Experiencing God's Manifest Presence in Our Lives
Summary
Today’s focus is on the difference between simply being aware of God’s presence and truly experiencing the manifest presence of God in our lives. While many acknowledge that God is everywhere—His abiding presence—there is a deeper reality available to us: the manifest presence of God, where His glory and power are tangibly revealed. Throughout Scripture, God not only reveals Himself through His Word but also through demonstrations of His power. Jesus Himself was the living demonstration of the Father’s character and presence, and His ministry was marked by signs, wonders, and miracles that confirmed the reality of God’s manifest presence.
Looking at the lives of biblical figures like Moses, Daniel, Elijah, and the ten lepers, we see that when God’s manifest presence shows up, the impossible becomes possible. Moses, in particular, is a powerful example. For the first 80 years of his life, Moses lived under the abiding presence of God, but it wasn’t until he encountered God at the burning bush—the manifest presence—that his life and calling were transformed. Moses understood that leading Israel out of Egypt was impossible without God’s manifest presence, and he boldly declared, “If your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” This is the posture we are called to take: a deep hunger for God’s glory and a refusal to move forward without Him.
Jesus modeled this for us as well. Though He was the Son of God, His ministry did not begin until the Holy Spirit descended upon Him at His baptism, marking the beginning of His walk in the manifest presence of the Father. From that point, His life was marked by supernatural power, and He promised that those who believe in Him would do even greater works. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was the fulfillment of God’s promise to pour out His manifest presence on all believers, empowering us to live beyond our own strength and resources.
We are called not just to be aware of God’s omnipresence but to seek and walk in His manifest presence. This is not about striving in our own strength, but about surrendering, praying the Word, and allowing the Holy Spirit to fill and empower us. When we do, God’s glory is revealed, mountains are moved, and the impossible becomes possible. The invitation is open: ask God to show you His glory, to baptize you with His fire, and to lead you into a life marked by His manifest presence.
Key Takeaways
- The Distinction Between Abiding and Manifest Presence
God’s abiding presence means He is everywhere at all times, but His manifest presence is when He reveals who He is through what He does. It is possible to live aware of God’s existence without ever experiencing the fullness of His glory and power. The manifest presence is what transforms ordinary moments into encounters with the supernatural, making the impossible possible. Seek not just to know about God, but to encounter Him in His manifest glory. [07:27]
- God’s Plan Is Rooted in His Foreknowledge, Not Fatalism
God predestines a plan for each of us based on His foreknowledge—He knows who will say yes to Him and orchestrates a master plan accordingly. This does not mean our choices are irrelevant; rather, God’s invitation is for all, and our response matters. When we align ourselves with His will, we step into a path already prepared, where His presence goes before us and makes a way even through impossibilities. [12:56]
- The Manifest Presence Is Essential for Fulfilling God’s Purpose
Moses’ life illustrates that the abiding presence of God is not enough to fulfill a divine calling; it is the manifest presence that empowers us to do what we could never do on our own. Moses refused to move forward without God’s manifest presence, understanding that only God’s glory could accomplish the task ahead. Likewise, we must cultivate a hunger for God’s manifest presence, refusing to settle for less than His power and glory in our lives. [21:55]
- Jesus Modeled Life in the Manifest Presence and Calls Us to the Same
Jesus’ ministry began when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, marking the shift from abiding to manifest presence. Every miracle, healing, and act of deliverance flowed from this reality. He promised that those who believe in Him would do even greater works, not by their own might, but by the same Spirit that empowered Him. Our lives are meant to be demonstrations of God’s power, not just words about Him. [29:26]
- The Church Is Called to Walk in Supernatural Demonstration, Not Human Strength
God never intended for His people to live without His power. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was the beginning of a new era where God’s manifest presence is available to all believers. We are called to pray the Word, depend on the Spirit, and let God’s glory be revealed through us. When we stop relying on our own abilities and surrender to the Spirit, God does what only He can do—He moves mountains and brings life where there was none. [44:52]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:53] - Demonstration of the Spirit and Power
[02:39] - Jesus Reveals the Father
[03:34] - When God Shows Up, Anything Is Possible
[05:04] - God’s Power in Impossible Situations
[07:27] - Abiding vs. Manifest Presence
[10:58] - Moses: Chosen and Called
[12:56] - God’s Foreknowledge and Our Destiny
[17:24] - Inquiring of the Lord
[18:26] - Moses Encounters God’s Glory
[21:00] - Moses’ Prayer for God’s Presence
[24:06] - The Glory of God in History
[26:50] - Jesus: Abiding and Manifest Presence
[29:26] - The Holy Spirit Empowers Jesus
[32:24] - The Ministry of Jesus: Signs and Wonders
[36:26] - Let the Word Do the Work
[38:07] - Pentecost and the Manifest Presence
[43:36] - Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Fire
[44:52] - Not by Might, but by My Spirit
[47:02] - Demonstration, Not Persuasion
[49:27] - Invitation to Experience God’s Glory
[51:07] - Prayer of Salvation
[52:11] - Closing and Altar Ministry
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Experiencing the Manifest Presence of God
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### Bible Reading
1. Exodus 33:12-15
Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in my sight.’ Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in your sight, show me now your way, that I may know you and that I may find grace in your sight. And consider that this nation is your people.” And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.”
