1. family and parenting
2. children

It
Begins
In
His Presence
Christian Heim
A longing after the outpouring of God
Availability, not Ability
The key is availability!
As I write this, I am certain that you desire a closer walk with God. There is no substitute for
experiencing the Presence of God. None of us will be truly fulfilled with anything less. But there
are no shortcuts either. A heart that is unreservedly set on God is what it is going to take. Your
longing for the Presence of God will come to nothing without your willingness to set aside time
for Him. The simple instructions I have laid out for you here will help you, but in the end it is up
to you to determine to do it. May God bless you as you draw closer to Him!
His Presence to All Nations Ministries
It
Begins
In
His Presence
Christian Heim
Copyright 2007 by Christian Heim
All rights reserved. Written permission must be secured from the publisher to use
or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or
articles.
Scripture quotations are from the New King James version of the Bible. Copyright
1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers. Printed in the United States of
America.
2
Author’s Note
A few years ago, my wife and I sensed that God was longing for a deeper encounter with us,
beyond our ministry work, or even the miracles that we had experienced along the way. Exciting
as all those previous years had been, this was something greater. The urging of the Spirit pressed
upon us and as we began to yield, we understood that we were entering a process of
transformation. I consider the two years that followed to be the most important of my life. God
was drawing us into His very Presence. This was the reality of being saved - being reconciled to
God. This is what the Father desires beyond everything. But it is also the pre-requisite of
transformation - becoming more and more like Him. It all begins in His Presence.
I feel it is important to stress that all this happened during a very dry time in our lives. We looked
back at wonderful, almost trouble free, years and wondered why things had changed. But in order
to move on with the Lord there have to be times when He starts to prune us, taking things away
so that we can go from glory to glory. The process brought us to our knees, and eventually to a
new place of prayer and intimate worship. How precious is His mercy! We have come into a
totally new and fresh place in Him. Now, with this burning in our hearts, we want to pass it on to
God’s precious people all over the world.
I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood…
Psalm 73: 16, 17
You Were Created To Be In His Presence
Just imagine…the fullness of the glory of the Trinity at the start of all creation: God the Father,
God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. It pleased God to make man and woman in His own
likeness, to be in fellowship with Him, to walk with Him, to be in His very Presence.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness (Genesis
1:26).
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and
female He created them (Genesis 1:27).
God has known you from before you were formed in your mother’s womb. He has a life
‘fashioned’ especially for you.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written,
the days fashioned for me, when as yet there was none of them (Psalm 139:16).
We all know too well how far we fall short of God’s glory, but how amazing is the mercy of God
that He sent Jesus to remove our sins from us – as far as the east is from the west – so that we
can be reconciled to Him.
The Lord is merciful and gracious; slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not
always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us
according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are
high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east
is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his
children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For he knows our frame; He remembers
that we are dust (Psalm 103:8-14).
Not only does Jesus bring you back to the Father, but, you can draw right up close to Him. No
matter where you are right now, this is what He longs for and there is nothing that can take this
privileged place from you.
If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but
delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who
shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is He who
condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right
hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us form the love of
Christ? (Romans 8:31b-35a)
How fantastic that is! What a great and merciful God He is!
The pure in heart shall see God
Have you seen God? How do you picture Him? Let us consider the account of Jesus healing the
blind man at Bethsaida.
Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to
touch Him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And
when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw
anything. And he looked up and said. “I see men like trees, walking.” Then He put His
hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone
clearly.
You have come to Jesus. Don’t be satisfied with dim vision. Separate yourself from distracting
circumstances and let Him touch you again. Make it your purpose to ‘see’ God more clearly, to
know His Presence.
When God starts to do this – when you have this fresh touch - it will lead you into repentance, a
cleansing of your heart. This is so necessary and in accordance with the promise. Moses, Isaiah
and Paul all received visions of God. Not only did they see the glory of God but the condition of
their own hearts was also exposed (Exodus 34:5-9; Isaiah 6:1-9; Acts 9:1-6).
