Creflo Dollar - Ten Benefits Of Being In The Presence Of God
Being in the presence of God equips you with the blessing, with joy, and with peace. When you spend time with him, the fruit of the spirit becomes an outflow of that relationship, and when you go to the presence of God in the midst of rough times, he will go to work for you. Trust is developed out of a relationship with God, and I want you to stay with me today to learn about the benefits of being in God's presence and developing a relationship with him.
There are benefits from being in the presence of God. I believe that every issue in a person's life can be resolved through an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I believe if you can locate the place where the flow starts, and develop right there, then you control everything downstream. I think the problem is, is we become downstream Christians, and we forget about the place where the water starts, where the spout goes out. And so an intimate relationship with Jesus, an intimate relationship with God Almighty, an intimate relationship with him, he will then cause an outflow from that relationship in every area that you need, in every you're dealing with.
So if you don't have the fruit of the spirit, and you spend time with him, the fruit of the spirit becomes an outflow. If you need healing, and you spend time with him, healing flows out of your relationship with him. If you need deliverance or transformation, it flows out of the time that you spend with him. See, we've been tryin' to get those things to be activated through the mechanics of what we understand, but we don't know him. So if we take time to know who he is, he begins to transform us, change us, equip us, heal us, prosper us, provide wisdom, because you can't practice the art of being alone with God and come out the same. You can't do it. Peace becomes an outflow of the time spent in his presence. Joy becomes an outflow. I use the word, this phrase outflow because it's flowing out of the relationship. Mmm.
Now, I see why I started with what I just started with. It flows out of the relationship. The very relationship I was just talking to you about, about a man and a woman and all the things that can flow out, that trigger initiated in that man's hero instinct, that love flows out, the romance flows out, the service flows out, but anything we try to mechanically initiate and turn on, but it doesn't derive, we hadn't located where it comes from and where it flows from will always be downstream Christians needing to back upstream to find out what's the source of this flow. Glory to God. What's the source of that healing? What's the source of that deliverance? Ho, what's the source of that joy even when you're not happy? What's the source of the peace in the midst of a hard time? You know what the source is? A personal intimate relationship in the presence of God.
So you know what happens? Instead, if you look for your notes on the five ways to have the greatest type of faith, you don't even need to look for the notes. You know where it came from. It came from a personal intimate relationship with God, and it'll flow out of that relationship. It flows out of that relationship. So there there's somethin' that happens when you get into the presence of God. The Scripture says and I believe it's Psalms 16 and 11, he says in his presence, watch this, watch what flows out, there's fullness of joy. At his right hand, watch what flows out, our treasure are pleasures for evermore. It comes out of a relationship with God. So what about a Christian who knows all of the doctrinal arguments?
What about a Christian who knows all the scriptures, the Greek and the Hebrew, he knows all of the mechanics of prayer, confession, and all that, but he doesn't know God. He doesn't know God. And then he initiates the mechanics, and it didn't happen, and now he questions everything concerning who he is and who God is, because you're tryin' to activate something without understanding that it all flows from a relationship. You know, most of the time in relation, you know, since we're talking about this, most of time in a marriage relationship, somebody's always complaining about, "Well, we got a communication problem". It's not a communication problem. Most of the time, it's not a communication problem. Most of the time is you don't know one another.
I can practice mimicking some Italian phrases in Italian. But just because I can practice a mimic and say something in Italian, it ain't gonna do no good if I don't know what it mean. And a lot of times it's not communication, it's a lack of knowing one another. You don't know me, we talkin', but you don't know me. It's a lack of... Always communication gets the blame for it, but the reason why you can't communicate, 'cause you don't know one another, and we're tryin' to communicate with God without knowing him, and so we go with these ridiculous prayers, 'cause we don't know him.
Imagine what happens once you get to know God. Then you can start communicating with him in the midst of with urges and groanings that can't be uttered with articular speech, because you know that he weighs your heart, and you know how to communicate because you know him. But most of the time, we're tryin' to talk to one another in a relationship or even talk to God, and we don't even know. Man, I gotta go get this tape. I'm sayin', some stuff I need to study out a little bit more. But it's the truth.
