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Contents
Purely For The Love Of God
God Draws Us Near
Everlasting Treasure
Favor In Heavenly Houses
Purely For The Love Of God
1. "Always be with God. Do nothing, say nothing, and think nothing which may displease Him. Do this without any other view than purely for the love of Him and because He deserves infinitely more." ... Brother Lawrence
The practice of the presence of God is a way of dedicating our lives to God through the principle of love. Through this greatest of all principles, we habitually offer everything we think, say, and do to God until doing everything to please Him becomes our very way of life. When the practice of the presence of God, what Brother Lawrence called "the holy habit", becomes our way of life, we are established in a private practice of the profession most pleasing to God.
This profession is the way of life God intends for each of us. God expects us to live from the principle of love for Him. This is God's reason and purpose for creating each of us. It is also Our Father's reason for sending His Son, Our Lord, into physical, earthly being.
Our Lord Jesus Christ's earthly existence is the perfect model of life based on the greatest principle of love for Our Father. Jesus, God's Son on earth, is how Our Father revealed Himself to us in a way we can all understand and comprehend. Through Our Lord, Jesus Christ, we come to see and believe that Our Father is infinitely greater than we can humanly understand. We come to see and believe that the kingdom of God is infinitely fuller and greater than worldly existence.
The main theme that runs through the message of Our Lord as so well presented by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in The Gospel, can be stated simply: "God's will is love". All good comes from the love of God. Love is His nature. Love is the principle upon which God made us and the foundation of all His creation.
Though many have walked Our Lord's path of love in Our Father's presence over the years, the practice of the presence of God is most often associated with Brother Lawrence. For nearly forty years he lived in quiet joy as a result of doing everything purely for the love of God. In the late seventeenth century, Our Father saw fit for Brother Lawrence to leave a legacy of a few conversations and letters describing such a simple approach to living in God's presence that anyone, anywhere can practice it.
The practice of the presence of God is a way of life where we engage in continual conversation with God; walk with Him in love, humility, simplicity, and faith; and think, say, and do what is most pleasing to Him because that is God's will for us.
This way of life, the holy habit, is an expression of the profession most pleasing to God. It reflects the way of Our Lord and the first principle of love for God above everything else. In one of his letters, Brother Lawrence wrote, "Above all other things I would advise all the world to practice the presence of God, so necessary do I think it, and so easy too."
2. "I know that some charge this state with inactivity, delusion, and self-love. ...it would be a happy self-love if the soul...were capable of it. But while the soul is in this repose she cannot be disturbed by the kinds of things to which she was formerly accustomed. The things that the soul used to depend on would now hinder rather than assist her. ...the soul which enjoys God in this way wants nothing but Him." ... Brother Lawrence
The practice of the presence of God is a quiet way of living in a private and personal relationship with Our Father. Worldly people do not understand this, nor should we expect it of them. To live in God's presence is to be in the world but not of the world. Those who practice the presence of God resolve to place the singular desire for God above all earthly wants, needs, desires, and expectations. This is accomplished by shifting our attachments and dependencies from the temporal things of the world to the eternal realities of God. It is accomplished according to God's will, at His time and in God's way.
When God is guiding and directing our steps, we lose the need for outside or worldly approval. At the same time, we realize that, because we live in the world which is God's creation, offensiveness of any kind is an offense against Our Father. We must humbly accept both just and unjust criticism and trust in God to soften and draw hearts to Him according to His plan, not ours. Only in this way can we truly yield ourselves to serve according to God's will.
A great help to us in practicing God's presence is The Silent 'Thank You, Father'. Spoken from the heart, we repeat this phrase at all times and in all circumstances -no matter what. The Silent 'Thank You, Father' quickly brings us into communion with God and alignment with His holy will. In trying circumstances this short phrase is especially helpful in shifting our focus from ourselves to Our Father.