2. Acts 2:17
“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”
3. 1 Corinthians 2:4
“My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”
---
### Observation Questions
1. According to Exodus 33:12-15, what was Moses’ main concern when God called him to lead Israel out of Egypt? What did he specifically ask God for?
2. In Acts 2:17, what does God promise to do in the last days, and who is included in this promise?
3. The sermon described a difference between God’s abiding presence and His manifest presence. What is the difference, according to the message? [[07:27]]
4. What examples from the Bible did the pastor give to show what happens when God’s manifest presence shows up? [[05:04]]
---
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why did Moses refuse to move forward without God’s manifest presence? What does this reveal about his understanding of God’s power and his own limitations? [[21:55]]
2. The sermon says that Jesus’ ministry began after the Holy Spirit descended on Him at His baptism. Why is this significant for us as believers? [[29:26]]
3. The pastor mentioned that God’s plan is based on His foreknowledge, not fatalism. How does this affect the way we view our choices and God’s calling in our lives? [[12:56]]
4. According to the message, what is the purpose of the Holy Spirit’s outpouring at Pentecost for the church today? [[38:07]]
---
### Application Questions
1. Moses said, “If your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” Is there an area in your life where you have been moving forward without really seeking God’s manifest presence? What would it look like to pause and ask for His presence before taking another step? [[21:55]]
2. The sermon talked about not just knowing about God, but encountering Him. When was the last time you truly experienced God’s manifest presence? What were the circumstances, and how did it change you? [[07:27]]
3. The pastor shared stories of God doing the impossible when His presence showed up. Is there an “impossible” situation in your life right now where you need to invite God’s manifest presence? How can the group pray with you about this? [[05:04]]
4. Jesus waited for the Holy Spirit before starting His ministry. Are there areas where you have been relying on your own strength instead of the Holy Spirit? What would it look like to surrender those areas to God this week? [[29:26]]
5. The message encouraged us to pray the Word and let the Holy Spirit fill and empower us. What is one practical way you can make space for the Holy Spirit in your daily routine this week? (For example: setting aside time for prayer, worship, or reading Scripture aloud.) [[36:26]]
6. The pastor said God’s plan is based on His foreknowledge, but our response still matters. Is there something you sense God inviting you to do, but you’ve been hesitant to say “yes”? What’s holding you back, and how can you take a step of faith? [[12:56]]
7. The sermon ended with an invitation to ask God to “show me your glory.” Would you be willing to pray this prayer this week? What are you hoping God will do as you seek His manifest presence? [[49:27]]
---
Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Invite the group to pray together, asking God to reveal His glory and manifest presence in each person’s life, just as Moses and the early church experienced. Encourage everyone to share any specific needs or areas where they are seeking God’s power to make the impossible possible.
Devotional
Day 1: God’s Power is Demonstrated, Not Just Explained
God’s presence is not merely a theological concept or something to be understood intellectually; it is a living reality that is demonstrated through the Spirit and power. The Apostle Paul reminds us that faith is not built on persuasive words or human wisdom, but on the demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s power. This means that God desires to reveal Himself in tangible ways in our lives, making the impossible possible and showing that He is actively involved in our circumstances. When we seek God’s presence, we are inviting Him to move in ways that go beyond our understanding, bringing transformation, healing, and breakthrough. [01:53]
1 Corinthians 2:4 (ESV)
"And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,"
Reflection: Where in your life do you need to stop relying on your own wisdom and instead invite God to demonstrate His power today?
Day 2: The Manifest Presence of God Makes the Impossible Possible
Throughout Scripture and history, God’s manifest presence has turned impossible situations into testimonies of His glory. Whether it was Daniel in the lion’s den, Elijah on Mount Carmel, or the ten lepers healed by Jesus, each story reveals that when God shows up, the natural order is overturned and miracles happen. The difference between God’s abiding presence (His being everywhere) and His manifest presence (His revealed glory and power) is crucial—when God’s glory is revealed, lives are changed, and the supernatural becomes reality. [07:27]
Exodus 33:14-15 (ESV)
"And he said, 'My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.' And he said to him, 'If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.'"