An encounter with God shows who He is and who we are. The condition of your heart will be
revealed. You will adjust your picture of God – He is holy and pure. When you are in His
Presence, you experience His intimacy and fellowship. You will know His voice. You will be able
to rebuild your relationship with Him, understand yourself better, understand what your purpose
and destiny is and you will want to obey His call.
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8). What a promise!
True Ministry
So many Christians live without such encounters with God and are unable to serve Him with
passion. Rather the world system has crept into their motivation, and they are unaware of the
condition of their heart and the depth of God’s love for them. During a flight to Asia, I heard
God speak these words to my heart: The world values people according to how they perform and
what they accomplish, but I value people for who they are. His priority – His greatest longing – is
to have fellowship with you. We can learn something of this from two sisters, Mary and Martha.
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman
named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also
sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and
she approached Him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve
alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her. “Martha,
Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and
Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)
Martha was consumed with all her duties, probably wanting to be the perfect hostess. Perhaps
she saw this as her ministry and her duty, but she was not coping with the load. More to the point
she was offended that Mary was not helping and that Jesus did not seem to mind. Her wrong
focus robbed her of a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the presence of the Lord, and to hear what
He had to say. Such opportunities can change us forever! I believe that if both sisters had taken
the time to be with Jesus, the work would have been accomplished later, far more effectively and
with harmony. Being united in His Presence first and then united in our tasks is a powerful
strategy. True ministry begins in His Presence.
Getting this order right is a challenge, I know. It will take determination and persistence to break
old patterns. In general terms, ministry can be described as reaching out to someone in need, be
it practical or spiritual, and meeting that need with the help of the Holy Spirit. After a time of
ministry I had in Malaysia, a pastor’s wife wrote to me, “I had been struggling. Though faithful in
all my Christian duties, I had neglected spending time alone with Him. Trying to find my way
back to the lap and chest of Father God was like a maze. But this weekend, it was like you led us
there so easily. It is truly easy for someone who is familiar with the way, and who frequents the
place. How foolish of me to have thought that I could minister to people by planning and relying
on my wisdom and own ability.”
The Reality of God’s Presence in Your Own Life
God’s Presence, His glory, abides in you and in every person who has personally received Jesus as
Lord and Saviour. The Presence of the Lord is simply God Himself with you. You can fellowship
with Him and know His voice and ways. Knowing God comes by revelation of His Word, which
takes time. It is an ongoing process, a daily walk of trust and faith (Romans 12:1,2; Colossians
2:6,7). Like David, you will need to desire more from God than seeing your practical needs met.
You will need to long for more than miracles. David wrote and sang passionately of his longing
to be in God’s Presence, of making his home with Him.
How lovely is your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes even faints for the
courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may
lay her young – even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are
those who dwell in your house; they will still be praising You.” (Psalm 84:1-4)
This heart attitude, thirst and desire is the starting point but must also result in taking time to be
with the Lord. Seeking God in order to be close to Him needs to be a lifelong habit.
Learning from Moses
In the midst of very difficult circumstances, Moses spoke with God,
Show me now Your way, that I might know You and that I might find grace in Your
sight.” In response, God said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” If
Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be
known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So
we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the
earth. (Exodus 13:13-16)
In Psalm 103:7 we read that God made His ways known to Moses and His acts to the children of
Israel. The acts of God have to do with the manifestation of His power and do not necessarily
speak of His Presence. His ways have to do with His person, His glory, His attributes and His
intentions, which are described in His names. His Presence brings all of the latter. In His
Presence we can have real fellowship with Him. God could allow Israel into the Promised Land
regardless, but without His Presence they would not carry His glory and therefore would be no
different to any of the surrounding peoples. Moses understood this.
So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have
found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” And he said, “Please, show me Your
glory.” Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim
the name of the Lord before you.”(Exodus 33:17-19).
And the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name
of the Lord. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “ The Lord, the Lord
God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping
mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” (Exodus 34:5-7).
The Lord reveals Himself in His names.
