I have felt far from God for a while now. It’s not a great feeling. So, in an effort to learn what to do when you feel far from God, I did what likely got you to this article. I turned to Google in hopes that someone out there had felt the same way as me and had found the answer to my question, “Where’s God?” The first thing I read changed the way I thought about experiencing God’s presence. While it didn’t automatically make me feel closer to God, it did make me feel more hopeful about experiencing God’s presence now. 

Here is the truth: God’s presence is always accessible to us. Just hear David’s thoughtful reflection in Psalm 139:7-10:

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

How to Start Experiencing God’s Presence

We can always experience the presence of God because God’s presence is always with us. We just have to slow down, speak up, pay attention, and press onward. 

Slow Down

Priorities. They are such a unique thing, especially when it comes to making your relationship with God a priority. So many things in life can feel more important. Getting the kids to school? Important. Your health? Important. Going to your job every day? Important. The list of important things you have to do is extensive. It keeps you busy, and that in and of itself is not a bad thing. But when you become so busy that the presence of God is no longer important, you have a problem. 

Because the truth is, even though all of those other things are important, there is absolutely nothing more important than experiencing God’s presence. Because experiencing God’s presence should be the foundation of our lives. It should be the place from which we accomplish all of those other important things. 

So, when you start to feel far from God – when you start wondering, “Where’s God?” – it means it is time to slow down, take a look at your priorities, and make some changes.  

Speak Up

God is a jealous God. It says so in the Bible. He desires for you to desire Him. He desires for you to seek Him. He desires for you to experience His presence. So, tell Him. Tell God that you feel far from Him. Tell God that you miss Him. Tell God that you want more of Him. Just like sharing your feelings in a dating relationship or friendship makes the relationship stronger, deeper, and more intimate, so does sharing your feelings with God. And if you ever want to know His feelings toward you, simply open your Bible – it’s a love story with your name on it. 

Pay Attention

God doesn’t move away from you, and He is not something or someone that you can move away from. So, rather than trying to “find your way back to God,” you need to increase your awareness of His presence that is already with you, always. If God never left you and you can’t leave Him, then not experiencing God’s presence is a matter of paying attention.

Press Onward

As believers, it’s our responsibility to actively pursue God and pursue experiencing His presence. To do this, put yourself in situations where you are more likely to hear from God, feel God, and experience God daily. 

Many people – myself included – experience the presence of God the strongest during worship. That is because worship is a time dedicated to entering into the presence of God with praise and thanksgiving. This posture is the key to truly pressing into a deep connection with God. 

Psalms 100:4-5 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

If you feel from God, now is the time to enter. To press onward. To pursue connection. And when you do that with praise and thanksgiving, you enter ready to experience God’s presence. 

Experiencing God’s Presence Is Closer Than You Feel

Whether you are aware or acknowledge the presence of God, it is alive and active. God is with you whether you feel Him or not. This is good news. It means that you can stop feeling far from God now. You can choose to turn your ears, eyes, and heart to Him today and bridge the gap you feel in your spirit. Experiencing God’s presence is a privilege you have. Don’t take it for granted. Slow down, speak up, pay attention, and press onward.