Reflection: What is one “impossible” situation you are facing right now, and how can you specifically invite God’s manifest presence into it?
Day 3: God’s Plan is Orchestrated by His Foreknowledge
God’s predestination is not about arbitrary selection, but about His foreknowledge and loving orchestration of a plan for each life. He knows the end from the beginning and prepares a path for us to walk in, but it is up to us to seek His will and follow His leading. Like Moses, we may not always have all the details, but we can trust that God has already set things in motion for our good. Our responsibility is to inquire of the Lord, seek His guidance, and walk in obedience, knowing that He is already in our past, present, and future. [12:56]
Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to trust God’s foreknowledge and surrender your plans to His greater purpose?
Day 4: The Holy Spirit Empowers Us for Greater Works
Jesus’ ministry began with the empowering of the Holy Spirit, and He promised that those who believe in Him would do even greater works. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is available to every believer, equipping us to walk in God’s power and fulfill His purposes. This is not by our own might or ability, but by the Spirit of God working in and through us. When we depend on the Holy Spirit, we are able to face challenges, overcome the enemy, and see God’s glory revealed in our lives and ministries. [32:24]
John 14:12 (ESV)
"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father."
Reflection: In what specific way can you rely on the Holy Spirit’s power today, rather than your own strength or resources?
Day 5: Seek God’s Glory and Surrender Fully
The invitation to experience God’s manifest presence is for everyone, but it requires a heart that seeks His glory and is willing to surrender fully. God desires to pour out His Spirit and fire on those who hunger and thirst for Him, transforming lives and setting people free from sin, addiction, and fear. As you ask God to show you His glory, be open to however He chooses to move, trusting that He loves you deeply and wants to fill your life with His presence. Surrender your heart, your plans, and your future to Him, and watch as He does what only He can do. [52:11]
Romans 12:1 (ESV)
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
Reflection: What is one area of your heart or life you need to surrender to God today so that you can experience more of His manifest presence?
Quotes
God is doing something in the United States, and there is a changing of the atmosphere, and we want to continue to take advantage of every open heaven that God is providing. So be prayer warriors, pray for this nation, pray for those in authority, and God will continue to increase his presence. And that's what we want, amen? Amen. [00:00:21]
You know, people are aware of God, but when it comes to his presence, there are many, especially in our Christian faith, that haven't really gotten to that place where they understand the fullness of God's presence. [00:01:32]
We want a living God and that's who Jesus is. That's why death couldn't hold him in the grave. Last week we celebrated the resurrection. I love Resurrection Sunday. I love Christmas, but listen, Easter is what it's all about. He came to die so that he could conquer sin, death, and the grave and that anyone, anyone, the darkest of all sinners could be saved. Amen? So thank God. And so we see that again, that was a demonstration of God the Father's power. [00:03:34]
God showed up and literally when we prayed the prayer of faith, she was brought back to life or whatever the infirmity was that had emptied her vital signs to nearly nothing, if not nothing, God reversed it. She was taken to the hospital, lived seven more years, praise God. Then when she went home to be with the Lord, she was well into her eighties, absent from the body, present with Jesus, God showed up and made the impossible possible. [00:04:32]
He had a nice lion rug as a pillow and a blanket to keep himself warm. Why? Because the Lord sent his holy angel and preserved the man of God. God showed up and made the impossible possible. [00:05:49]
Aren't you glad that three -letter word is all throughout Scripture, especially before a miracle transpires? But God. But God. Three Hebrews in the fiery furnace. But God. [00:07:42]
hear these 10 lepers they had heard about Jesus and from a distance they began to cry out to him finally Jesus spoke the word and the Bible says as they went their way they were made whole the impossible becoming possible because of the presence of God now I'm gonna make a statement I want you to hear this now everybody listen up there is a difference between the abiding presence of God versus the manifest presence of God they are not one and the same and we see that all through Scripture I'm going to prove it to you and substantiate it with the Word of God Scripture teaches that God is omnipresent omni means all present all places he's everywhere this is what the Word of God teaches as his abiding presence think of it this way where God is but then there's God's manifest presence his glory what is that it's who God is so again God's manifest presence reveals who he is through what he does amen so the abiding presence is presence is where God is versus the manifest presence of who God is and when who God is shows up he displays what he can do and that's when again the impossible becomes possible I've seen it so many times I've been walking with Jesus since I mean seriously sold out to Jesus not a perfect man I'll never be perfect till I step into his presence one day but I can assure you he's perfecting me every day and helping me to be more like Jesus and I've seen God do so much time and time again how could I not put my faith in him so again God wants to reveal what he can do to us and that happens when his manifest presence shows up in our lives now in the Old Testament there are many examples of when the impossible became possible but one of the individuals that I love which really depicts very well the abiding presence versus the manifest presence of God is one of my Old Testament heroes Moses how many of you watched the Ten Commandments it was always on during Passover I watched it I guess all three of us Cindy [00:08:04]