Jehovah Tsidkenu
Jehovah M’Kaddesh
Jehovah Shalom
Jehova Shammah
Jehovah Rophe
Jehovah Jireh
Jehovah Nissi
Jehovah Rohi
Adonai
El-Elyon
El Shaddai
Jehovah Sabaoth
The Lord our Righteousness
The Lord who Sanctifies
The Lord our Peace
The Lord is Present
The Lord our Healer
The Lord our Provider
The Lord our Banner
The Lord our Shepard
Master
The Most High God
The All Sufficient One
The Lord our Warrior
Moses was not satisfied with just serving God, or even witnessing His miracles – he wanted to
know God. He was asking God for fellowship. When he encountered the Presence of God, he
lost sight of himself, fell on his knees and worshipped (Exodus 34:8). I remember some years ago
when I encountered the Presence as never before. Like Moses, I asked the Lord to come, and He
did, like a cloud filling my living room. The atmosphere was so changed that I fell on my knees
and was not able to speak, but cried and was consumed in His glory. It was both frightening and
wonderful. God longs to touch all of us in this way.
When the Presence Comes!
Experiencing the Presence of the Lord is rare in the lives of so many Christians. Yet it is what we
all truly long for. When you have experienced God’s tangible Presence, the absence of it is
obvious. You sense the difference in the atmosphere around you, you are aware of self and the
surrounding circumstances, the problems of this world and all your own problems. You are
trying to solve everything with your natural thinking. In His Presence we become alert and
attentive in our spirits and we are refreshed in soul and body. God becomes so real and His word
is alive. All this is the work of the Holy Spirit. He draws close to us as we draw close to Him. It is
He who is at work with us and in us.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised
Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who
dwells in you […] For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of
adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with
our spirit that we are the children of God (Romans 8: 11-16).
Enjoying His Presence has to do with walking in the Spirit and with having your mind set on the
things of the Spirit. Likewise, the absence of His Presence has to do with the natural (carnal)
mind.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but
those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit (Romans 8:5).
I encourage you to study Romans 8:1-17. Paul is teaching how to overcome sin, but we can apply
the same principles when it comes to experiencing God’s Presence. The natural mind cannot
connect to God. The Holy Spirit brings us into God’s Presence. He brings a holy atmosphere of
worship and expectation. It is like a fresh breeze or the fragrance after the rain. God is so close
and one senses that anything could happen. The ministry of preaching is empowered and your
time of Bible reading and prayer comes alive. You are aware that God is listening intently to your
every word. Tiredness disappears. The Spirit always brings life - bringing you back to your first
love. There is a willingness to discipline the way you spend your time, to set aside sin and
unimportant activities. He makes everything new.
Remember it is the Holy Spirit who makes God real to us. In Acts chapter one we read of Jesus
instructing His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit. We must make time to wait for Him. When
He comes, heaven is opened and He will lift your spirit into the Presence of God.
The Difference between His Power and His Presence
We need God’s power for effective service. It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to surrender,
obey God, be bold, overcome difficulties and stand, despite persecution. But to ask God to show
us His glory is to ask for His Presence to come. It is to seek His fellowship and to know Him. I
have seen and learned different aspects of God’s power and Presence.
God’s Presence is in me but His power is upon me.
The glory of God is spiritual and changes the heart.
God’s power touches the body and can be felt.
The Presence of God is the absence of self.
The presence of self is the absence of God.
God’s anointing is the power of God in action.
We need God’s power for service, not for fellowship.
In His Presence we find fellowship with Him and get to know Him.
The Presence is abiding in you but His power comes for a season and for a specific reason.
The Presence stills the soul but His power stirs the soul.
The Presence nurtures and satisfies you.
The Presence causes you to rest and just be; His power causes you to do.
His power enables you to help others.
The Presence in you is for your own benefit; the power upon you is for the benefit of others.
The Presence affects my spirit, my ability to receive revelation knowledge.
His power affects my body, speech and behaviour, enabling me to do the impossible.
Spiritual Preparation
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit
and in truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who
worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 1:23,24).
