OPEN HEAVEN 29 JUNE 2023: Entering God's Presence 2

Open Heaven 29 June 2023: Entering God’s Presence 2

MEMORISE: Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me, and to him who ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God. Psalm 50:23

BIBLE READING: PSALM 118:19-21 (KJV)

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord:

20 This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter.

21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

Read Yesterday’s Open Heaven Devotional here

Yesterday we identified righteousness as a precondition to access God’s presence. Once a person has clean hands and a pure heart, he or she would be able to access God’s presence with thanksgiving and praises as stated in Psalm 100:4: Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

If you try to get into His presence with complaints or even requests, the gate will not be opened to you. Only those who approach Him with thanksgiving are attended to. However, your thanksgiving will get you into His gates, but your praises will get you into His courts.

Being in His courts is definitely a step higher than just getting into the gates. The keepers of the gates always check for how well you can praise God before they admit you in.

If they see that you are not one who is willing to praise God, they will lock you out. David seemed to be talking to the keepers of the gate when he said in Psalm 118:19, “Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:”

It is as though God had instructed them thus: “If anyone comes here with complaints or requests without thanksgiving or praise, don’t open this gate for the fellow”.

That is why when Jesus was teaching us to pray in Luke 11:1-4, He said we are to start with, “Our Father who hath in heaven, hallowed be thy name”. If you start your prayers that way, you are guaranteed access to the presence of God, where you can then present your requests.

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. – (John 4:23)

Since the Father seeks true worshippers, it means that whenever you worship Him, you draw down His presence to wherever you are. Psalm 22:3 says that He inhabits the praises of His children. You won’t have to struggle to get into His presence again, if you would just fill your heart with thanksgiving and praise.

ACTION POINT: Spend at least one hour just praising God today.