. It is a psalm of discovery of Presence. It concludes in verse 11 with “In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Fullness of joy. Where? In the Presence! There would be more joy in the house if we became more aware of the One who was in the house.

  The verse mentioned above is unique because of this one concept—I have set the Lord continually before me. Here the word set means to place, as in to put something in its rightful place. David made it a daily practice to place God right in front of Him. He turned his attention toward God with him until he became aware of Him. David, the one most honored in Scripture as a person of God’s Presence said that this was how he did life. Considering the outcome of David’s life, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say this was a secret to David’s success in the Presence. He knew that if He didn’t turn His attention toward the Lord who was with Him, He would live without due north. He would lack the reference point in his compass that put everything else in life in its place.

  Read Until He Speaks

  While worship is the number one way that God has used to teach me about His Presence, a very close second would be my encounters with Him through His Word. I love the Scriptures so much. Most of what I have learned about the voice of God has been learned in the reading of His Word. And while I believe in the intense study of Scripture, I mostly read for pleasure. In fact, I always read for pleasure.

  God has spoken to me countless times through the years from the pages of His book. It is now a habit to immediately go to His Word when I need direction, comfort, insight or wisdom. If I’m troubled by something, I go to the Psalms. Every emotion is well represented in that book. And I read until I hear my voice in a psalm. Once I hear my heart’s cry, I know I have found the place for me to stop and feed. It’s probably much like sheep that have found a pasture of bounty to feed from. They just stop and enjoy. That’s my life. I stop and feed on the wonderful interaction, the voice, the actual Presence of God that is manifested in and through His Word.

  “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). There are two important things I want to point to in this great verse. First is the fact that faith comes from hearing, not from having heard. The second is that faith doesn’t necessarily come from hearing the Word. Faith comes from hearing. Our capacity to hear comes from the Word. Being one who hears now is one who is in line for great faith. Our entire life is attached to His voice. Man lives by “every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).

  Community for Communion

  God loves the church. He loves the idea, the potential, and everything to do with the church, His Son’s body on earth. In fact, He stated that zeal for this house has consumed Him! He has devoted His strength, wisdom, and His intense emotions to this house on earth: His eternal dwelling place.

  What I experience with God at home on my own is priceless. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. But neither would I trade the amazing moments I’ve experienced through the years in the gatherings of hundreds or thousands. They are also priceless moments that prepare us for eternity where people from every tribe and tongue will lift up praises to the Lord. This is indescribable joy.

  Some things are reserved for the individual. And yet some things are actually too precious to be given to only one. They must be shared with a company of people, a body, the church. And there are aspects of His Presence that will only be experienced in the corporate gathering. The exponential release and discovery of Presence is equal to the size of the group of people united in the purpose of exalting Jesus in praise.

  There are times when God will only allow us to recognize His Presence in a crowd. It’s not a rejection. He just longs for us to share His joy in the whole.

  Building a Personal History

  Many have come to me through the years asking for a prayer of impartation, which is the release of a gift for ministry through the laying on of hands, often accompanied by prophecy. It has been one of the great privileges of life to see how God uses both their hunger and the anointing on my life to impact another willing vessel. And while impartation has become rightfully more important in recent years, for some it has become a shortcut to maturity, which really can only be developed through faithful service over time. Getting an instant answer is almost always preferred by those of us raised in this culture of immediate gratification. We sometimes forget: gifts are free; maturity is expensive.

  I believe that giving and receiving impartation is such an amazing privilege. But like many, I also have seen it abused. That abuse is probably why many in my parents’ generation rejected the concept of impartation altogether. But the testimonies of this great principle are bringing forth undeniable fruit to the glory of God. Learning how to access great anointing on another person’s life is a great key to personal breakthrough.

  The release of a gift through the laying on of hands is entirely God’s doing. We are not vending machines where you put in your request, push a button, and out comes the desired gift. Often someone will tell me that they want twice what I have. Well, so do I! If it were that easy, I would lay hands on myself and pray, “Double it!” Of late, I’ve been telling people, “I can lay hands on you and impart an anointing into your life as God wills. But I can’t give you my history with God.”

  There is something priceless in a person’s life that must be developed and protected at any cost: it’s our private history with God. If you make history with God, God will make history through you. This history is created when no one is watching—it’s who we are when we are alone. It’s seen in the cry of our hearts, how we think, what we pray, and how we value God, Himself. Our lives are shaped when there is no one able to applaud our sacrifice or efforts.

  These are the moments that we learn the most about hosting His Presence. It’s when there’s no one to pray for, no one to serve—that’s where the relational boundaries are determined. Am I in this for how God can use me, or am I surrendered because He is God, and there is no greater honor in life? Jesus had His encounter with the Holy Spirit at His water baptism. A crowd watched. Probably very few, if any, had an idea of what was happening. But it was on the nights on the mountain, when no one was watching, that His greatest breakthroughs came. History was made in Him before history was made through Him. He loved the Father before He could reveal the Father.

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  Baptism of Fire

  John the Baptist was the greatest of all the Old Testament prophets. His responsibility, his anointing, and his place in history all put him at the top of the list. Jesus is the one who pointed out this fact in His remarkable affirmation of John in Matthew 11. Over half the chapter was dedicated to his honor.

  John had so much going for him: he walked in the Spirit and power of Elijah, he ended Heaven’s silence with his cries of the Kingdom of Heaven being at hand, and he was given the privilege to
pave the way for the Messiah. Yet according to John, he was lacking one primary ingredient: Jesus’ baptism. This desire came to light when Jesus came to John to be baptized in water. John had trouble figuring out how he could baptize Him as Jesus was not the one in need. In the overwhelming contrast with Jesus’ perfection, John realized his need. He confessed his desire with, “I have need to be baptized by You” (Matt. 3:14). Interestingly, this all came about right after John had prophesied, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matt. 3:11). It was fresh on his mind. That is the context for his confession. John needed and desired the baptism of fire—the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is this one essential gift from God that makes it possible for “the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven [to be] greater than he” (Matt. 11:11). John had no access to that baptism. Yet it’s that baptism that makes it possible for every New Testament believer to be greater than the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. This is fire at a whole new level. And this fire is Presence.

  The Grace Umbrella

  Jesus brought the disciples into the authority and power He lived in. As stated earlier, they functioned under the umbrella of His experience, and were deputized as a result. But before He left earth to live at the right hand of the Father, He made sure the disciples knew that the realm they had lived in for three and a half years with Him would never be enough for the days to come. They had to get their own power and authority.