The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

In cleaning out my files I found these summarizing notes of the book The Practice of the Presence of God. These concepts were part of what formed my thinking in the early years of my ministry. Brother Lawrence was a 16^th-century monk who served in a monastery's kitchen.

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   All bodily mortifications are useless unless they serve to arrive at the union with God by love. The shortest way to God is the continual exercise of love and doing all things for His sake.
2. To form the habit of conversing with God continually takes diligence to apply, but soon is continued because of the inward excitement experienced by His love and presence.
3. The love of God is the END of all one's actions.
4. Establish yourself in God’s presence by continually conversing with Him.
5. When failing to practice His presence, acknowledge sinfulness and return in greater trust to God (without whipping yourself).
6. Live in the presence, realizing God’s present grace. Do not be anxious for the morrow.
7. He sensed himself more united to God in outward employments (kitchen duties) than in times of prayer.
8. Many do not advance in Christ because they do penances and other exercises while neglecting the love of God, which is the END.
9. The only thing necessary to approach God is a heart resolutely determined to apply itself to nothing but Him, to love Him only.
10. Going to God involves:
    • Hearty renunciation of everything that we sense does not lead us to God.
    • When doubtful of His leading ask for assistance.
    • Conversation consisting of praise and adoration.
    • Receive grace when you sin (not accusation).
    • Don’t change your work in order to approach God but do your work for God. Simply do your common business without the view of pleasing men but purely for the love of God.
    • Put your whole trust in God.
    • The whole substance of religion is faith, hope, and love which when practiced, unite us to the will of God.
    • The greater perfection a soul aspires after, the more dependent it is upon divine grace.
    • Consider God as the end of all thoughts and desires.
    • Be convinced of God by divine sentiment, revelation, and faith rather than studied reasonings and elaborate meditations.

Journaling application

Lord, what would You speak to me about how You would have me practice Your presence?

Dig Deeper

• Free download of The Practice of the Presence of God
• Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. (Ps. 51:7-12)

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