Eight Evidences of God’s Presence in My Life
In our last session we considered God’s presence and the truth that a believer in Jesus Christ will never be abandoned. But how will I recognize God’s presence in my life? Do I look for a burning bush as Moses experienced? Should I seek a wrestling match as Jacob’s tag-team partner? Will I need visions like Isaiah or John? Let’s take this descriptor, God’s presence, and discuss eight practical confirmations that He is with us. We can detect His presence. Here are a couple of insightful quotes to launch us in the right direction.
God’s supernatural presence… can be spotted… by those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.[1]
…he is always with me and his eye is always upon me, Living becomes an awesome business when you realize that you spend every moment of your life in the sight and company of an omniscient, omnipresent Creator.[2]
The indwelling of the Spirit of God
Scripture tells us that God the Father is seated on His throne and God the Son, Jesus, is seated beside Him. So how then do we say that God’s presence is with us? God, the Holy Spirit, indwells us. Indwelling is a big theological word that means “lives within us.” We know this truth because Jesus taught it before He returned to His Father.
“I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.” John 16:28 NASB
“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, John 15:26 NASB
“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. John 16:7 NASB
Paul also taught the indwelling of the Spirit.
and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:5 NASB
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. Romans 8:9 NASB
And Paul continued by spelling out that the presence of the Spirit in the believer’s life marks him, or seals him, as belonging to God.
Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 5:5 NASB
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, Ephesians 1:13 NASB
Now that I know I have God’s presence in my life, how will I recognize the difference He makes?
My sensitivity to sin increases.
God’s presence means I recognize my sins more quickly. I’m sorry for those failures, and I confess them straightaway. The longer I walk with God, the closer my view of sin aligns with His. In short, I lose my tolerance for sin.
I’ve been working on speech improvement, saying the right things the right way and not saying the wrong things. In a world where the dialog—in real time, online, and in print—is punctuated with scorn, sarcasm, and vulgarity the quest for pure speech is a lofty one. The Apostle Paul had much to write on the topic and revealed a key truth in the following verses.
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:29-32 NASB Emphasis added.
God’s Spirit dwells inside me, and He has to listen to my speech. When I steer my words into the swamp of bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice, that affects Him. It fills Him with grief. Yikes.
I have peace that cannot be explained.
Ours is not a peaceful world. Anxiety abounds. Worry overwhelms. In 2025 sales of tranquilizers such as Xanax, Valium, and Ativan reached 2.5 billion dollars. Believers, God’s presence gives us peace in the midst of adversity. We take comfort that He is with us and calmness floods our hearts and minds. I can’t explain how this works and neither can you, but it does happen. Paul tells us that this peace from God is beyond explanation.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NASB
Knowing that God is near comforts me. I can tell myself, “He’s got this!” And that applies no matter what “this” may be! Isaiah wrote:
“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3 NASB
Author Craig Groeschel warns that we easily lose track of God’s presence if we are not careful.
We get fixated on the presence of our problems, and we lose our focus on the presence of God…Recognizing God’s presence will give you peace when you have cause for panic.[3]
I can pray with confidence.
My confidence soars when I know that God hears my prayers. He has a stellar track record of answering. If we adopt the habit of jotting down those responses, the ledger can become a boost for our faith as we review His answers. By the way, God delivers definitive answers such as:
- Yes.
- Yes, but wait while your faith develops.
- Yes, but not your way. I have a better plan.
- No.
We’ve all been there —burdened by some event and unsure how to pray. We try and in the process stumble over the words. Guess what? God the Spirit is right there, and believe me when I tell you He knows how to pray. And being that He is God, He knows God’s will and can ask for just the right thing. This marvelous truth overloads my tiny brain with wonder and thanksgiving.
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27 NASB
I serve with reliance on Him.
God may call us into an arena of service where we feel inadequate or frightened. God’s presence brings a strength beyond my own. Harold Kushner shares this thought:
God is the One who is with us when we have to do something we don’t think we’re capable of doing…[4]
After years of teaching children and teens I accepted a role as an adult teacher. The number of students attending grew quickly, and I needed that pep talk Sunday after Sunday that only God can deliver. If you’ve been there you know, that strong impression inside where God assures you of His presence, His power, and His purpose. My response had to be, “OK, Lord.”
