Have you ever felt silence? You know, the moments when the silence seems to want to speak to you? There have been many times when a very powerful silence has fallen in the room and after sitting in it for a moment, God would begin to speak. I think these silences are when the presence of God’s glory is filling the room. The only challenge is that in our human nature we can often curtail silence because it’s uncomfortable. Experiencing silence can be stretching.
Lately, I have felt such a silence repeatedly.
God is moving here on the earth, and He is speaking to those who are willing to listen. Those willing to suffer the discomfort of silence that sometimes precedes His glory and His voice.
I have a very clear memory from a church we used to attend. We had reached the end of service and the pastor had us join together acapella to sing a song. Suddenly, I felt a heavy silence fall upon us, and I knew it was God. The air began to feel thick with the glory and holiness of God, but because it was mildly awkward the pastor interrupted it to ask the piano player to return to the stage and play. As soon as he spoke the glory that was filling the room left. I was so grieved. I have often wondered what may have happened if we had tarried, embracing the silence with reverence and allowing the glory of God to fill the room.
Oh God, I so strongly desire to learn how to steward Your presence better.
What do you think might happen if we let God have room in our lives and church services? I wonder what kind of shift could occur? There’s no better time than now to press into this glory.
Prayer Moment: I encourage each of you to sit in God’s presence today. When you go before Him, begin with worshiping Him and praising Him and then just sit in the silence and see what happens. But the real challenge is to sit past the point of comfort. You might be shocked to see how quickly you feel ready to move on with your day, but I encourage you to sit just a little longer than you would normally. Press into that place where His glory fills the earth and ask Him to meet you there. What do you have to lose? The question really is what could you gain?
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Exodus 40:34
The glory of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing the east. Then the Spirit filled me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. Ezekiel 43:4-5
Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4
365 Days in the Presence 