Good preparation is half the work. There are practical steps you can take to help you have lifechanging times with God. To enter into times of worship, I always prepare my heart and my
thoughts and make some practical arrangements that help me to be still and expectant. My living
room has been the place I have made a sanctuary where God can come. Really it is the heart
condition that counts, not the physical place. Nevertheless, having a specific place really does
help.
Hunger for His Presence
There is a ‘place’ where God’s Presence dwells. Please take your Bible and go with me to the
Psalms of David. Make these scriptures your prayer.
Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your Glory dwells
(Psalm 26:8).
One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I might dwell in the house of
the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire at His
temple (Psalm 27:4).
O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs
for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the
sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your loving kindness is better than
life, My lips shall praise You. Thus will I bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in
Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall
praise You with joyful lips (Psalm 63:1-5).
Know that God knows you and sees you already
The Lord is always ready to meet you. Generally speaking it is up to you to draw close to Him
with the knowledge that He sees you and that He is more than willing to meet you.
The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling
He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He
considers all their works. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him. (Psalm
33:13-18;18)
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry (Psalm
34:15).
What promises to stand on! God does not just want to look at you: He wants to come to where
you are in your everyday life.
The condition of your heart
The Scriptures speak a lot about the condition of our heart. God resists the proud but is close to
the humble (1 Peter 5:5). How important, if we are to enter into His Presence!
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast
me away from Your Presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. For You do
not desire sacrifice, or else You would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You
will not despise (Psalm 51:10, 11; 16,17).
For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; “I
dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive
the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones (Isaiah 57:15).
Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house
that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand
has made, and all those things exist,” says the LORD. “But on this one will I look: On
him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word. (Isaiah 66: 1-4)
The key word is surrender!
Surrender means simply: The act of giving up or yielding oneself or the possession of something
to another. I give my life willingly over to him, saying, “God I give you every area in my entire
life: spirit, soul and body. All I have belongs to you and I want to do your will.”
The Bible tells us that Jesus did this, “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You
have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for in sin You had no pleasure.
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come — in the volume of the book it is written of Me — to do
Your will, O God.” (Hebrews 10: 5-7)
Practical preparation
We are often busy for the Lord but forget the most important thing, which is spending time with
Him. I remember many years ago I neglected to spend time in the Presence of God, because I
was running late. I drove in my car to a prayer meeting and saw that I was low on fuel. But
because I was late I ignored the warning indicator, and thought I could do it after the meeting.
When the meeting was over I drove home and 30 meters before the gas station I ran out of fuel.
There I was in the middle of the night with no help. I had to push my car and I tell you, it was
heavy. It took me more than 30 minutes and a lot of energy and I was exhausted. I learned a
lesson – spending time with the Lord would have saved me time in the end. Always take time to
come in to His Presence and be filled with the Holy Spirit – it is like filling your car with petrol.
Many Christians live like this, they start with a full tank of energy and after some time their
Christian walk is without the Holy Spirit’s Presence and power because they forget to refill and
spend time at the heavenly filling station. They try to run the engine without power - trying to be
good Christian without the Helper. Their lives become a heavy burden. The joy and the power
are gone.
Find a place where you can be alone with God without disturbance
We live in a society that is so busy. It is vital you make time to be alone with God. You need an
atmosphere that gives you freedom to express your love, worship and deepest thoughts of your
heart to God—the freedom to say what you really feel. Time with the Lord is so important. This
is the time when God speaks to you and refreshes you. He imparts His plans and desires into
your heart. Jesus knew the power of being alone with the Father, on the mountains or in the
garden (Mark 1:35; Matthew 14:23; Lukas 21:41).
Decide when and were you will spend time with the Lord alone? Take the time to plan!
Deal with distractions
Write down the things that are distracting you – all the needs and musts of the day.
