BINGE IN HIS PRESENCE
Within our family there really isn’t a Thanksgiving holiday tradition. We definitely prepare and eat the favorite foods – fried turkey, sweet potato casserole and all the delicious things we love. But beyond that, our tradition is that we don’t really have one.
So, this past year, the Thanksgiving holiday crashed into a binge fest of Hallmark movies. My son and I don’t care for them, but all the girls do and, since there are more of them than us, well you know how that works.
Me personally, if I’m going to binge watch anything and enjoy it, it will be college football while I’m binge eating pumpkin pie with Cool Whip.
We Americans love to binge, it is our new pastime.
During one evening, after a particular sad hour that I lost binge watching YouTube, I began to wonder, “Is it possible to binge in the presence of God?” In the same ways that we allow ourselves to become so consumed with a TV show, a food, a hobby or shopping that we indulge in excess – is it possible to become so consumed with the presence of God that we begin to obsess over Him?
I think it is.
And I believe it is possible to binge in God’s presence because we see there were times Jesus prayed from sunset to sunrise (see Luke 6:12). That’s ten or eleven hours of prayer. Many Christians can’t pray ten minutes. At this point, you might be thinking, “Of course He could pray all night, He was God made visible as a man.” We see, however, that there actually were ordinary men and women who also binged in God’s presence. Here are a few:
Joshua, Moses’ servant, chose to stay in the wilderness tabernacle when everyone else returned to their tent (see Exodus 33:11).
Hannah, the woman who would become Samuel’s mother, was so lost in prayer to God that the high priest Eli thought she was drunk (see 1st Samuel 1:12-13).
Daniel, an Old Testament prophet, became so obsessed with God that he did not eat meat, bread or sweets for three weeks. It was only after an angel appeared unto him with revelation that Daniel began to eat again (see Daniel 10).
George Whitefield, a major influence in the great awakening of the 1700s, would get up at 4 AM every morning to pray and would sometimes get lost in prayer for as much as 8 hours.
John Wesley, a preacher credited with the founding of the Methodist church, would get up every morning and pray from 4 AM till 8 AM.
Needless to say, these men and women all chose to binge in the presence of God. They went beyond their daily devotion. They became obsessed!
So, why should we binge in the presence of God?
Unlike bingeing on a TV show or food, which leaves you feeling a little down and rarely improves your life – bingeing in the presence of God is an incredibly fulfilling experience that enriches your life. There is nothing more fulfilling that the power and presence of God.
When a man or woman chooses to be excessive toward God, it appears that God responds in kind. Joshua, Hannah, Daniel, George Whitfield and John Wesley all experienced the supernatural in their lives. So if you choose to binge in prayer to God, take a notepad, because you never know what God might reveal to you.
Remember, to become consumed with prayer to God is a choice. It will not just happen. It is something you must conscientiously choose to do.
What are some ways for us to binge in God’s presence?
Clear the slate. Search your heart and begin with repentance.
Build up to it. Start small and gradually increase your devotions. If you have never prayed an hour – you probably shouldn’t set aside eight hours.
Prepare yourself. When a man sets aside a Saturday to binge watch college football, he goes to the grocery store to get his favorite sodas and snacks, he orders wings, he notifies the family that you can join him, but you can’t disturb him. Likewise, if you are wanting to invest time with God, prepare a place where you can focus on God without interruption.
Set the atmosphere. Personally, I like to have a Bible, a notepad, and I like for there to be Christian music playing in the background. Hint, purchase a Bible translation that you can easily read and understand.
Meditate (don’t do all of the talking). God is all knowing, shouldn’t we let Him speak to us?
So, let’s do it! Some people only dream of bingeing in the presence of God. But I encourage you, don’t settle for only a dream, be a doer. Binge, my friend, on the only thing that will satisfy your soul. Binge on the presence of God.