The Practice of the Presence of God In Modern English

by Brother Lawrence

We ought to give ourselves to God in both mundane and spiritual matters. We should seek our satisfaction only in fulfilling His will, whether that leads to suffering or comfort. All things are equal to a soul truly surrendered to God. There needs to be faithfulness in the dry seasons of the spiritual life, when we feel distant from God and find prayer burdensome. At such times, God is testing our love for Him. Those are the times when we should surrender ourselves to God. If we do this, it will result in spiritual advancement.

In order to form a habit of communing with God continually and committing everything we do to Him, we must at first make a special effort. After a while we find that His love inwardly inspires us to do all things for Him effortlessly.

We should concern ourselves only with loving and delighting ourselves in God.

We should, without anxiety, accept that all our sins have been forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ.

He did not beat himself up when he sinned. He said, “When I fail in my duty to God, I immediately acknowledge it, saying, ‘All I do is sin, and I shall never do otherwise if I am left to myself.’ If I do something well, I give God thanks and acknowledge that everything good that I do comes from Him.”

We should offer everything to Him before we do it and give Him thanks after we have finished.