Play worship music that lifts your Spirit
I have some wonderful CDs that help me to create an atmosphere of worship. My thoughts can
drift off in a thousand directions, but anointed worship lifts my spirit before God, and helps me
to focus upon the Lord. I can enter into holy silence, quiet my mind and concentrate on the text
of the songs that magnify the Lord. It prepares my heart and lifts my spirit into the glorious
Presence of God.
Wait in silence
My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock
and my salvation; He is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my
glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you
people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us (Ps 62, 5-8).
It is the Holy Spirit that brings you into God’s Presence. Learn to wait on Him.
I love this testimony, which I received some time after my visit to a church in Malaysia:
“We waited upon the Lord, just wanting Him to do whatever He wanted. It was awesome
because it wasn't the ordinary prayer meeting where we would have a long list of requests ordering, begging, petitioning, etc - telling God what we wanted. Instead, we allowed Him to
move. He ministered to us in inner healing, rewriting the past of many among us who had broken
families and sad childhoods. Grown men opened up their hurting hearts for prayer because they
had been softened by the Lord's Presence. There was repentance and forgiveness, followed by
prophetic songs, music, and dance by people who had never done such things before. It was a
spiritual springtime for many who had been dry. Why am I sharing all this with you? Because
many testified that they felt that you had taught them how to wait upon the Lord and to seek to
be intimate with Him above all else.”
Make yourself dependent upon the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is your Helper, Companion, Teacher, Defender and Comforter. He is the One
who makes heaven real and will bring you into the Presence of the Father: “Likewise the Spirit
also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the
Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26)
The Holy Spirit knows how to pray. I always say, ”Holy Spirit, please come and help me. Come
with your life and direct my prayer life.” I came to the understanding that I cannot pray
effectively without the Holy Spirit. I depend on Him. He is the Spirit of Life. He brings me
before the Father, reveals Christ to me, makes the word alive to me – he makes God real.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways
acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5, 6).
The Holy Spirit is your helper and waits for your invitation!
Be totally open before God
The more I get to know God the more I open my life to Him. I have learned over the years that
it is best not to avoid issues with God. I only fool myself if I bring some matters before Him, but
leave out the ones I don’t want to deal with. Read with me Psalm 139:1-4
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising
up; You understand my thoughts afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold,
O Lord, You know it altogether.
The whole Psalm speaks of how God knows us and nothing can be hidden from Him.
The Lord knows our heart and thoughts. So I tell the Lord my deepest thoughts, my dreams,
problems and concerns. I pour myself out before the Lord. He is our best friend and Father. He
will never disappoint us or leave us. He is there to help us – but He needs our trust. This is
something we have to remind ourselves of over and over again by taking His word and
confessing it out loud. Declare to yourself, to God and to your circumstances, that He is good,
and that He is helping you.
As you grow in the knowledge of God’s character, your trust in Him will grow too. Ask the Holy
Spirit to help you with this so that you do not merely receive head knowledge about His
attributes, but revelation in your heart.
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.
The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works (Psalm 145:8,9).
The Lord upholds all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look
expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season.
You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfil the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.
The Lord preserves all who love Him (Psalms 145:14-20)
These are wonderful promises for answered prayer!
Take the time now to consider a few things:
Where is your place for being alone?
What is the best time for you to meet with God on a daily basis?
Do you have access to worship music that lifts you up? Of course, it is not a problem if you
don’t, but I have found that worship music is a wonderful help in the journey you will take into
His Presence.
So now your journey begins!
Nothing compares, or is as important, as experiencing the Presence of God for yourself.
Now that we have discussed spiritual and practical preparation, I am inviting you to my living
room where I meet with the Lord. So, please come with me. Always remember: the Lord is
already attentive to you, and drawing close to you, from the moment you begin to seek His face.
Play worship music
The first thing I do is put on my favourite worship music. The atmosphere in the room changes,
it becomes holy and my spirit is lifted before God. Prayer begins to flow more easily and my
expectation increases.
Get your heart right
At times I cannot relax in my mind or I have a battle going on in my soul. The music helps to pin
point the problem. I spend time confessing my sins and finding that wonderful peace with God.
