Kavanah: Life Wrapped in God’s Presence and Power
- David Garda
- May 1, 2018
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 18
The very nature of Kavanah is the discovery of a life where God’s presence and God’s power wrap His arms around us. Not around us in just any mindset—but around us as yielded, available, and obedient people who are ready for God to work in us, through us, and around us.
Kavanah is best understood as an entire English paragraph—rich, layered, alive—contained inside a single Hebrew/Aramaic word.
And once you begin to see it, you can’t unsee it.
Kavanah transforms life as we know it. It invites us into a way of living where we willingly join God with a blank-page openness, trusting Him to actively live His life through ours with unlimited presence and power. This is not a Sunday-morning hour of sitting. This is 24/7 life-together.
Kavanah doesn’t fit in a box, a program, or a time slot. It bursts out all eight sides of the box and ushers us into a daily way of life with God—together. It connects us intimately with Him and then deeply with one another as we share His Word, Prayer, Love, and everyday life.
Sadly, Kavanah has often been reduced to an illustration limited to intentional prayer. Don’t get me wrong—Kavanah and prayer are inseparable. But so are Kavanah and the Word. So are Kavanah and being loved to love. So are Kavanah and all of life.
From “God Is Everywhere” to “God Is Here With Me”
To truly grasp the transforming power of a Kavanah life, we must grow in our understanding of how Scripture reveals God’s manifest presence, not just His omnipresence.
Kavanah is the difference between saying,“God is everywhere,”and saying,“God is here—with me.”
As we travel the Route 66 of our disciplemaking friendships, we repeatedly encounter an intentional link between a life lived in God’s presence, our obedience, and His active power. These threads weave together to form the intersection—the clarity—of Kavanah.
Kavanah Woven Through Scripture
God tells Moses,
“My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14)
The Hebrew word for rest here speaks of comfortable, peaceful confidence. Notice how God’s presence doesn’t just comfort Moses—it changes how he lives.
Abraham’s active trust in God is so evident that a pagan king observes,
“God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do.” (Genesis 21:22)
God promises Joshua that no enemy will prevail when his life is aligned in Kavanah:
“I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you… Be strong and courageous.” (Joshua 1:5–6)
To Gideon, overwhelmed and unsure, the angel of the Lord declares,
“Mighty hero, the Lord is with you! … Go with the strength you have. I am sending you.” (Judges 6:12, 14)
Through Isaiah, God speaks tenderly to His people:
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you… When you go through deep waters, I will be with you… You are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.” (Isaiah 43:1–5)
In the New Testament, Kavanah explodes into fullness through the Holy Spirit:
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you…” (Acts 1:8)
Presence Plus Response = Kavanah
Throughout the Old Testament, God places Himself with His people—even when they fail to respond. God leans in even when we lean back. That’s the nature of His grace. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
Yet Scripture makes something beautifully clear: God’s presence alone is not Kavanah. Kavanah rings loud when God’s presence is met with our leaning in.
“I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Ezekiel 37:27)
This promise reaches its fullness in Jesus:
“The Word became human and made his home among us.” (John 1:14)
And it becomes personal as we receive this presence:
“This is the way to have eternal life—to know you…” (John 17:3)“I will live in them and walk among them.” (2 Corinthians 6:16)
Kavanah as the Disciplemaking Bullseye
I love the simplicity of disciplemaking when Kavanah becomes the bullseye—the intersection of God’s presence, God’s power, and my obedient heart.
The Babylonian Talmud (Berakhot 32b) captures this beautifully, teaching that four things require Kavanah:
Study of the Torah—to intimately know its Author
Good deeds—as love overflowing from being loved
Prayer—at all times
One’s daily work—in all of life, beginning at home
Jesus echoes this invitation with stunning clarity:
“Come to me… and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
And He weaves Kavanah throughout the Great Commission itself:
“I have been given all authority… Therefore, go… Teach them to obey… And be sure of this: I am with you always.” (Matthew 28:18–20)
Do you see it? Power. Presence. Obedience. Together.
Lean In Today
I invite you to lean in with Kavanah clarity today—and tomorrow—and the next day. Like Moses. Like Jesus. This is a life where you are never alone, where God’s active presence becomes visible enough that others notice:
“There’s something different about you—God is with you.”
Want to Grow in Kavanah Together?
If you want to live and grow in Kavanah, I invite you to walk through The Disciplemaker’s Living Guide with family and friends. You’ll engage our 25 favorite disciplemaking passages with Kavanah and with one another.
I promise—you’ll see life differently.And you’ll live differently.
—Dave GardaYour Cadre Disciplemaking Friend & Missionary of Encouragement