The Gospel offers so much comfort for us through the words and teaching of Our Lord. Of the four beautifully written books of The Gospel, Matthew is especially notable for the way he presents God's message with entire chapters that summarize Jesus' instructions, clarification of the commandments, and examples of their application.
Also important are Jesus' instructions to His disciples and the remarks made in reference to anyone who would be a disciple and claim Our Father's presence both on earth and in heaven. The Book of John, the beloved disciple, focuses specifically on the personal nature of discipleship and the Son of God's love for the Father.
In practicing God's presence, it is important that we become very familiar with all of Our Lord's teaching, commandments, and instructions found in all four books of The Gospel. As we prayerfully read and ask Our Father to show us how to better apply these instructions to our daily life, we gain a fresh perspective and appreciation for the words and way of Our Lord.
We come to see the commandments and instructions, not as obstacles to our enjoyment of life but as the support beams for living God's way of love. We come to realize that living God's way truly is, above all else, the easy way.
3. "When we are faithful to keep ourselves in God's holy presence, and set Him always before us, this hinders our offending Him, and doing anything that may displease Him."
... Brother Lawrence
The attractiveness of God's gentle love compels us to do what we do for Him. We view what we do as "being about God's business" and even the little things that we would selfishly prefer to put off or overlook, we find pleasure in doing for His sake. We may even discover that we actually enjoy doing some things that we previously disliked.
As we make a habit of keeping God's presence constantly in our awareness and engaging in the silent conversation of the heart with Him, we notice a refinement and politeness in our attitude. We perform our everyday duties, tasks, and "common business" gently and with tranquility.
When our only motive is to please God, there is no longer any hint of selfish resentment, anger, or bitterness in our thoughts and deeds. We stop trying to arrange the world to suit our needs because we have entrusted our needs to God. We come to the place where obedience is an act of love and we would no more think of intentionally rebelling against God's will than we could imagine living without His love.
God's love is the supreme gift, the Gift of gifts. Without the awareness of God's love, we dwell alone in a world with no light which, perhaps, leads to eternal loneliness and darkness. With the awareness of God's love, we are open to the myriad ways in which He directs us to serve Him and return the gift to Him for renewal.
If we make our main objective the return of this gift of love to its source, Our Father, then all else flows from our love for God. This is God's will for us. How little He requires of us for the everlasting favor of His holy presence.
4. "Brother Lawrence resolved to make the love of God the end of all his actions ... He was pleased when he could take up a straw from the ground for the love of God, seeking Him only and nothing else, not even God's gifts."
When we decide to make the love of God our only goal for all we do, we may, for a time, feel hampered by our need to pause and consult with God before we think, say anything, or take any action. This new exercise does slow us down; but, as this exercise becomes a habit, we start to experience a new sense of ease.
After a time of transition from our old ways of thinking and doing to God's way of guiding our thinking and actions, we come to enjoy the pace and flow that results from His directing us. We begin to appreciate, in a very deep way, the reliability of Our Father's guidance.
As we become familiar with Our Lord's message, commands, and instructions, we move from our initial focus on the letter of the law to the spirit of the law. That is, we become aware that to live in God's presence is to worship Him continually "in spirit and in truth".
This is a natural result of our prayerful reading of The Gospel. God guides us and reveals the overall pattern of His will and plan. In His holy presence, we now see that the entire message expressed by the words and living example of Christ is clear and quite simple. Everything in God's plan, the single point of Our Father's focus, is love.
In His holy presence, love in spirit and love in truth is seamless. To love Him in spirit is to have His love as our only goal and motive. When love of God is our only goal and motive, what we think, say, and do is in truth. The fact or result of what we think, say, and do matches the spiritual motive of love for Our Father.
We also discover that when we think and act out of love for God alone, His presence becomes dearer than we could ever before imagine. Weak and unworthy beings that we are, we will continue to do this imperfectly. Yet the prospect of striving to improve and refine what we think and do for the love of God has a sweetness all its own.