Identify the source of sin and be honest with yourself and God. Do not blame anybody else.
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires
for pleasure that war in your members? (James 4,1)
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his
works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking
in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from
above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist,
confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality
and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who
make peace. (James 3, 13-18)
I use the powerful weapon of the Blood of Jesus! “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. … And the blood of Jesus
Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1: 9,7)
I confess my sins, and ask the Lord to cleanse me by His blood. When I am troubled in my mind
I lay my hands on my head and speak peace to my mind by claiming the power of the blood of
Jesus over my thought life. This immediately brings wonderful peace. There is miracle-working
power in His Blood. In Colossians 1:20 we read that Jesus brought us peace by shedding His
blood on the cross.
I do not want anything to come between the Lord and myself.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see the Lord (Matt. 5:8).
Supplication – giving over to the Lord
There are always circumstances in my life that are demanding a solution. It is difficult to
concentrate on prayer if my mind is filled with anxious thoughts. In Philippians I read that God
is over and above my natural understanding of these circumstances. He promises to guard my
heart and mind from negativity when I make a practice of handing things over to Him.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,
let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6,7).
Jesus says to me and to you in Matthew 6:25-34:
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What
shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father
knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own
trouble.
I need to discipline myself and make this a conscious, daily practice. We can either feed our
worried thoughts or we can starve them by spending time in the Word and in his Presence. As I
have already written, use the power of the Blood of Jesus. Make a determined decision and say to
yourself: “Lord, I give You my problems and believe in Your provision. Please help me now and
release me from my burdens, that press me down and distract me from you. I refuse to be
tormented by these thoughts but trust in You instead. Holy Spirit, help me now!”
The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His
covenant (Psalm 25:14).
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God
and He will draw near to you (James 4:7,8).
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in
due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:6,7).
I say, thank you Lord, that you have taken all my needs and thank you for the answers. I trust in
you!
Now I am cleansed and strengthened to go on
Now I have found peace. I sit down in my armchair and say to the Holy Spirit: “Precious Holy
Spirit, please come and help me to pray, lead me into the Father’s Presence and quicken my spirit
– I need You so much.” I trust in His guidance and silently in expectation wait for Him. I just
wait for His touch in my spirit. Suddenly, I sense a gentle nudge within that moves me in a
certain direction, like reading a scripture or just enjoying His Presence. I start to talk to God in a
conversation or I express my gratitude to God. Each time alone with the Holy Spirit can be
different, so it is good to learn to trust His leading – He knows best!
Remember, there is no formula to follow – it is all about a love relationship and fellowship
getting to know God. Do not be impatient and give up. Go on and you will experience His
Presence more and more. You will know when He comes. Give yourself time to learn and dare to
follow His guidance.
Confession – to speak in agreement
The Holy Spirit usually leads me to a scripture that will speak into my heart and edify me. In His
word he shows me who He is, what He wants and what He can do. He also shows who I am in
Him and what I can do through Him and He through me. There are so many scriptures that
speak to us in this way, but here I will only share a few. God´s word is powerful:
For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth.
He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath
of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap. He lays up the deep in
storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
For He spoke and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast (Psalm 33: 4-9).
I have prepared a confession for you so you can begin to declare who you are in Christ. Write
your name in the blank spaces.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed me___________ in
the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose me___________ in Him
before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined
me_____________ to be adopted as His son through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His
pleasure and will— to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One
He loves. In Him I______________ have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of
sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on me____________with all
wisdom and understanding (Ephesians 1:3-8).
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved me___________,
even when I ___________ was dead in trespasses, made me_____________ alive together with
Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised me____________ up together, and made
me_____________ sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come
He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward me_______________
in Christ Jesus. For by grace I _________________ have been saved through faith, and that not
of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For I
_________________ am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand that I ______________ should walk in them. (Ephesians 4: 4 -10)
At times I go to the same scripture, book, chapter and or verses, over and over again, until I find
a release to go on. The Holy Spirit is your teacher and wants to give you specific revelation from
the Word into your heart. It is as though He is brooding over a portion of scripture together with
you until the light turns on in your heart and the written Word comes to life. When this happens
it becomes a part of your being. So stick with Him, and don’t cut the moment short because of
lack of patience.
