To feel God’s presence means that the Holy Spirit is giving an individual a manifestation of the Holy Spirit being present.
God’s presence is nothing more than the Spirit of God being present where we are. So when we feel His presence, we are simply feeling God being present.
The Bible reveals that God the Father is in Heaven (Matthew 6:9), and that after Jesus rose from the grave He went to be at the Father’s right hand (Mark 16:19), and that the Holy Spirit is the One on the earth (John 16:5-7).
So from all this, we can come to the conclusion that the Holy Spirit is the presence of God on the earth in our day and age. If you want to study this out more I have an article titled “Is the Presence of God the Holy Spirit? (Biblical Answer).” You can check it out by clicking that link.
It is important to note that feeling God is not a requirement for God being present. If we don’t feel Him as we are praying or worshipping, that doesn’t mean that He isn’t there it just means that we aren’t feeling Him.
God is just as present when we feel Him as when we don’t. The only difference is we may feel like He’s closer but our feelings are inaccurate. The Bible says that He is as close to us as the mention of His name (John 14:13-14, 15:16, 16:23 & 26). This is why we pray in the name of Jesus.
The Bible says that we have access to God, through Christ by His Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). The Bible also says that His Spirit lives on the inside of us (1 Corinthians 3:16 & 6:19) and that we are actually being built up to be a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:22).
This kind of language that the Bible uses makes it sound like God is very close and that we can know Him no matter what we feel. [Related article: How to Enter God’s presence (Step-by-Step Guide)]
What does God’s presence feel like?
God’s presence can feel like many things. You may feel peace, joy, warmth, tingling, or weightiness. There is no one size fits all because God is a Person and He chooses to manifest Himself to everyone differently. But these are some of the manifestations that an individual may feel.
For me, when I first felt God’s presence, I experienced something similar to a blanket of peace that wrapped around me. I physically felt this manifestation and it was a very powerful experience for me.
However, something that impacted my life much more than that was learning to live by faith in the Word of God.
You see, our whole lives we have learned to rely upon our five physical senses, so when we feel the tangible presence of God we make the mistake of trying to live by that feeling of God rather than having faith in God. This can be dangerous.
So, there are many manifestations when it comes to feeling the presence of God, but remember, regardless if you feel something or not, if you’re a believer, the Holy Spirit is always with you and He’ll never leave you.
Sometimes we get so caught up on feelings that we forget all about simple Bible faith.
The Bible reveals that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1)
Seeing is one of our senses, just like feeling is. And this verse tells us that faith brings into reality the things we hope for without the evidence of our senses.
So, although we may feel the wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit at times, we should not live by what we feel, rather we should live by faith. Which is why the Bible tells us to live and walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
If you want to read more about feeling God’s presence you can do so by checking out some more articles I wrote; What Does the Presence of God Feel Like? (Explained) and Why Can’t I Feel God’s Presence? (Helpful Insight).
How to feel God’s presence
Feeling God’s presence is something God does as we seek Him, we cannot cause God to make us feel Him. Experiencing Him through feeling is something that He chooses to do while we are seeking Him in faith.
Feeling God’s presence is something that happens every once in a while, it is not meant to be an “every time we pray or worship” thing. God is not a robot, He is a Person.
Our relationship with Him is not transactional. It is not, I started to pray so God’s manifest presence must come. He is present when we mention His name because He promised He would be through His Word, not because we felt it. Feeling God doesn’t validate God’s Word, believing God is what causes His Word to work in our lives.
You see, the truth is the Bible consistently tells us that we are not to live by our senses but by faith.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
Did you notice how the apostle Paul in both verses compared the senses with faith? He used them in direct opposition to one another.
If we are seeing or feeling something, we don’t need faith that it is there. The belief that the object is there is automatic because we are physically experiencing it. On the other hand, the Bible tells us that we need faith if we are going to seek Him.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
Why would the Bible exhort us to “believe that He is” if we feel Him every time we pray, worship, or read our Bible? The answer is it wouldn’t. This passage reveals that faith and diligence come first, then the reward takes place afterward.
Let me be clear, I’m not against feeling God’s presence. I love experiencing God’s presence! But I am against someone trying to live by the feeling and as a result, they start doubting God because they don’t feel God.
It’s very important to understand we are not called to feel God, we are called to believe God.
The more we believe God and the more we walk in fellowship with Him, in spite of what we feel, the more He will reward us with His manifest presence because God is a faith God, and only actions done in faith please Him.
