LIVE LIFE TO GAIN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

The documentation of the life of Joseph is an example of gaining the presence of God.
The word of God is God, the presence of God.
What is it so challenging denying one not to know to give self to the word of God, the presence of God?
One that gives self to the word of God to live by the word of God is in the presence of God.
Joseph gave himself to the word of God when he did condone no bad as he reported to his father. Joseph gained the attention of God. (Genesis 37:1-2)
He gains the presence of God.
Genesis 39:2 records, “The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man…”
Evil plans against Joseph failed, and he was successful.
One living the word of God will gain the presence of God and cannot be presentable as a victim of evil plans.
The idea to kill Joseph by his brothers failed, and all the evil plans could not stand.
His brothers attempted to discolor him. 
The pit of lack could not hold him down.
Genesis 37:23-24 records the evil plan of his brothers, “So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. 24 Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.”
The presence of God was with Joseph, and the evil plan against him failed.
Out of wickedness, the brothers of Joseph sold him as a slave.
Genesis 37:27-28 records evil towards Joseph, “Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.”
The presence of God could not depart from Joseph.
In Egypt, Joseph, a slave, became the prime minister of the land.
Joseph had the presence of God because he lived by the word of God.
Pray that you will be able to live by the word of God to gain and retain the presence of God.
The documentation of the disobedience of Jonah is an example of failure to gain and retain the presence of God.
The word of God is God. (John 1:1)
The entrance of the word of God is obedience for the obedient to carry the presence of God.
A failure to obey is an absence from the presence of God.
God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. (Jonah 1:3)
To be careless with the word of God is reckless to become wrecked in the life journey.
Disobedience to the word of God shall set one for self-destruction.
Jonah placed himself in the position of untimely death, but the mercy of God delivered him.
The disobedience of Jonah is the evidence not to allow the entrance of the word of God, holding against the word into the heart.
What is holding you not to open for the entrance of Jesus, the word of God to occupy you?
Revelation 3:20 records Jesus wanting to gain entrance to occupy all that will open for Him, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
Ask God that you will live obediently to His word for His presence to gain and occupy your life.
Ask not to live carelessly with the word of God that promotes a reckless life that wrecks the life journey.
Jonah placed himself in the position of untimely death, but the mercy of God delivered him. Ask for the mercy of God for your deliverance from any place of destruction you have engaged.
What is holding you not to open for the entrance of Jesus, the word of God to occupy you? Ask against whatever is one shutting down shall not have a place over your life.
Unlike the documentation of Joseph and Jonah, failure to gain the presence of God, one that is tied down physically or spiritually, is possible for such not to gain the presence of God in life.
The donkey and the Colt tied down could not carry the presence of God until the word of Jesus released them for Jesus to enable the donkey to engage the presence of God.
When Jesus and His disciples drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples in Matthew 21:1-3, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
Ask against whatever is holding you from gaining the presence of God, and begin to lose its grip over your life.
Ask that any force physically or spiritually with an attempt to deny your availability for the word of God to occupy you, to gain the presence of God, shall become permanently terminated.