Every January I like to take time out to escape to the countryside for a day, retreat with both journal and bible and pray over the following year. I love to hold my written dreams I have for that year and pray with passion for their fulfillment. Knowing that within the answers are a combination of my need to make wise choices and my trusting in God’s divine intervention.

This year, as I sought God, He reminded me that it really is all about His Presence in my life. Quite simply. His Presence growing, expanding, alive and warm. There is nothing that can replace it’s beauty nor its fruitfulness.

It’s not just about knowing that He is with us. It’s allowing that nearness of Him indwelling in us to effect how we dream, speak, act and see the future. King David knew that the only reason for His success in war, in love, in life, in leadership would be walking in…and not stepping out of God’s presence. He had to make heart decisions and realign his thinking regularly in order to feel God’s presence in His life.

So many of the answers for our lives are found in nurturing His Presence in our spirit and soul. Becoming more conscious daily of His nearness, His heart, His Word, His life in us by His spirit. Because that is where we find our perspective. That is where we are filled with joy ( Ps. 15:11). That is where our faith is built. That is where peace is released. That is where we see what He sees and our love for others expands.

An expensive perfume lingers. Remember those times when someone has hugged you and their perfume scent rubbed off onto you and hence you were reminded of that person all day…! When we take time daily to push into Him, to be real, to hang in His Word- then His presence will linger on us and we will start to change our behaviour and choose decisions that bring life and faith into us and not death and negativity.

One of the keys to growing His Presence in our lives is found in in Proverbs 3:5 “In all your ways acknowledge Him” So that in everything we do, everywhere we walk, every situation and decision we face, every pathway we walk down in life, we stop and recognize that God is present and meditate on that truth until is effects our perspective.

May you seek and find Him throughout 2013 and be blessed!