Confessing and meditating on the Word feeds your spirit and brings great inner strength. God
becomes BIGGER on the inside of you than the problems on the outside.
Adoration
I would like to make this statement: Adoration is you serving the Lord and communion is the
Lord serving you. The highest form or expression of prayer is adoration. Let me give you a
picture of the worship we will have in heaven:
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of
all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,
clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud
voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and
fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing and
glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever
and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 7:9-12)
My experience is that the Spirit of God will lead me into adoration. The Spirit always abides in
the Presence of the Father and always wants to magnify the Father and the Son. If the Spirit, who
knows real worship, fills your heart with worship then your inner man bursts into an expression
of adoration and you are left standing in awe and reverence. You start to truly “see” the power
and ways of God. The fear of God comes upon your life and the desire for holiness fills you. You
do not want to do anything to hurt or offend the Father, and your first love for Jesus returns.
True worship can never be worked up emotionally or by my natural understanding. Bible
knowledge may help me to understand certain activities of the Holy Spirit but He is not
dependant on my knowledge or emotions. Worship is the result of a heart that is broken because
of seeing Jesus and results in an overflow of gratefulness to God.
The Spirit of God invites us to take that step of total surrender to Him and we need to allow
Him to lead us deeper. As it is written: Deep calls unto deep (Psalm 42:7). I simply give myself
over to Him, and follow His promptings. He brings me into spiritual awareness that makes God
so real, that at times He is like a mighty river that floods my soul and I am totally consumed by
Him. In that moment I loose sight of time and surroundings. Heaven becomes more real than
anything else. I do not want to leave. Sometimes the tears flow because I am so overwhelmed
with God’s goodness, kindness and compassion. There will be times when I am on my knees,
other times standing in silence, inwardly telling Him of my love for Him. Sometimes there are no
words – I am just left standing in His Presence.
Many songs are born in that kind of environment and still today you sense the anointing on these
songs. Songs born of the Spirit always contain the life of God.
O God, You are my God; early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.
Because Your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You
with joyful lips.
When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My
soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me (Psalm 63).
He is awesome!
God ministers to us as we minister to Him
Adoration is you focusing on the Lord and communion is God focusing on you or serving you.
Communion is basically sharing with others what one has, in order to meet their needs. God is
sharing what He has with you, so you in turn can share with others what you have received from
Him. God is comforting you, loving you, healing you, encouraging you and much more, so that
you are able to minister to others, to build up the body of Christ and to share with the world the
goodness and kindness of the Lord.
As I move from adoration into communion, I enter into a time of just looking at Him. There is
no need to say, “I love You”; no words are needed. I am totally consumed by Him. I sit down
just to be with Him. In that time He ministers to my heart and mind. In His Presence there is
wholeness and completion. He can show me in a picture how my lack and failures can be turned
into wholeness and good character. Such revelation from Him leads me into repentance and
imparts to me a strong desire for change. At times I partake of the Lord’s supper, and recall His
Covenant and His promises.
Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way.
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His
testimonies.
For Your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
Who is the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.
He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth. The
secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.
My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net. Turn
Yourself to me, and have mercy on me (Psalm 25:8-16).
Fellowship means pouring out my heart to Him and Him pouring out His heart to me. Your
fellowship with the Lord at this time will bring strength to different facets of your relationship
with Him. For instance, He is your closest Friend, your senior Business Partner, your Advocate
and Advisor, your Comforter, Teacher, and so on. He knows best in every situation. When you
experience this, your love and trust toward God deepens.
Intercessory Prayer
Isaiah and Ezekiel record a moment in history when God could not find a willing intercessor
(Isaiah 59:16; Ezekiel 22:30). He looked for someone to stand in the gap for Israel but could find
no one. This can so often be the case in our lives and one of the reasons can be spiritual dryness.
