Nouwen added that the more he reflected on Brother Lawrence's advice, he became aware that it "is not just a nice idea for a seventeenth-century monk but a most important challenge to our present-day life situation. He spent almost all of the rest of his life within the walls of the priory, working in the kitchen for many of these years and as a repairer of sandals in his later years. Having found different methods of going to God and different practices to attain the spiritual life in several books, I decided that they would serve more to hinder than to facilitate in me what I was seeking—which was nothing other than a means to be wholly God's.

Experiencing the Presence of God: Teachings from the Book of Experiencing the Presence of God: Teachings from the Book of

I finally picked up this slim volume and read a little bit of it every morning as part of my daily devotional/prayer time and I found it complemented that time nicely. Actually, this is more of an author review as I don't take issue with the content of the book, which is highly reccomended, but rather the inconsistent lifestyle of the author. I was looking forward to reading this as I have heard about it for several years but I don't feel like it really added anything to my understanding of God or my convictions about daily living. 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.The presence of God has massive implications for the way we understand the church (1 Cor 3:16-17; 2 Cor 6:14-7:1; Eph 2:13-22). I can hardly believe it was written by a virtually unknown kitchen monk from like a billion years ago. He set himself a discipline of awareness of the Divine Presence, until it became his habit and his life. As a Worship leader and minister of the gospel, this book provides great insight on living for God, giving Him honour, glory. At the same time, I found myself troubled by at least three things: 1) On several occasions, Lawrence mentions the need to make satisfaction for his sins.

The Practice of the Presence of God - Goodreads

I read Brother Lawrence’s musings, smiled at my sister’s highlights and notes, and enjoyed being closer to God in this simple little book.Our main priority should be to “concentrate the souls attention on God, remembering that He is always present. While I think he can use those sufferings for good, I don’t know that they are usually deliberately sent to us for the purpose of soul refinement. Why on earth should we stick your neck into the endless and fruitless power games of the world, to be dominated and victimized again and again by their and your endless Shadows? In a world of constant distraction, Brother Lawrence has much to teach us about offering every moment of our waking existence to a deliberate awareness of God's gracious and intimate presence, whether we're writing a sermon or working in the kitchen.

Presence of God by Brother of the The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother of the

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, entered human history to give his life as a ransom for many (Matt 20:28; Mark 10:45). a b c Herman, Nicholas, The Practice of the Presence of God, The Christian Classics Ethereal Library . The first conversation in the book recounts Brother Lawrence's conversion to a deeper commitment to his Christian faith at 18 years old: ".We must believe that God is indeed within our hearts, and that we must worship, love and serve Him in spirit and in truth…” This emphasis makes up for any shortcomings in Lawrence’s specific theology, and makes this a book by which every Christian, new or old, may grow and benefit. Neither skill nor knowledge is required to enable us to go to God…” Rather, this sort of continual prayer can only come by a deep sense of our helplessness and weakness before God. All of heaven has collided with the whole earth to make a perfect sanctuary for God to dwell with man (Rev 21:1-4).

Presence Of God - Preach The Word The Presence Of God - Preach The Word

Because of their disobedience, Adam and Eve are now exiles; their mission is in shambles as they stand outside of Eden. Brother Lawrence's goal to focus on developing a conscious awareness of God's presence, to live and interact with His presence such that his relationship with God was the strongest experience of his life is a worthy goal. Thomas Schreiner shares 10 important things you should know about the biblical covenants—the backbone of the biblical story. Lawrence cried out to his torturers, and this dark witticism eventually earned him the additional title of Patron Saint of Comedians.Brother Lawrence is a 17th century Carmelite monk who engaged in a near continual conversation with God. 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. That we ought to act with God in the greatest simplicity, speaking to Him frankly and plainly, and imploring His assistance in our affairs, just as they happen.