The Practice of the Presence of God
The Spiritual Secrets of a Humble Brother Who Enjoyed Closeness with God
by Brother Lawrence
I would highly recommend this classic book of practical Christian devotion to anyone who is interested in the art of “practicing the presence of God.” Brother Lawrence allows you to take a personal look into his own life to see how he humbly, willingly and faithfully tried to please the Lord with every fiber of his being. He so much enjoyed pleasing the Lord, by practicing the Presence of the Lord that you will find his love for God contagious with each chapter you read. His writings on this subject will encourages you to simply & daily practice living in the presence of God all days of your life.
Here are a few excerpts from his book:
p. 29 For more than forty years, this brother’s principal endeavor has been to stay as close as possible to God, doing, saying, and thinking nothing that might displease Him.
p.20 Now, though, acting with childlike simplicity in God’s sight, he did everything for the love of God, thanking him for his guidance. Everything he did passed calmly, in a way that held him close to the loving presence of God.
p. 23 We should offer our work to Him before we begin and thank him afterward for the privilege of having done it for His sake.
p. 25 Never tire of doing even the smallest things for Him, because he isn’t impressed so much with the dimensions of our work as with the love in which it is done.
p. 26 Therefore, we should rejoice in our difficulties, bearing them as long as the Lord wills, because only through such trials will our faith become purified, more precious than gold.
p. 34 Make a commitment never to deliberately stray from Him, to live the rest of your life in His holy presence. Don’t do this in expectation of receiving heavenly comforts; simply do it out of love for Him.
p. 37 God doesn’t ask much of you. But remembering Him, praising Him, asking for His grace, offering Him your troubles, or thanking him for what he has given you will console you all the time. During your meals or during your daily duty, lift your heart to Him. You don’t have to pray out loud. He’s nearer than you can imagine.
p. 77 Meditating on the promises of the Lord and his love for Jesus Christ changed him into another man. The humility of the cross became more desirable to him than all the glory the world had to offer.
P. 89 Brother Lawrence saw nothing but the plan of God in everything that happened to him. Because he loved the will of the Lord so much, he was able to bring his own will into complete submission to it. This kept him in continuous peace.
There is so much more to be gleaned from this little, easy to read book. You will be glad you took the time to read it. You can obtain a copy through our church library or purchase a used one through Amazon.com for $4.00 or kindle for $3.56.
Gina is happily married to Jim Hall who is the Director of Payroll at St. Luke’s Hospital & Health Network in Bethlehem, PA. They have been members of the Lehigh Valley Baptist Church for over 30 years. They have 7 children & 11 grandchildren. The 3 oldest children are married. Two boys and two girls are at home. Our 2 girls came from the wonderful country of China. We love all our children immensely and enjoy a very happy, fulfilled home. Training her children in the ways of the Lord brings great delight!
Gina loves to read motivational and inspirational books. She finds them a tremendous source of spiritual and personal growth in her life.
Born in a Catholic home, Gina came to know the Lord at 25 years of age, through the witness of a member from the Lehigh Valley Baptist Church. You can read her testimony here on our church website.