So out of the presence of God, there are benefits. The first benefit that comes out of the presence of God is found in Romans 10:17. Flip over there. The first benefit is confidence and faith. Confidence and faith. God has a real weird way of putting stuff on the inside of you just to use it for something. I had no idea I'd hook up with this. Confidence and faith. So, then, faith cometh how? By hearing, and hearing by what? The word of God. What does he say? Your relationship with the word of God is going to produce faith and/or confidence in your life.
So somebody says, "Well, I don't feel like I have confidence". What's your relationship like with the word? "Well, I don't feel like I have faith for this". What's your relationship with the word? Are you satisfied with the amount of time that you have been spending in the word? That will answer why you don't feel like you have confidence, and that will answer why you don't feel like you have faith. It goes back to our relationships, so in the presence of God, number one, you get confidence and faith. Spending time in the presence. Remember in the beginning was the word, word was with God, word was God.
Number two, it's found in Proverbs 2 verses 1 through 2, the second benefit from being in the presence of God: wisdom. Wisdom is a benefit that comes out of that relationship with God, and when you get into the presence of God, that's where this stuff's coming from. Spending time in the presence of God gives you wisdom. Now, I didn't say, and most people don't understand the difference between wisdom and knowledge. Wisdom is not knowledge, wisdom is the ability to use knowledge. Wisdom is knowing what to do when you don't know what to do.
So wisdom is not knowledge, wisdom is not or does not come as a result of your years of Sunday School Quarterly studies or even your degrees that you earn in college. I know lots of people who have college degrees but don't know how to use the knowledge that they've obtained in getting a degree. The guy who has wisdom is the one who starts a company, and he don't even have a degree. So the person will have knowledge, but there's no light shining on that knowledge. There are many people that have jobs and have things that God blessed him with, and if you ask them what are their credentials, they'll tell ya, "I just know how to do this".
What happened? 'Cause the light of God shined on the knowledge they had, assembled it together, and now they know what to do when at one time they didn't know what to do. Wisdom is knowing what to do when you don't know what to do. You know when you get that from? You get that in the presence of God. So when crazy stuff happened and things you don't understand, you don't know about, go to the presence. When you acting stupid and said some dumb and idiotic, go to the presence, and what'll happen? God will shine some light, he'll give you wisdom and understanding about things you didn't even ever understand.
But now, as long as you let your life allowed to be governed by the circumstance, governed by the emotions, and governed by the feelings, I guarantee you it'll keep you out of the presence of God, and you're walking around here all upset when you could be in God's presence walking around with the joy and wisdom on how to do better the next time. Most time people fail to initiate, a failure to initiate that alone time with God. And if you've been alone cussing, you might as well be alone doing something that's gonna benefit you. Looking like something wrong with you to just sit and just cussing. Ain't gonna benefit you. Get in the presence of God and go to God humbly. Don't go to God blaming nobody, talkin' about that. Go to God and say, "I have an issue," okay?
I don't know, and I need you to help me to understand and show me my part in understanding this, and I am open and available to hear from you and begin to pray in tongues and began to sing in the spirit, begin to worship him, and maybe he'll lead you to study a certain passage of scripture and just meditate on that and pray in the Holy Ghost a little bit more, and you never can tell when that lightbulb going to come on. It might be after you come out of that time, you might be cookin' somethin' or driving somewhere, and bam! The lightbulb come, and it's like, "Whoa, I see it". And now that's wisdom that you can deposit every day of your life. And now you can use it and share it with your children.
Look what he says here in the book of Proverbs 2 verses 1 through 2. Proverbs 2 verses 1 through 2: Wisdom is a is a chief thing. It's the thing that we Christians should have because of the benefit we have as spending time with God. He said, "My son, if thou wilt receive my words," wow. This word is important. "If you'll receive my words, and if you hide my commandments with thee," or hide the word of God with you, what will happen? Verse 2, "So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thy heart unto understanding".
