The Practice of the Presence of God: A 40-Day Devotion Based on Brother Lawrence's The Practice of the Presence of God (Includes Entire Book)

by Brother Lawrence

To taste and see is experiential. You are being invited to try and experience the very nature of God. Have you done that? Do you take God at His Word? Have you experienced His goodness firsthand? Do you seek Him as your sole source of protection and realize that He loves you more than you can imagine?

Peter reminds us that God does not reject us, but rather sets us apart for His use. And part of that use is to offer spiritual sacrifices—our prayers, praises, will, bodies, time, and talents.

Spending time with God is not relegated to a fraction of your waking hours. Brother Lawrence suggests a continuous, open-ended conversation with God throughout your day. Sounds impossible, right? Not really, it’s all about shifting your thought process and talking with him about the common task of life. In other words, turning everyday moments into prayer.

Sir Isaac Newton said, “As a blind man has no idea of colors, so have we no idea of the manner by which the all-wise God perceives and understands all things.”

Jesus tells us that the barrier to a more intimate relationship with Him is our unwillingness to empty our hearts of everything except Him. Surrendering things of earthly value does not come naturally to us. Our grip on this world is quite strong. But if we could empty our hearts of the desires of this world, we would realize that Jesus is inviting us to so much more.

And we do not always have to be in church to be with God. We may make an oratory (chapel) of our heart so we can, from time to time, retire to converse with Him in meekness, humility, and love. Everyone is capable of such familiar conversation with God, some more, some less.

Do you ever find your mind wandering during prayer? Brother Lawrence counsels us to not become discouraged when this happens as it only serves to further distract our minds leading us into using repetitious phrases and meaningless words that Jesus warned against. It’s important to remember that God already knows what we need before we ask. With this understanding we can stop trying to move God with our words but rather present a heart that is motivated to do His will.

Hebrews 3:13; Ephesians 5:15-16 The Latin phrase Carpe diem or “seize the day” is used to express the idea that one should enjoy life while one can. Brother Lawrence might claim that “seizing the day” is actually a biblical concept and rightfully so in that our time on this earth is limited, so what we do with it should be of the upmost importance. What will you do with the time you are given? Will you spend it frivolously pursuing the things of the world or seizing every opportunity God gives to invest in His purposes “as long as it is called ‘Today?’” We can never get back the time we wasted outside of God’s purpose, but we can redeem it by investing the time we have left in what matters.

In this life we will experience tragedy, heartache, hurt, and pain. How is it possible to rejoice in that? Paul’s exhortation to rejoice is not to rejoice because we are suffering, but rather to rejoice in our suffering.

Mephibosheth had everything to fear being the disabled grandson of Saul, King David’s enemy. Yet David’s promise to Mephibosheth to always have a seat at his table is a beautiful picture of the invitation God gives to us. We are weak and broken, yet God has a place for us at His table regardless of our flaws and shortcomings. Though we are not worthy, He welcomes us as one of His own sons.

Suffering is not something that we naturally seek out. More often we try to avoid it at all costs. But Peter tells us not to be surprised when anyone who follows Jesus wholeheartedly experiences difficulty. We will all experience suffering, often as a result of trying to follow the teachings of Christ in a world that rebels against Him. Brother Lawrence considered it an honor to suffer for Christ. He

Fully devoted Christians can rejoice in suffering because we know that it only makes our faith stronger.

There is an old adage that goes, “those who leave everything in God’s hand will eventually see God’s hand in everything.”

We should not deny our weaknesses as they are the very things that lead us to God in the first place.

As a believer we need to replace our old unhealthy thought patterns with new ones modeled after the life of Christ. When you are struggling with actions that are in conflict with your faith, pray and ask God to transform your mind.