This is the work of a Christian
I know this book is a favorite for many of us, so it had to be included in this #31 Days of Books series!
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Excerpt from The Practice of the Presence of God
Ah! knew we but the want we have of the grace and assistance of God, we would never lose sight of Him, no, not for a moment.
Believe me. Immediately make a holy and firm resolution never more to forget Him. Resolve to spend the rest of your days in His sacred presence, deprived of all consolations for the love of Him if He thinks fit.
Set heartily about this work, and if you do it sincerely, be assured that you will soon find the effects of it.
. . . Do not forget Him but think on Him often. Adore Him continually. Live and die with Him. This is the glorious work of a Christian; in a word, this is our profession. If we do not know it, we must learn it.
. . . Let all our efforts be to know God. The more one knows Him, the greater one desires to know Him.
– Brother Lawrence
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- Daybook – October 2013
- Express delight to complete it
That’s a great little classic. I remember reading that years ago when I was in college. Amazing how something written so long ago could be so practical today!
I agree. I love how timeless this message is–seeking awareness of and a delight in God’s presence is always excellent advice.
Great quote… I’ve never even heard of it? I must be living under a rock or something…
Everybody has a first time to hear about Brother Lawrence. I’m honored to be the one to introduce you to him. : ) You’ll probably be amazed now at how often you’ll hear his name/book mentioned.
Yes, Brother Lawrence. Some words never grow old and stale …
Amen, Linda. I’ve re-read this little book over and over through the years (it’s a good thing it’s short!).
Very interesting. … ok, I hereby promise to read at least one of these books. Will order online first week in November.
Good! 🙂 If you choose this one, you might look first for a free online version (if you don’t mind reading that way). It shouldn’t be expensive even in paperback, but because it’s so old (he wrote these letters in the 1600s), free versions abound in PDFs or for eBooks. And just to warn you–the language will be a little archaic but not too bad with updated versions.
It’s funny, just this morning I pulled another book off the shelf, and that one came, too (maybe a sign or a hint? 🙂 ) I’ve heard excerpts from it, and have had it for years, but I don’t think I have ever read through it. I was noticing this morning what a small book it was and asking myself WHY I hadn’t ever read it. Thanks for bringing it to my attention again.
I’d say it is a sign, Barbara. You better get reading. 🙂 It is definitely a short book but it still might take a little longer than you’d expect because it’s dense in parts. But a worthy read.
“The more one knows Him, the greater one desires to know Him.” Oh my…how true that is. It is like the more we read the Bible the more we understand just how little we know…or at least that is the way it is with me. It is the same when it comes to knowing Him…the more I know Him the more I desire to know Him. A treasure to be sure! Thank you, Lisa!
That’s the way it is with me, too, Dianna. The more I learn, the less I know. ha. And that’s fine with me. God just gets bigger and bigger!
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