Living with the single goal and motive of the love of God results in many practical benefits, not the least of which is true simplicity. Though the world, in any number of ways, tells us otherwise, to obey the laws of God and man takes less effort than to disobey. Instead of anger, bitterness, or hate, it is much simpler to think, say, and act out of Our Father's love and compassion.
Living with one goal and one motive, the love of God, enables us to give God our undivided attention. It also frees our time and energy so we may enjoy all the wonderful aspects of His presence.
5. "We should feed and nourish our souls with high notions of God which would yield us great joy in being devoted to Him."
... Brother Lawrence
The esteem for God, the veneration, the high regard in which we hold Him in our minds and hearts helps us to aspire to His goodness. Our affectionate regard for Our Father and the simple, instinctive act of looking upward draws us to Him and His infinite mercy and compassion.
Daily life presents us with so many ways to acknowledge the mercy and majesty of Our Father. We see God's goodness and grandeur in things both large and small. We begin to look for opportunities and additional ways to praise and please Him. As we seek these little extras, we are surprised and pleased with, in Brother Lawrence's words, "all the ways the soul can invent".
Our continual silent conversation of the heart with God engenders a new level of kindness and gentleness in our thinking. Communion with Our Father is so pleasant that we lose all interest in talking to ourselves or cluttering our mind with imaginary conversations with others. At the same time, our attitude towards others begins to reflect the care and compassion of Our Father.
It all seems so simple. We wonder: why, oh why, did I not see it this way before? But, of course, at the same time we realize this is the great change Our Father has made in us. This is His presence within. This is His grace working through our unworthy and very imperfect nature. At this point, we can only respond with a head bowed in humility and a heart overflowing with love for Him.
God Draws Us Near
1. In a letter Brother Lawrence writes, "We have a God who is infinitely gracious and knows all our wants. I always thought that He would reduce you to extremity. It is a plain mark of the care He takes of you. Comfort yourself with Him, and give thanks for all."
On first reading this, we may find it striking that gentle Brother Lawrence would say, even in a private letter, he always thought God would reduce his friend to extremity. But Brother Lawrence, no stranger to extremity, adversity, and affliction, knew a great deal about God's will and ways.
Brother Lawrence often mentioned in his letters and conversations that God has many ways of drawing us to Him. He knew that extremity, adversity, and affliction are often God's manner of choosing us for His Own and separating us from worldly ways.
God often goes to, what seems to us, extraordinary means to bring us to Him. These extraordinary means often result in a total break from the life with which we were familiar. God's unusual or extraordinary means often result in a loss of identity and self. We may feel we no longer know who we are. We may feel that all is lost and we are adrift with no purpose or reason to live. God's extraordinary means often result in our having to "make a virtue of necessity" and rely completely on His strength, mercy, and power.
2. Dear One, sometimes it takes a crisis. Sometimes God has to do something dramatic, something that puts us in a position of utter powerlessness. Sometimes God has to take us to that place beyond help and hope where only He can operate. So often people look at personal crisis as God's retribution. They see crisis as a demonstration of God's wrath. Not only is this wrong thinking but we greatly offend God when we judge His will and way.
At a time when we are weakest and most vulnerable, when we are in pain, when we are frightened, lonely, and helpless, this is the time to say, "Father, not my will but Yours be done." Is this impossible? Yes, for us. Yet, with only a speck of a mustard seed of faith, we are assured that, with God all things are possible. So, Dear One, we can, through God, say, "Not my will but Yours be done."
Please consider this: In every personal crisis is the opportunity to draw near to God. Every personal crisis involves God's freeing us in very special ways that are essential to His plan for us. Of course, because of the nature of crisis, we cannot see this at first. But, according to Our Father's exact and perfect timing, He will shape us according to His plan and we will overflow with love for Him. A silent 'Thank You, Father' will resound in every fiber of our being.