The Bible does not say that nothing is impossible for God, leaving you and me out, but rather it
says that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). He works together with us and therefore it
is vital that we cooperate with Him. In other words, God is looking for a partner to unite, work
and cooperate with. All too often delay is not His delay.
Intercessory prayer is born out of a close relationship with the Lord. God the Father will touch
your heart with what concerns Him. In particular, you will be deeply touched by His concern for
the ones He wants to reach through you.
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should
pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the
Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God
(Romans 8: 26).
You may sense an inner urging to pray for someone in particular. Or you may just have a strong
urge to pray without knowing what it is for. There may be tears of compassion. He unites with
us in prayer and we are aware of God’s feelings. We can find ourselves groaning within our spirits
in a way that cannot be expressed in normal speech. God is praying through us and obviously,
this kind of prayer is effective.
When the spirit of intercession comes upon me it is difficult to stay still. I start to walk around in
my living room as I pray. I am filled with compassion and often the tears are flowing. I lift my
hands and declare to God his greatness, might and power. I am filled with expectation for Him to
do the impossible. Satan is bound and I declare his defeat in Jesus Christ, loosing the chains in
people’s lives. This is God praying through me.
Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace;
thereby good will come to you. Receive pleasing instruction from His mouth, and lay up
His words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; you will
remove iniquity far from your tents.
Then you will lay your gold in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the
brooks. Yes, the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver; for then you will
have your delight in the Almighty, and lift up your face to God.
You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you, and you will pay your vows. You
will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways.
And notice this next part in particular:
When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’
Then He will save the humble person. He will even deliver one who is not innocent; yes,
he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.” (Job 22: 21-30)
Through intercession, you become an instrument in the hands of Almighty God. As a result, lives
are changed for eternity. After times of intercessory prayer, it is more than likely that you enter
into praise and thanks to God.
Praise and Thanksgiving
Praise is lifting up the name of the Lord and proclaiming what He has done.
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its going down.
The Lord’s name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high,
Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap;
That He may seat him with princes—with the princes of His people.
He grants the barren woman a home, like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm113).
When there is a sense of release after interceding, I am filled with praise and thanksgiving toward
God. I proclaim His greatness. I declare that He heard my prayers and answered them. I rejoice
and dance or just lift my hands and thank Him that He has done it. This is simply giving glory to
God for the answer, just as Abraham did.
He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith,
giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also
able to perform. (Romans 4: 20, 21)
Thank God for his loving kindness!
Availability, not Ability
In conclusion, I want to leave you with this key word: AVAILABILITY. As I write this, I am
certain that you desire a closer walk with God. There is no substitute for experiencing the
Presence of God. None of us will be truly fulfilled with anything less. But there are no shortcuts
either. A heart that is unreservedly set on God is what it is going to take. Your longing for the
Presence of God will come to nothing without your willingness to set aside time for Him. The
simple instructions I have laid out for you here will help you, but in the end it is up to you to
determine to do it. May God bless you as you draw closer to Him!
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About the Author
Christian Heim was born in West Berlin. He received God’s call in 1983 and in 1985 completed
three years of pastoral training at the theological seminary, Beröa, in Darmstadt, Germany. In the
summer of 1989, he and his family moved to Uppsala, Sweden, to attend Word of Life Bible
School for two years. They remained in Uppsala for a further nine years. In 1994, they went as
missionaries to Brno, Czech Republic, where Christian was a Bible School teacher. At the same
time he was a local pastor, pioneering a church for three years in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Since 2004, Christian’s passion has been to help people to enter into the Presence of God, taking
them to another level in their walk with God.
Christian has ministered in 22 nations around the world. His travels have taken him to
Scandinavia, Europe, India, Asia, Central Asia, United States of America and Mexico. He now
lives in the south of Sweden with his wife Annika and their two sons, Jonathan and David.
His Presence to All Nations
For more contact:
Christian Heim
Email: [email protected]
www.christianheimministries.com