If you want to enter the presence of the Lord, you must have a hunger that drives you. Your hunger will focus your will because you enter into things of the spirit by your will. You will to do the will of God (John 7:17). When Yeshua (Jesus) came, He said, “I HAVE COME … TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD” (Hebrews 10:7).¹ You stand in His presence because you determine to be in His presence. You set your will to be there. Yeshua wants us to live every day in His presence (John 14:3). It is essential that you do this so you can find what God wants you to do.

Sometimes your determination wanes but the energy behind your will is your hunger. You may say, “Well, I don’t have a real hunger for waiting on the Lord, reading the Scriptures, or praying. How do I get that hunger?” It is pretty simple. If you are not hungry, stop eating for a few days and I guarantee that you will become hungry. It is the same thing spiritually. If you satiate your hunger for God by living off other things, you will lose your spiritual hunger. But if you get hungry enough, you will be driven. Your spiritual hunger triggers your will, and your will triggers your spirit to respond.

If you want to be in the presence of God, you must include spiritual exercises such as times of worship, prayer, and waiting on the Lord. If you are too busy, then recognize that you must first develop a greater hunger for the Lord. Once you have that, you will be determined to dig into the Word. These steps are effective, but you must initiate them.

Christ had an extensive prayer life and spent much time in prayer alone (Matthew 14:23; Luke 5:16, 6:12). And we should be doing the same. Find Scriptures that lead you into His presence. Yeshua is the way into the presence of the Father (John 14:6). He is the door through which we can enter (John 10:9). If we enter through Him, then we have access to find pasture and the food we need. Through Christ, we “have our access in one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18). The Spirit will teach us and lead us into God’s presence. He leads us into that secret place that Yeshua talked about where you go into your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret (Matthew 6:6). But you must exercise your spirit to do this.

Ask the Holy Spirit to anoint your imagination. When I wait on the Lord, I picture a doorway opened in heaven. Who is the door? It is Christ. I go through that doorway immersed in a waterfall of the blood of Christ. I leave this realm and enter into the world of His Kingdom where He is dwelling now. By faith I enter His throne room. By my hunger, I set my will to stand before Christ and the Father. I want to know the Father as Christ knew Him. I want to be aware of the worship surrounding Him, of the myriads and myriads of angels who are worshipping Him. I want to be aware of His power and might, aware of His righteousness, His justice, His glory, and faithfulness. I want to seek and keep on seeking. I want to knock and keep on knocking (Matthew 7:7-11). I bless us to do this in the name of the Lord!

¹ All Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995).