Often the degree of extremity is the measure of the degree to which God will fill us with His light and presence. When we come to see that this truly is a plain mark of God's special notice of us, then we are ready to take comfort only in Him because we know He is the source and supply of all we need. We are now more than ready to give Him thanks for all.
3. God draws us near to Him in moments of solitude. When we are free of outside distractions and receptive to the sacredness of silence, He will fill every space that we make available to Him. Sometimes the power of His presence is so strong as to be almost overwhelming. Sometimes His presence exceeds what we experience through our senses.
At these times, although we often feel that we should do something or take some action, it is important that we simply remain quiet. God's will is that we enjoy His presence. We greatly benefit by the advice of Francis of Assisi: "We must see nothing but the glory of God and bask in it." Basking in God's light and love is a completely selfless act that pleases Him above all else!
In the words of Brother Lawrence: "We should not wonder if, in the beginning, we often failed in our endeavors, but that at last we would gain a habit which naturally produces its acts in us without our care and to our exceeding great delight."
4. In the many ways God draws us to Him, in everything from personal crisis to moments of sublime awareness of Him, Brother Lawrence said: "to form a habit of conversing with God continually and referring all we do to Him, we must at first apply to Him with some diligence. Then, after a little care, we would find His love inwardly draw us to His presence without any difficulty."
"I have no pain or difficulty about my state because I have no will but that of God. I endeavor to accomplish His will in all things."
... Brother Lawrence
Everlasting Treasure
1. "Judge by what content and satisfaction he enjoys. While he continually finds within himself so great a treasure, he no longer has any need to search for it. He no longer has any anxiety about finding it because he now has his treasure open before him and may take what he pleases of it." ... Brother Lawrence
Pause, Dear One, and take time to consider these words from one of Brother Lawrence's letters where he describes his own experience. God worked through the example and words of Brother Lawrence in a way that seems quite unique. In these three simple sentences Brother Lawrence describes the entirety of our human spiritual quest.
Notice the word "content" and recall how often Brother Lawrence uses that word and how often that word is used to describe him. Content is the word we use for the quiet joy of being God-contained. Unlike earthly contentment, which is a pleasant but fleeting experience, this is the contentment that is also referred to as the peace that surpasses all understanding. Our Lord, the very revealer of God, Our Father, freely gave this gift to His disciples when He said, "My peace I give to you, not as the world gives, give I to you."
It is the sense of our being a vessel filled with the peace and fullness of God. Our awareness is not on the vessel of self but rather on the sweetness of the contents within. Though we usually enjoy it best when we are in quiet retirement with God, Brother Lawrence clearly shows us that the sense of being God-contained is independent of our surroundings and activities. He got to the point where he was as aware of God's presence while he was at work as when he was in formal prayer.
So it is with both contentment and satisfaction. They go hand-in-hand and are the result of being established in the presence of God where the only sense we have of time is the moment. The temporal awareness of past and future fades into the background of our experience of God's time, the eternal. We may realize it in various degrees, different intensities, and with or without the involvement of our emotions, but the God-containment is a constant.
2. "Every one is capable of such familiar conversation with God, some more, some less. He knows what we can do."
... Brother Lawrence
This experience is unique in that we may each, perhaps, describe it in different words and it is individual because of our unique relationship with God. There have always been those who claim that this is a special, advanced state one can only arrive at with special training or secret, often costly, methods and that it is an experience available only to an elite few. This is exactly what Our Lord means when He speaks of false prophets and issues cautions about those who make false claims.
The simple truth is that this experience of God-containment is the ordinary and usual experience available to anyone who practices God's presence. Jesus makes it very plain that this is the experience of discipleship. This is God's will for each of us.
To the first disciples and all who come after, Jesus' promise is the same: Follow me in the way you see that I do Our Father's will in all things and I will be with you always and in all ways until the end of the world.