The makeup of that class would stagger any teacher with three distinct groups in attendance. On the left side sat the students from a local seminary and occasionally one of their professors. The right side seats were occupied by prisoners from a nearby minimum security facility who were given passes to attend with their sponsor. And in the middle sat the rest of the folks. Give that recipe a try sometime, and let me know how it goes. I learned that God is present and prayed this verse before each class session asking that the power be His not mine. Hey, I’m a pot for His use as He sees fit, but thank His holy name He fills the willing pot with the right stuff.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 2 Corinthians 4:7 NASB
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, Ephesians 5:18 NASB
God’s Word comes alive for me.
Reading the Bible becomes a conversation because I can talk to the Author and listen to His commentary. Essentially, I am “talking back” to Him as I praise Him for the descriptors He has revealed of Himself, acknowledge His works, and recognize His expectations. He remains the world’s best-selling Author by far, and I can have an audience with Him anytime I desire for as long as I want to meet. Sweet!
More often than I can count, the passage I am reading in my trek through Scripture speaks to an immediate need or gives me counsel I will require by day’s end. This Author has compiled a living book. He knows the needs of my life and has the resources and willingness to meet them.
I find wisdom beyond my experiences.
Imagine having a Friend at hand who knows everything, has never made an error, and even possesses foresight of future events. Would His counsel be worth considering? Now suppose this Friend makes an offer to share His wisdom, and all we need do is ask. James, the half-brother of Jesus, recorded that offer.
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5 NASB
Just like God’s peace I have found this insight from God beyond explanation. I’ve asked for His wisdom and had a solution pop into my mind in seconds, something that I’d never considered. At other times I ask and drop off to sleep, and in the night, during one of my awakenings, the answer is there. David described the process this way.
I will bless the LORD who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. Psalms 16:7 NASB
The Spirit guides me.
God, the Holy Spirit, has a quiet voice, and is easily squelched by the world’s din, But, if I make an effort to listen, He does speak. The “voice” may be a strong internal impression to avoid an action I’m planning, or to speak a word (which He provides on the spot) to another soul. Sometimes I hear Him nudge me toward a stranger, “Let that man sweeping the floor know how much you appreciate his work!”
Just as improper speech is displeasing to God, He is also impacted when I make a bone-headed choice and end up in a mess. Recall that He, by His promise to me, stays with me even in that situation. He indwells for the longterm. To guide my choices God uses the peace He brings to my heart. He disrupts that peace, causes a disturbance in it, when Choice A will lead to ruin. The peace grows stronger when I opt for Choice B, instead.
God can and does orchestrate our circumstances. With my father’s death during the summer after my high school graduation much responsibility fell on my shoulders. Mom did not drive and had no job. The tiny life insurance policy did not cover the burial much less the mortgage on the house. I needed employment if I hoped to continue in college, but the bustling metropolis of Montgomery, WV, offered few options. One afternoon I had a reason to be in part of a building I did not frequent on campus, and tacked to the bulletin board was a poster for job openings at UPS. Campus interviews would be held at such a date and time, and I showed up. That job at UPS helped with family expenses and allowed me to finish school.
I live a life marked by hope.
One reason our world struggles with anxiety is the absence of hope. God gives hope to His children, and much of what we hope for is already a certain outcome. Our hope is a yearning for the promise to come about not an uneasiness that the best may bypass us.
Let me pop out some “hopes” I carry with me every step of my life.
- I have the Spirit of God dwelling inside me. Permanently.
- God knows about my lost loved ones and wants them in the family even more than I do. He cares for lost sheep.
- I’m not alone, and have my Best Friend available to talk anytime.
- God is in control of my life.
- God is also in control of the world.
- He has a plan that cannot be thwarted no matter how hard Satan tries.
- Jesus is coming back.
- We’ve been promised a new heaven and a new earth.
- Sin will have no place in Earth 2.0.
Let’s close with this verse followed by a restatement of the eight evidences of God’s presences.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NASB
Here’s that list of evidences that God is present in my life, and you are welcome to share it with others.
- My sensitivity to sin increases.
- I have peace that cannot be explained.
- I can pray with confidence.
- I serve with reliance on Him.
- God’s Word comes alive for me.
- I find wisdom beyond my experiences.
- The Spirit guides me.
- I live a life marked by hope.
[1] Swindoll, Charles R. Clinging to Hope. Carole Stream: Tyndale Momentum. 2022. p 102.
[2] Packer, J. I. Knowing God. Downers Grove: IVP Books. 1973, 1983, 2018. p 86.
[3] Groeschel, Craig. Winning the War in Your Mind. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2021. p 160.
[4] Kushner, Harold S. Overcoming Life’s Disappointments. New York: Anchor Books. 2006. p 15.
