The major barrier to this book is the slightly stilted language. I have recommended this to several people and they cannot get past this, essentially missing the book's message. If nothing else this makes me understand why the King James Bible remains obtuse for many.

Entering the Presence of God | Book | Derek Prince Ministries Entering the Presence of God | Book | Derek Prince Ministries

Fast forward to the end of our Bibles and we see a very similar picture but on a much larger scale. All of heaven has collided with the whole earth to make a perfect sanctuary for God to dwell with man (Rev 21:1-4). In the book of Revelation, Eden has returned and expanded into new heaven and new earth where all of God’s people enjoy his presence eternally. 4. Humanity’s mission and the presence of God are inseparable. Often attributed to Sister Mary David, The Practice of the Presence of God (Whitaker House, 1982): 68.When we are in doubt, God never fails to show us the right way to go, as long as our only goal is to please Him and show our love for Him.” So I agree with him that being with God can make paradise available even for the sufferer, not because the suffering is a gift, but because God's presence is the ever promised gift even despite suffering. And keep up your part of the inner dialogue with God - for Brother Lawrence ingenuously says His answers will always come, and provide you with the protection and comfort of spiritual foliage, and with the real and continual fruits of the Spirit. This would be a five star book for the right person at the right time, I was just not that person or perhaps it was not the right time. Or was it?

The Practice of the Presence of God - bsmi.org

This is a short but profoundly meditative read. Good stuff for mothers in a hurry who want to ponder a connection with God in the midst of busy days; also palatable for people going through a hard time to read little bits at a time and absorb them without charging through. Brother Lawrence didn't intend to write a book, and some concepts are a bit disjointed. But, he is consistent enough in his perspective and approach that the same themes work throughout his pastoral correspondence. I learned from brother Lawrence a couple of ways to sustain the dialogue. One thing I learned was that he described his conversations with God as extremely pleasurable. He kept at the conversation because he enjoyed being with God. There's joy in being with God. The text tis a compilation of spiritual writings and letters written by Brother Lawrence, a monk from the 1600s. It is divided into 4 parts: letters, conversations, maxims, and finally a brief overview of Brother Lawrence’s life. All of these sections are worthwhile. I agreed with Brother Lawrence that a right, awe-filled view of God brings us a long way in seeking and remaining in His presence and that it is a discpline to pursue God's presence. I'm not sure I really see the merit in "achieving" a consistent position in the presence of God if it's not used to bring others to Him. Apparently Brother Lawrence had great influence with other "brothers" living around him and we know that he wrote to encourage others so I guess you could say that his life and writings have inspired others to connect with God. However, he seemed to be more interested in a life of pleasant seclusion than in fulfilling the Great Commission. From the evidence of this book alone, this position is merely conjecture, but I really didn't see any inclination to "put to good use" the profound connection he seemed to have achieved in his decades of "the practice of the presence of God."Accordingly, the church has two clear purposes: 1) the church works within itself for the sanctification of its members to prepare God’s people for God’s present and future presence; and 2) the church works externally to share the gospel so that the lost may enjoy God’s presence now and forever as well. 10. To be a joyful Christian is to know God’s presence. And once we KNOW - listening to Brother Lawrence - how to get there, we’ll finally be sure of Who we are and what our Purpose is. This article is part of the 10 Things You Should Know series. 1. God is immanent because he is transcendent.

The Practice of the Presence of God - Wikipedia

I'm not really sure what to say about this little book. I guess I was expecting some great revelation about how to be a better Christian but the basic message here is "practice the presence of God every day." Hmmm. That's a bit like opening a book and finding written inside, "This is a book. Read it." Our humble author, Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, assures us that his own journey along this path toward ‘practicing the presence of God’ took him many years as well. So, despair should not deter one's efforts.As evangelicals, we talk a lot about the presence of God but seldom look to the Bible to see what it is. When we do, we find that it is first and foremost a theme on which the story of Scripture hinges. If we read our Bibles though we begin to see a two-fold pattern. The presence of God is the concentration of the soul’s attention on God, remembering that He is always present.” In the next section of the book, we are given sixteen of Brother Lawrence's letters—mostly written to a nun, but also one to a priest and several to a lay woman. All of these further elucidate how one is to advance along the path toward our ultimate goal, full and total communion with God. The book concludes with a group of Brother Lawrence's maxims.