In the Book of John, chapter fourteen, we find a very beautiful message. Since Christ often mentioned all those disciples who came after, we have every reason to believe that these words are directed at us today as well as when Jesus spoke them to the small group gathered around Him:
"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter to abide with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth which the world cannot receive because it will not see Him and will not know Him. But you will know Him for He will dwell with you and will be in you. I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you."
When we are grounded in the holy habit, Our Father, the Living God, dwells within our hearts and rests continually in our awareness. Whether there is calm or storm in the world around us, God is within. If we are influenced or become caught up in turbulence, God is within. As we have become established in His presence, He, also, is established within us.
Brother Lawrence said that, once the treasure of God's presence is encased in the heart, "he no longer has any need to search for it". After all the searching and seeking, the heart thirsting and reaching out for sometimes we know not what; after all the soul's discontent and restlessness, the yearning to fill the void within; Our Father draws us into the clear reality of His gentle presence. Can there be any greater testimony to the magnificence of God?
3. "I cannot imagine how religious persons can live satisfied without the practice of the presence of God. For my part, I keep myself retired with Him in the depth and center of my soul as much as I can." ... Brother Lawrence
It is difficult to imagine that anyone could miss the compelling invitation to "Follow Me" and "Love one another as I have loved you" having read God's message revealed by Jesus Christ in The Gospel. It is equally difficult to imagine that anyone could miss the compelling invitation to practice God's presence after having been introduced to the words of Brother Lawrence, especially since they echo Our Lord's message of love for Our Father above all else.
Whether we choose to accept the invitations is another matter. In great part we know, from the words of the Son of God Himself, that we are called and chosen according to God's will. Brother Lawrence clearly takes no personal credit and often comments that without God he can do nothing but sin.
However, for those of us who practice the holy habit, there are two reasons why our greatest interest is in the second part of Brother Lawrence's comment: "For my part, I keep myself retired with Him in the depth and center of my soul as much as I can."
First, "For my part" tells us that he minds his own business, the business of following Christ and of living in the Father's presence. This reminds us of the end of the last chapter of the Book of John. This is where Our Lord responds to Peter's question, "What about him (John)?", by telling Peter, in effect, that his only concern is to follow Him. Essential to the practice of the presence of God is keeping our focus on our own business, our relationship with Our Father.
"I keep myself retired with Him...as much as I can" is the second point of importance. Brother Lawrence had a keen appreciation for the quality of his relationship with God. He placed the highest value on it. He realized that the treasure of God's presence is precious and priceless. For this reason he could not understand settling for anything less and reminds others that, in this life, it is never too late.
With the practice of the presence of God, the search is over and the treasure is found. O, that we may never take Our Father's gift for granted; and that in the midst of the enjoyment of contentment and satisfaction, we continue to feel humbled by the enormity of the blessing.
4. "If sometimes he becomes a little distracted from the Divine presence, God gently recalls Himself by a stirring in his soul. He answers with exact fidelity either by an elevation of his heart towards God or by such words as 'My God, here I am all devoted to You,' or 'Lord, make me according to Your heart'."
... Brother Lawrence
When we become established in the holy habit of practicing God's presence, God's gentle reminders are sweet stirrings in the soul. Brother Lawrence suggests "We make an oratory of our heart so we can retire to converse with Him in meekness, humility, and love." With our treasure encased in our heart and soul, we always have direct access to God.
Brother Lawrence shares the key to the everlasting treasure with these words; "I maintain a simple attention and a fond regard for God which I may call an actual presence of God. It is an habitual, silent, and private conversation of the soul with God. This gives me much joy and contentment."
Favor In Heavenly Houses
1. "The children of this world are better at dealing with their own generation than the children of light. But, I tell you, use what you have wisely and do good with it and you shall find favor in heavenly houses."
This is one of Our Lord's most encouraging statements for those of us who practice the presence of God. When we become established in the practice we are Our Father's children of light. Found in chapter sixteen of the Book of Luke, these words preface Jesus' comments that end with: "You cannot serve God and mammon."