That's why the Bible says that the steps of the righteous, a good man or woman, are ordered by who? Almighty God, ordered by the Lord. He prepares in advance the path that we should walk in. That's why it's so key and crucial that we find the will of God for our lives because whatever God has ordered, he's already set it up. Think of it this way. How many remember the 1985 blockbuster movie back to the future? How many remember? [00:12:56]
But having said that here, when you look then what God does with predestination, he already knows. He knows who will say yes, who will say no, and he orchestrates a master plan. There's one already laid out for your lives. Think about that. How can you fail when God is orchestrating every step? People fail when they get away from God. [00:16:12]
It's that big five letter word, faith. Amen? Faith. We talk about it, we use it, but then exercising it, that becomes the challenge. Moses continues. He says, yet you have said, I know you by name, and you have also found grace in my sight. [00:20:43]
He understood the task at hand. He understood the challenge. It was an impossibility. So how do you confront the most powerful man in the world? [00:21:44]
That's why we need to place our lives and our hope and our faith and our trust in the hands of the God of yesterday, the God of today, the God of tomorrow, who already sees what we're about to walk into. [00:22:29]
And then finally, when I was faced with the greatest challenge in the deepest, darkest valley, God reminded me. And it gave me the grace and the strength to know God's got my back. He's on my side. And he's promised. He's going to bring me through. And guess what? He did. I'm here today. God is faithful. [00:23:10]
You see, Moses was crying out for God's glory. Show me your glory. Show me your glory. [00:23:56]
And Moses is a great example of how the presence, the manifest presence of God played such a vital role in his future, in his success. And even one day he's coming back. During the tribulation, he and Elijah will be the two witnesses that will preach and join the 144 ,000 and the gospel will go forth like never before. So Moses still has another purpose along with Elijah to fulfill all because they trusted their future, their lives into the hands of almighty God. [00:24:55]
And because they encountered the glory, the manifest presence, they went beyond the abiding presence, just being aware. Well, God is everywhere. But they said, Lord, I want your power, your glory, your fire in my life. Everything became possible. [00:25:48]
And one man, he wanted to show all of the followers that would come behind him, that if the Holy Spirit is within you, what Paul spoke and prophesied, greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world, the God of this world, Satan. And Jesus, three times, he shut the devil down, and he overcame. And the scripture says, he returned from the wilderness after that, and the power of the Holy Spirit. How many of you want the power of the Holy Spirit in your lives? Then allow the Holy Spirit, and even when you're faced with confrontation, face it with the power, the Word of God, and the power of the Holy Ghost. [00:30:37]
God always intended his manifest presence, his glory, supernatural demonstration to be a part of the ministry and the message of the church of Jesus Christ, irrespective of the label over the door. God's not interested in denomination. He's interested in truth. He's interested in teachers and preachers, not compromising the word of God, not diluting the Holy Spirit and saying, well, the gifts of the Spirit are no longer for today. I don't see that anywhere in my Bible. [00:34:50]
Let the Word do the work. That means pray the Word. Believe the Word. Meditate on his word day and night. Thy word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against things. Are there some habits, some addictions? Maybe you're struggling with alcohol or maybe lust, pornography, or maybe tobacco, smoking, whatever it might be, gambling. My father was a compulsive gambler, as I mentioned. [00:36:33]
And when we begin to put the Word of God in us, that's like kindling wood for the fire. [00:36:56]
God wants his people to walk in his manifest presence. Hallelujah. And God's manifest presence. [00:37:56]
And it was prophetic regarding an outpouring of the manifest presence of God that would restore the years the locusts have eaten away. The locusts symbolizing what the devil does in a person's life. [00:38:41]
The Holy Spirit took up residence, and then the glory of the Father, the manifest presence of God the Father, came upon him. And what was the first thing that happened? [00:30:03]
Sometimes probably one of the greatest obstacles for us as human beings to overcome when it comes to trusting God is when we stop depending on our gifts and we start depending on God more. [00:45:41]
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