The Power of His Presence – Pr. Paul Hohman

Power of His Presence Overview

In this powerful message from NTC Ministries, Pastor Paul Hohman unpacks what it truly means to live in the presence of God. Drawing primarily from Psalm 100, he identifies three foundational actions every believer is called to practice: making a joyful shout unto the Lord, serving the Lord with gladness, and coming before His presence with singing. Pastor Paul emphasizes that praise and worship are not passive spectator activities but deliberate, Spirit-led choices that require effort and participation. He walks through Genesis 3 to illustrate how Satan’s first strategy against Adam and Eve was not merely to cause disobedience but to drive them away from the presence of God, a tactic the enemy still uses today through shame, fear, and distraction. Referencing Psalm 16:11, Psalm 140:12-13, Romans 12:1, Ephesians 3:20, and Isaiah 61:1-3, Pastor Paul shows that in God’s presence is fullness of joy, strength, and peace that surpasses understanding. He closes with a compelling call to put on the Garment of Praise as a spiritual defense against depression, heaviness, and deception, reminding the congregation that drawing near to God is not unreasonable but is our reasonable service.

Power of His Presence Outline

• 00:00 – Opening and Prayer: Pastor Paul opens with enthusiasm for teaching God’s Word and leads the congregation in prayer, inviting the Holy Spirit to move and asking God to open hearts to receive His presence.
• 04:30 – Reading Psalm 100 Together: The congregation reads Psalm 100 aloud in the New King James Version, setting the foundation for the entire message on praise, thanksgiving, and entering God’s presence.
• 08:00 – Make a Joyful Shout unto the Lord: Pastor Paul breaks down the word ‘make’ as an active verb, explaining that a joyful shout must be created and willed into existence by each believer, not merely observed or passively received.
• 16:30 – Serve the Lord with Gladness: The second key action from Psalm 100 is explored. Pastor Paul distinguishes between servitude and sonship, calling believers to serve God not as slaves but as children who delight in pleasing their Father.
• 24:00 – Come Before His Presence with Singing: Though God is omnipresent, He calls us to consciously enter His presence. Pastor Paul uses the image of being aware of someone in your home to illustrate how awareness of God’s presence changes everything.
• 31:00 – Adam and Eve Hide from God’s Presence: Turning to Genesis 3, Pastor Paul reveals that Satan’s ultimate goal was not just to cause sin but to separate Adam and Eve from God’s presence through shame and fear, a strategy still used against believers today.
• 39:00 – Fullness of Joy Is Found in His Presence: Drawing from Psalm 16:11 and Psalm 140:12-13, Pastor Paul shows that the righteous dwell in God’s presence and find there a supernatural peace and joy that no circumstance can manufacture.
• 43:30 – Isaiah 61 and the Garment of Praise: Pastor Paul reads Isaiah 61:1-3 and focuses on the Garment of Praise as a spiritual covering against the spirit of heaviness, depression, and the lies of the enemy.
• 48:30 – Altar Call and Closing Prayer: The congregation is invited to stand and open their hearts to God’s presence. Pastor Paul leads a closing prayer of surrender, rebuking the enemy and declaring freedom through praise and worship.

Scripture References

Psalm 100:1-5, Psalm 35:27, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 139:13-14, Psalm 140:12-13, Romans 12:1, Ephesians 3:20, Genesis 3:1-9, Isaiah 61:1-3

Key Takeaways

• Entering God’s presence is an active, deliberate choice that requires you to make a joyful shout, serve with gladness, and come before Him with singing.
• Satan’s oldest strategy is not simply to make you sin but to fill you with shame and fear so that you hide from God’s presence, just as Adam and Eve did in the garden.
• In God’s presence there is fullness of joy, supernatural peace, and strength that far surpasses anything the world or our own efforts can produce.
• Presenting your body as a living sacrifice in worship is described in Romans 12:1 as your reasonable service, meaning God is not asking anything unreasonable from you.
• Putting on the Garment of Praise is a spiritual weapon that protects believers against the spirit of heaviness, depression, and deception when those feelings try to take over.
• The more time you spend in God’s presence, the more confident you become in who He is and who He has called you to be, making you less susceptible to the enemy’s lies.
• You are fearfully and wonderfully made according to Psalm 139, and withholding praise from the One who handcrafted you is a disservice to the God who formed you with purpose.

Power of His Presence Notes

Three Actions That Open His Presence

Psalm 100 gives believers a clear roadmap for entering God’s presence through three deliberate actions. First, make a joyful shout, which is an act of creation, bringing something into existence that would not exist without your participation. Second, serve the Lord with gladness, embracing the labor of faith not as a slave but as a son or daughter who delights in pleasing the Father. Third, come before His presence with singing, choosing to move from wherever you are into an intentional awareness of God. These are not suggestions for the spiritually advanced but reasonable expectations for every believer.

Why Satan Targets Your Worship

Pastor Paul draws a direct line between Genesis 3 and the spiritual battles believers face today. Satan’s goal in the garden was not merely to get Adam and Eve to eat forbidden fruit; it was to break their relationship with God by filling them with shame so they would hide from His presence. The same tactic is used against Christians who feel too guilty, too angry, or too tired to worship. Recognizing this strategy is the first step to overcoming it. The enemy knows that a believer in God’s presence is a believer filled with power, joy, and divine direction.

The Garment of Praise as Spiritual Armor

Isaiah 61:3 introduces a powerful image: the Garment of Praise worn against the spirit of heaviness. Just as a rain jacket protects from rain or a winter coat shields from freezing temperatures, praise acts as a protective covering over the mind and spirit. When depression, discouragement, sickness, or lies from the enemy press in, the believer who chooses to praise God in the middle of that storm activates a spiritual defense that no emotional willpower alone can provide. Praise is not denial of pain but a declaration of who God is above every circumstance.

God’s Presence Produces What Nothing Else Can

Psalm 16:11 states that in God’s presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. This is not poetic language but a promise with real-life application. Pastor Paul describes moments when praise dissolves frustration, anger, and anxiety in a way that simply thinking positively never could. The peace described in Philippians 4 surpasses all understanding, meaning it operates beyond logic or circumstance. This kind of peace is only available to those who intentionally press into God’s presence, especially in the moments when doing so feels most difficult.

Serving God Is Reasonable, Not Burdensome

Romans 12:1 calls believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices, describing it as their reasonable service. Pastor Paul unpacks this phrase to challenge the idea that God is asking too much. Coming to church, worshiping, serving, and spending time in prayer are not extraordinary demands placed on the faithful few. They are the baseline of a life given to Christ. Through Him, Philippians 4:13 reminds us that we can do all things, making the call to worship not a burden but a doorway to everything God has prepared for those who love Him.

Dwelling in His Presence Changes Everything

Psalm 140:13 says the righteous shall dwell in God’s presence. Dwelling implies something more than a visit; it is a continuous abiding. Pastor Paul challenges the congregation to make God’s presence the environment of their everyday life, not just a Sunday experience. Starting the day in prayer, worshiping in the car, speaking quiet praise in the workplace, and keeping the Word as a daily guide are all expressions of dwelling. When the presence of God rises up within you, it overflows into the people around you, bringing beauty for ashes and the oil of joy for mourning to those who need it most.

Frequently Asked Questions