What did he just say there? Get in my presence and incline your ears to what I have to say to you. Get in my presence and incline your ears to what I have to say to you. I tell you what, whenever you get to a place, and you just don't know what to do, situation come up, you don't know what to do, you don't understand it, don't just sittin' under, don't sit in darkness. My daddy say, "Turn the light on". And as a little boy I used to try to read without light off. Some reason I thought it was a superpower to be able to do that. He said, "You gonna go blind, boy. Turn the light on". Glad I didn't do everything he said that was going to happen. But that same thing we do, we will sit in the frustration of ignorance. The frustration of ignorance. The frustration of ignorance.
Somebody write that down. Dear God, it's just flowing out of me, the frustration of ignorance, when we could be getting our ears inclined to the wisdom and understanding that comes from spending time in his presence. So while it may look like an insignificant act or may look like something that's a waste of time, you come out smarter. People look at you and wonder where did you come up with that? And you said, "I just went in the presence and got what I needed". I went in the presence of God and got what I needed. I went in the presence of God and got what I needed, amen.
Number three, peace. Let's look at Philippians 4 and 7 in the NLT and then Isaiah 26 and 3. I know this for a fact, I just know this and some of the greatest challenges in my life, pain, hurt, the frustration, just tryin' to figure stuff out, fear, how this was going to get paid, how that was gonna take place, what was gonna happen here? That's one thing that kept us and keeps working for me all the time. I can either be stressed out to the point of health issues, or I can practice the presence of God. The Bible says then you will experience God's peace which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ.
Notice he says as I am in a relationship with Christ, look what happens. You experience God's peace, peace that will guard your heart, peace that'll guard your mind, and when you should be crazy, it's the life that you live in Christ that grants you the peace in the midst of all those situations, and it is the peace of God, 'cause there have been times... I don't understand how I could have peace. How could I have peace? You know, it just feels like sometimes you just gonna lose your mind if it wasn't for something, and that something is no longer something, it's someone, it's the peace that you get from being in the presence of God.
And then look what he says in Isaiah 26 and 3, the peace that you get from living in Christ Jesus, the peace that you get from being in the presence of God, that's radical. The peace that you get from being in the presence of God, Isaiah 26 and 3. This is so important, because when you begin to function in this peace, you begin to set yourself up for God to begin to work for you and to be active for you. There are a couple of things that happen when you choose to go to the presence of God in the midst of rough times, that's called waiting for the Lord, and the promise is if you will wait for me, I will be active on your behalf, for those who will wait for me and I will go to work for you for those who would wait for me. And in verse 3 he says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace".
You understand the power of perfect peace? Perfect peace, it's the word shalom, but it's also the word where we get wholeness from. When it's perfect peace, there is nothing missing and nothing broken. When it is perfect peace, you got the whole pie, ain't a slice missing, nothing missing and nothing broken. And I think it's okay for Christians to believe God for perfect peace. Say out loud, "I have perfect peace". Say out loud, "I receive perfect peace". It's available for us. "Thou keep him in perfect peace," but now notice, again, it's going to be by the relationship. It's gonna be about where your mind, where's your focus? Whose mind is stayed on thee because he trust in thee. It goes back to relationships.
I develop trust out of relationship. Trust is developed out of relationship. Trust is developed out of time spent. You don't trust somebody automatically 'cause they said trust you, you trust them 'cause of relationship, and for those who can do this and get their mind on me, I'll bring them into a place of perfect peace. And while the whole world seem like they done lost their mind and gone crazy, in the midst of all that chaos, there's a peace that passes all understanding, and you have it because that's what you get when you're in the presence of God.
Number four. Number four is joy. Joy becomes... from Psalms 16 and 11, Psalms 16 and 11, joy. Now, it's very clear in Psalm 16 and 11 what happens, and this should be a big motivation for you to want to practice this, to practice it in the morning, and to practice it before you go to bed. First words you say in the morning are towards God, and the last words you say are towards God, and that is not just when you feel like it. That may be, ladies, after you just came out of a corner crying your eyeballs out because of betrayal. God I praise you, and I trust you, and I rely on you. And next thing you know, you're asleep, 'cause he put you to sleep, and you can't believe you had a nice rest, don't even know how you got there, but he gave you that sleep.
