David Diga Hernandez - How to Spend More Time in Prayer and STRENGTHEN Your Prayer Life

Today, we’re going to talk to you about keys to getting closer to God indirectly. As you spend more time with Him, something fresh is going to come into your life. Pastor David is here with me today, and many of you may remember him from perhaps a week ago or a couple of weeks ago, depending on when we air this. I was thinking and praying while preparing this message, realizing that many people right now are seeking refreshment in this current spiritual climate. Perhaps you are one of those individuals looking for God to endow you with a fresh touch from heaven. Well, today on the broadcast, we’re going to pray for the sick and prophesy, as we usually do, but I will also discuss three keys to spending more time with God.

You’ve heard messages emphasizing the importance of spending time with God, and you may think, «I hunger and thirst for something more; I want to be someone who spends time in God’s presence.» You desire to be friends with the Holy Spirit, to read the Word, to feel close to Jesus, and to hear God’s voice with such clarity that there is hardly any doubt in your mind. There are numerous benefits that come from walking in a relationship with the Holy Spirit.

My friend, Pastor David Harabedian, will be commenting throughout the lesson. So, I told you beforehand, don’t hesitate—feel free to jump in anytime. Is there anything you would like to say to our viewers as we start this lesson?

Just that God is going to move in a powerful way today. There will be impartation, and you will feel His presence in an unusual way. There will be an impartation for intercession and prayer, which will enable you to walk and practice the presence of God.

That’s funny you use that terminology because there’s a really good book I now recommend—but just at this moment, the title has escaped my mind. It’s «The Practice of the Presence of God.» Do you know the author’s name? I don’t mean to put you on the spot.

Yes, it’s interesting because I spoke with a friend about this book yesterday. It’s by Brother Andrew.

Okay, that’s just a side note. I’m not connected with that ministry in any way, but that book is powerful, and it’s one of the keys we will discuss today. However, I want you to first understand that you have likely been taught that man is trifled, which is true. The scripture supports the existence of all three: body, soul, and spirit. Often, it’s correlated that man is trifled just as his Creator is trifled. You’ve heard that it’s the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Lord spoke to me a few years ago about expressions of His presence. We even created a teaching focused solely on the three expressions of the presence of God. I realized that just as God exists in three persons, His presence is expressed in three ways: the omnipresence of God, the indwelling presence of God, and the manifested presence of God. God the Father is expressed in the omnipresence; God the Spirit is expressed in the indwelling presence; and God the Son is expressed in the manifested presence. Jesus was, is, and will always be the manifested presence of God.

Throughout the Old Testament, you can find stories like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into the fire for not bowing to the king. The king says the fourth man looks like the Son of God, which references Jesus. He was there at the beginning; John 1:1 states, «In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.» Then, John 1:14 tells us, «And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, full of grace and truth.» We know that Jesus is the expressed image of God.

God the Father is incomprehensible; you couldn’t understand Him entirely if you tried with your mind. For us to try to comprehend the Father would be akin to an ant attempting to understand the workings of this iPad. However, God the Father is explained through the Son. God the Son is applied through the Spirit. God the Father is the posture or subject; He is the very image, and Christ Himself reflects that for us. Jesus said, «If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father.» Thus, we understand that they all work together. God the Father is the image; although He is incomprehensible, Jesus is the explanation of the Father, and the Spirit is the application of the Son.