God Is With You. Are You Living Like It?

Living in the Conscious Presence of God

DADS Class — Disciples Advancing in Doctrinal Studies

Primary Scripture: John 14:15–17 

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

Message Summary

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would dwell within every believer forever. Yet many Christians go through much of their day without consciously acknowledging His presence.

There is a difference between God's continual presence with us and our continual awareness of His presence.

The problem is not that God has abandoned us. It is that we often become so occupied with the responsibilities, concerns, and distractions of life that we neglect to acknowledge Him.

Psalm 16:8 declares, "I have set the LORD always before me." This teaches us that maintaining conscious fellowship with God requires a deliberate effort to direct our thoughts and affections toward Him.

In this DADS lesson, Bishop Jim Lowe presents five biblical disciplines that help believers develop a greater awareness of God's presence throughout the day.

1. Begin each day by setting your mind on God. Before becoming occupied with daily responsibilities, acknowledge His presence, surrender your plans, and seek His guidance. (Psalm 5:3, Colossians 3:2)

2. Practice continual conversation with God through prayer. Learn to turn ordinary activities, decisions, difficulties, and blessings into opportunities for communion with Him. (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Nehemiah 2:4)

3. Meditate on God's Word until it influences your thinking and conduct. Biblical meditation goes beyond reading Scripture. It involves understanding God's truth and applying it to everyday life. (Psalm 1:2, Joshua 1:8)

4. Examine your thoughts and bring them into obedience to Christ. Recognize attitudes and desires that contradict God's Word. Repent, depend upon the Holy Spirit, and seek to demonstrate His fruit in your conduct. (2 Corinthians 10:5, Galatians 5:16–25)

5. End each day by reviewing your fellowship with God. Reflect upon His goodness, confess your failures, and seek His grace for renewed obedience. (Psalm 4:4, 1 John 1:9)

The purpose of these disciplines is not to earn God's favor or persuade Him to draw closer. Through Jesus Christ, God has already given believers the Holy Spirit as their abiding Helper.

Our responsibility is to learn to live consciously aware of His presence, depending upon His power and responding obediently to His Word.

The central question of this lesson is simple: If the Holy Spirit is truly with you every moment of every day, how should that change the way you live?

Scripture to remember

John 14:16 (NKJV)

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—"

The Holy Spirit is already with you. Learn to live like you know it.

Presented by Bishop Jim Lowe | DADS Class | Disciples Advancing in Doctrinal Studies