The Bible says he'll give to you, he'll give to you. Another translation says, "I'll give to you in", not just sleep, but "I'll give to you as you sleep". I'll give to you sweet sleep, but what's gonna make it sweet is that he's given to you as you sleep, and then you wake up in the morning, come on Holy Spirit. Now, I ain't said you feel like doing it. You wake up one morning you don't want to say nothin', but the first words, good morning, Holy Spirit. Good morning. And you get up, and that worry knocks on the door and he tries to get you, and say, "No, not today. God, I trust you. God, I trust you".
You put a song of something on, "No, I'm keeping my mind on this today. I'm not goin' down. Lord, I trust you". All is well. The Scripture says, "Thou wilt show me the path of life". What's the path of life? He says, "I'm showing you". This is how you're gonna make it through life. In thy presence is fullness of joy. At thy right hand, there are pleasures forevermore. Here's the path he wants us to take in life: his presence. We used to call it 20-25 years ago practicing the presence of God. And we wanted to know, "Well, what does it mean to practice the presence of God"? To try to achieve God-consciousness all day.
So rather than you gettin' up praying for an hour a day and then they ain't thinkin' about God for the rest of the time, practicing the presence of God is, I want to talk to him throughout the day, I want to listen to him throughout the day, I want to be conscious of him all the day. See, that's his presence. You have a consciousness of him all day. Consciousness of him all day. And yeah, tribulation and trouble comes. Bible says in this world you shall have tribulation, but what? Get in the presence, be of good cheer, why? It's handled, it's handled, and this stuff's real.
I had a guy come up to me the other day, I was at a home-going, precious man. I almost fell in love with him after we got across the initial comment. He came to me, and he said, "Hello, Pastor Dollar. I want to tell you I believed everything everybody said about you. I didn't like you, and I couldn't stand you at all". And I'm thinking, "Well, how do you respond to that"? You know, do you jump back and get thug? What's up, then? You know? And I'm thinking let me finish listening, and he said, "But today I saw something I'd never seen before, and I have to be quiet now because I'm about to cry, because you're real, and I want to apologize for all of what I ever thought about you. I want to apologize for every person I ever agreed about you". He said, "Today I experience in your life the realness". He says, "Now I know why they don't like you, 'cause you real".
Now, I'm sitting there the whole time trying to figure out I don't know what he saw. I just showed up and read some scriptures at a home-going celebration of a woman of God who was very precious in my life, who was responsible for me probably being where I am today. When I didn't know what to do with this call, she made me get up in the morning to pray for an hour. I'm tired, falling asleep, "Wake up". I'm like, "God, this lady's a drill sergeant". And then afternoon came home, got at a table and read the scriptures and prayed again. She went home to be with the Lord. I was honored to get invited to come and read the Old and the New Testament scriptures.
I got up, read you know, said this woman changed my life, so now let's read the scripture, and read the scripture, and I sat down. That's all I did. I don't know what it was. I think what it might've been is that he never thought I would come to a funeral home to go to somebody's funeral, 'cause he had heard I was just too big to do stuff like that. You know how folk talk. And I'm just like, you know, the problem is is the people that are talking don't know me, and most people that talk about you don't know you. They just ain't got nothing else to do, and most people that talk about you fear you 'cause they don't know you. Mmm!
I felt that in the city of my soul. And you ain't got time to be hangin' around with a bunch of buzzards that are on the ground picking stuff. That ain't where you are. What they saying down there don't matter, 'cause you ain't down there. You gotta think of yourself like a giraffe. You way up there, and you can't even hear what them buzzard's talkin' about down there. Quit trying to get involved in conversations of buzzards. Glad I stopped by here tonight. I was tired before I came out here, but I feel all right now. I feel all right now. I feel like it's a Burger King night tonight.