Mensa Otabil - Walk Before God (09/29/2025)
Today we are starting to talk about walking in our Christian life, and today we discuss walking before God. Genesis chapter 17, verses one and two: When Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, «I am Almighty God; walk before me and be blameless, and I will make my covenant between me and you and multiply you exceedingly.» Abraham had been walking with God; he started from the Ur of the Chaldeans, obeying God. But at this point in his life, God says, «I’m about to do something great in your life; walk before me and be blameless.» So, it’s obvious that the walking God is talking about here is not what he has been doing all along.
So what does it mean to walk before God? It means to be aware of His presence, to be conscious of His presence, to know that He is with you wherever you are. It’s great for Abraham to build altars to make him aware that God is with him, but in between altars, what do you do? Similarly, it’s great for people to pray for a long time, but in between prayers, what do you do? How do you cultivate the presence of God?
It’s similar to how a husband must be aware of his wife and a wife must be aware of their husband, although they are not together all the time. Sometimes they work in different places, or one goes to the market while the other is not there, so they are not in the same place. How do they become aware of the presence of the other person? Now, I’ve been married for about 34 years, and yes, we’re not always physically together at every moment, but I have developed a habit over the years, and one of my habits is that I’m constantly touching my wedding ring. It helps me to remember where my wife is and her presence with me.
In our Christian life, there are things we must do that remind us constantly of the presence of God, and one of them is prayer. There are people who have a great prayer life; they pray for long hours and significant moments. But in addition to that, we have to develop the ability to pray short prayers frequently. This means that every minute you’re praying, every three minutes you’re praying, and every five minutes you’re praying. It’s not a long prayer; it’s a short prayer: «Lord, I thank You for Your presence. Oh Lord, thank You for showing me this. Lord, thank You for speaking to me. Lord, help me. Lord, guide me.» You pray that kind of prayer constantly throughout the day.
Now, when you do that, you’re cultivating the presence of God, and you’re doing what God is telling Abraham: «Walk before me; be aware that I am with you wherever you are.» Then He says, «If you do that, you will be blameless; then I will establish my covenant with you and multiply you exceedingly.» Because every moment of our lives, God is bringing something our way, and we have to be sensitive to receive it. It’s not just during the prayer meeting alone or during 40 days of power, or moments that we set apart for such spiritual exercises.
But we must walk before God, be aware of His presence throughout the day, and at every moment, talk to Him. Because there is something He’s bringing your way, and you must not miss it. Are you ready to walk before the Lord? Well, let’s share a word of prayer together. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, make me aware of Your presence wherever I am and wherever I go. I receive all my covenant blessings in Jesus' name. Amen.»
Well, my friend, may the Lord be with you throughout this week. I am Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.