I was talking to a friend today who has been burning the candle at both ends; granted, it was for very worthy endeavors, but she was left harried and burnt out, nonetheless. She mentioned she had a business meeting in half and hour, and I said, “Have you taken a time to pray?” Her response was, “You’ve got to be kidding! Look how busy I am. I have important things to do!”

My heart sank.  Because even if that meeting turns out well, it will only be good, and not best, because God was not invited into it. God is a gentleman, He will not force Himself into our lives (that’s what Satan does, not God), we are the ones who must invite Him into our daily situations.

Our Father desires that we go though life together, seeking His counsel, seeking His wisdom, and His ways, in EVERYthing we do.  We are not part-time children of God. He is seeking an intimate and ongoing relationship with us.  Amos 3:3 says, “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” Our part is to seek His will, and get into agreement with Him.

Psalm 139 teaches that we are on God’s mind ALL the time.  In I Thessalonians we see that He  wants us to reciprocate.

When the Bible says pray, or commune with God, without ceasing actually means without ceasing!  God wants to have a running dialogue with us throughout our whole day.  In every thing: whether it is family, or business, or friendships, or travel, give thanks to God for His insight and wisdom in ALL areas of your life.  Why? “For THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD… concerning YOU! “  I Thess. 5:18.

“Quench NOT the spirit.”  Quench means, “to extinguish a light or a fire, to put it out.”  God wants us to utilize our holy spirit, by staying “on fire” for Him, coming to Him for wisdom and revelation. I don’t know why this is so hard for people to grasp, but it seems to be so. God had children with a view toward sharing our life our experience with us.

And seeking God’s counsel doesn’t have to be some long, drawn out prayer, it can take a few moments.  I call it “checking in with Papa,” throughout my day.  “Papa, is this the best way to handle this?”

Did you know that the number one key to walking by the spirit is to practice the presence of God?  Well, it is. As the old hymn goes, “I need Thee every hour…”  Amen!

Man without God at the center of his thoughts can be desperate, and even wicked. As a matter of fact, the carnal mind is in opposition to God.  The “carnal mind” simply means, going your own way without inquiring of the Lord, without being spiritually minded.  It is making your decisions based solely on what you know by your five senses, and not asking the Lord for His input. Rom. 8:7.  But, to live carnally minded brings death, or loss of the blessings that God desires to give you. Carnality will always  yield less than God’s best.

If we learn to be “spiritually minded,” that is, to include God in our day to day decisions, to make a habit of enquiring of the Lord, God promises to bring “life and peace.”  I don’t know about you, but I sure want life and peace.  But God never promised to bless man’s own self-centered ways, and yet many of us still devise our own way and say, “This is what I AM going to do, now Lord, You bless it!”  That, my friends, is the height of stupidity.

Of all the ways one could choose to act in a given situation, God ‘s way is the one that will stand, His will bear good fruit.  And His counsel is ours for the asking.  “You have not because you ask not.” James 4:2.  Sad but true.

All through the books of Judges, and I and II Samuel, the men and women who did notable things for God, that had supernatural results, had one habit in common, they enquired of the Lord.  They went to Him continually for guidance and instruction.  (That is how Jesus lived.)  They “got it.”  They understood, that there are many devices, or ways to do things, in the heart of a man, but only THE COUNSEL OF THE LORD is guaranteed to be the best way.  God’s way is wise, i.e. doing it right.

In Psalm 73 the heart of the great prophet and musician, Asaph, is laid bare. Asaph was the head of all David’s singers, some 4,000 men looked up to him. But this tremendous man of God had become jealous of the prosperity of the wicked.  Uh, oh!  God revealed to Asaph that his pain and his jealousy stemmed from taking his eye off the true realities in life, and what really mattered, namely, his personal relationship with the Lord.

There is a saying, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”  In other words, the main thing is to keep God at the center of our lives. And the Lord showed Asaph he had become discouraged because he had ceased to keep the main thing the main thing, he had neglected to seek the counsel of the LORD.  He had ceased to appreciate the relationship he had with God.  And Asaph penned these words of humility when he realized the error of his ways.

Asaph got his priorities straight — God first. In the New Testament Jesus puts it another way:

Jesus is continually standing at the door of our heart, knocking to get in, but the doorknob is on the INSIDE.  We are the ones who must open the door.  We must invite the Father, and the Son, into our hearts, daily.  This verse is talking about a lot more than sonship, it is talking about friendship.  God, through His Son, is OFFERING to be our most intimate friend, our deepest confidant, our mentor; sharing hearts with us.  That’s almost unbelievable.  I hope you are wise enough take Him up on His spectacular offer!

We are the ones who invite God into our thoughts and seek His will.  We are the ones who tap into the limitless well of knowledge, and guidance, and blessings, at our disposal.  “This is the will of God… concerning you,” to live in the flow, WITH Him.

Like Asaph, many times I feel foolish, brought low, “like a beast,” because I have neglected to tap into the counsel of the Lord.  How many times would God have given me good, wise  counsel (whereby I would have avoided embarrassment, or pain, or loss), but I neglected to ask?  Unfortunately, far too many.

I want to become more and more God conscious, seeking His counsel, and living under the shelter of His wing.  Psalm 91.  I want, and need, to hear His wisdom.  I  want to include God in all aspects of my life, because “This is the WILL of God.”  I Thess. 5:18.

Folks, this is why we were born, to be in relationship with God; to be one with our heavenly Father.

Now, back to the friend with the “important” meeting, I  want to say, if you go through your day thinking you have important things to do, and keeping God first is NOT on the top of your most important “Things to do”, you have already missed your most important meeting.

“Keep the main thing the main thing.” Keeping God first is the main thing. Living in the flow is the main thing.

The ball is in your court to live life WITH God, and not to live by your own devices.  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Rom. 8:6

Living In His Presence,