As children of light we consciously live in God's presence. Our single focus is on knowing, loving, and serving God above all else. Children of the world know, love, and serve the things of the world and, so, put mammon above God.
The first sentence is, however, of far less importance than the one that follows. It begins: "But, I tell you..." and is also often stated as 'Verily, verily, I say to you' or 'Truly, I say to you'. Whenever we come to that phrase in The Gospel, we know Our Master has something special to say to those close to Him. We can almost hear His voice soften so as to draw His listeners closer. Then He says, "use what you have wisely and do good with it and you shall find favor in heavenly houses."
How often Brother Lawrence uses that same wonderful word: favor. Many times in his letters he writes that, despite his unworthiness, God continues to shower favors on him. At one point, he even writes that it seems as if God treats him like His favorite.
As we become established in the practice of the presence of God, His favors, such as grace, light, guidance, companionship, become both priceless and precious to us. As we become established in the holy habit of knowing, loving, and serving God above all else, His favors of taking care of our spiritual and, yes, material needs fills us to overflowing with a resounding, 'Thank You, Father'.
As much as there are now and have always been those who would either dismiss this or abuse it by turning it into some kind of selfish magical or mystical process, it is really quite simple when we keep in mind that Our Father's will and ways are always sensible and practical. If they seem otherwise, the fault lies in us and not God.
2. Our Lord tells us: "use what you have wisely and do good with it ...". There is probably no subject more discussed, more debated, or more cherished by God's worldly children than the wise use of what we have and how to do good with it. The difficulty children of the light face in being surrounded by the atmosphere and influence of worldly children is that God -the love of God and doing the will of God, is not the priority and sometimes is not even on the list of the children of the world.
Yet, we are foolish and offend God if we reject or pay no attention to sound and practical advice. There is a good deal of what is referred to as 'worldly wisdom' that, though it is not really wisdom but information and facts, children of light can use to reflect the greater glory and true wisdom of God.
There are, however, advantages children of light have over the children of the world. Those of us who practice the presence of God have come to see and appreciate the value of silent communion with God and the sense of living, in Brother Lawrence's words, "... as if there were none but He and I in the world." We continuously offer all we have to God and seek His counsel in doing good as He sees fit.
The advantage is, by God's grace, we focus on the long-term of eternity which is everlasting while the worldly see only the short-term of the temporal which perishes tomorrow. This is not a matter of righteously 'having God on our side' but one of quietly and humbly putting God first. Since He knows us better than we know ourselves, surely He will lead us into wisdom and order our steps according to His ultimate good purpose.
In practicing God's presence and conversing with Him throughout the day, we also have the advantage of Our Father's acting as a filter for us. In dealing with things of the world, He will screen out what does not respect Him and separate the godly from the ungodly for us. Of this we can be certain.
3. Many read: "favor in heavenly houses" to mean an eternal reward that comes after this life. Surely, we cannot help but believe this is so. However, as we read The Gospel as God's living word that is as meaningful today as when Our Lord first delivered the message, we see the present time in the phrase 'heavenly houses' as well as we see it in the phrase 'the kingdom of God'.
O, the wonder and the beauty of The Gospel! Right at the heart of The Holy Bible and the essence of The New Testament are the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John that record God's Living Way. God, the pure and perfect spirit sent His Son into the world of matter to show us how to live and delight in God's material creation and spiritual, heavenly houses. The phrases: kingdom of God, heavenly houses, presence of God, this generation, and so many more mean today and right now as well as referring to the history of the past and the vision of the future.
In our practice of the present moment of God, using what we have wisely and doing good with it is accomplished when we engage in continual conversation with God; walk with Him in love, humility, simplicity, and faith; and do nothing, say nothing, and think nothing that may displease Him because that is God's will for us.
The favor we find in heavenly houses is summed up in these beautiful words of Brother Lawrence: "There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful, than that of a continual conversation with God: those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it."
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