How to Feel God’s Presence in Your Life
Not long ago, I texted a friend and told her about long days in a house filled with noisy children. “I want to know how to feel God’s presence when life mostly feels overwhelming,” I vented.
Her response came seasoned with wisdom. First, she reminded me that regardless of whether I feel God’s presence or not, his presence is always with me. “Feelings are futile,” she offered. “Instead of aiming to feel God’s presence, what if you aimed to be fully present to the moments unfolding around you?”
She then offered the following six words: “Breathe deeply, love deeply, laugh deeply.”
These words have echoed in my mind since she sent them to me.
How to Feel God’s Presence by Being Present
No matter what your season looks like, let’s take a look at how being fully present in our moments can help us experience God’s presence in deeper ways. I invite you to join me in our little country home, and we’ll explore the three admonitions my friend shared with me as a means of experiencing God’s presence by being present.
How to Feel God’s Presence
1. Keep breathing deeply.
As I write these words to you today, it has taken two hours to complete 26 minutes of a 30-minute workout on the treadmill. I was hoping to finish a writing project while working out, and I’ve been sparsely picking away at this project, all while climbing off the machine no less than a dozen times for the following interruptions:
Little Aiden woke up for the day (and needed a bath and a meal before joining me beside the treadmill in the basement).
There was a fight upstairs over what to watch on TV (followed by a mandate to turn off all screens).
Someone spilled grape juice on the floor.
Someone couldn’t get his shirt turned from inside out.
Little Aiden was tired of being on the basement floor.
A stink bug appeared in the sink.
The batteries on someone’s vibrating toothbrush died.
Another fight broke out over missing chocolate candy.
Aiden needed a diaper change . . .
I could continue, but you catch my drift.
Most of the time I feel like I’m being pulled in a dozen different directions all at once.
If you can relate, perhaps we need to stand together and just breathe.
Breathe slowly.
Breathe deeply.
Remember Eternity
The work projects might not get done perfectly or in a timely way, but in the light of eternity, it won’t matter as much as it seems right now.
The work projects might not get done perfectly or in a timely way, but in the light of eternity, it won’t matter as much as it seems right now. #hope #slowingdown Share on XThe kids might not get the education they would have received from trained professionals, but they will eventually catch up.
You or a loved one might be ill. The illness might take a turn for the worst. Things might not end well.
Breathe anyway. Step back. Take a long breath. Repeat.
Cry out to God.
Run to his arms.
He sees, and he knows. He is still in control.
Clamming up and forgetting to breathe won’t help a single thing anyway.
2. Keep loving deeply.
Love takes on many shapes and forms.
It looks like gentleness in our speech, care in our hearts, and intention in our minds.
It looks like slowing to enjoy those closest to us and making efforts to reach the lonely and isolated. Do you want to learn how to feel God’s presence? Aim to live a life of love. In doing so, you will partner with the Creator.
Meanwhile, remind yourself that regardless of whether you feel his presence, God will never leave your side.
3. Keep laughing deeply.
Maybe what we all need most is summed up in the last two words of my friend’s admonition: Laugh deeply. If you want to learn how to feel God’s presence, learn to experience him through laughter and joy.
Find what is good around you, give thanks, and laugh hard.
Intentionally pursue joyful activities.
Blow bubbles.
Fly kites.
Skip stones.
Push little ones on swings.
Turn off the news channel and indulge in a comedy.
As a mentor once stated when I fell ill with a long assignment to die to self on the couch for close to a year, This too shall pass. (Read about my illness here.)
If we keep our hearts close to the Giver of all things good, we will emerge on the other side looking a bit more like him.
A Free Devotional to Help You Learn How to Feel God’s Presence:
If you are ready to defeat fear and walk in peace, my gift to you today is my free online devotional, Victory Rising: A 2-Week Journey to Defeat Fear, Worry, and Doubt. This devotional includes 14 daily readings to help you turn the enemy’s weapon of fear against him as you slay this giant with his own sword. It is yours for free here. 
Calling all moms and daughters—and parents of boys!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 14, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or grandparents to read with the children they care about.
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength is for boys ages 5-13. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to courageously carry God’s love into the world. Written with input from our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven, this book will help the boys you care about find courage and strength in God. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Devotionals for Girls
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
All three books are available in print and eBook form here on Amazon. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
