I had just finished reading the book “The Practice of the Presence of God” that I had first read about 25 years ago. Having the condition that I have, re-reading this book now gave me a fresh perspective of what was written in this book
The Practice of the Presence of God
Author: Brother Lawrence
Translated by: Donald Attwater
The following are quotes from the book that I found that spoke to me and I hope it will speak to you as well.
In God We Trust
“…blessing God, praising God, worshipping God and loving Him with all my heart. That is our one business, brethren, to worship Him and love Him, without thought of anything else."
“That we ought to quicken our faith. It was lamentable that we had so little and that, instead of making it the rule of life, men gratified themselves with nice little devotions which they changed from day to day. The way of faith was the mind and spirit of the Church, and was able by itself to lead us to a high state of perfection.”
“That we ought to give ourselves entirely to God, whether in temporal or spiritual concerns, and find our happiness in doing His will, whether He lead us by the way of suffering or by the way of delight, for they are all the same to one truly resigned to Him.”
“That in order to give ourselves to God in the measure that He wishes of us, we must carefully watch over the impulses of our heart, which affect the actions of the soul, as well as the actions of the body; and that God would give help to this end to those who had a real desire to be united to Him.”
“I undertook the religious life for the love of God only, and 1 have tried to live only for Him; whether 1 am lost or saved, 1 want simply to go on living entirely for God; 1 shall have this good at least, that I shall have done all that I could to love Him until death.”
“That perseverance is required at first in making a habit of converse with God and of referring all we do to Him, but after a little His love moves us to it without any difficulty.”
“That we ought to act very simply towards God, speaking frankly to Him, and asking His help in things as they occurred; in his experience, God never failed to give it.”
“That all possible mortifications would not serve to blot out a single sin, unless they were grounded in the love of God. We ought patiently to await the remission of our sins through the precious blood of our Lord, simply trying to love Him with all our hearts. God seemed to choose to bestow His greatest graces on those who had been the greatest sinners, for they showed forth His loving kindness even more than those who had grown up in innocence.”
“That it was impossible, not only that God should deceive, but also that He should permit suffering for any length of time to a soul entirely given up to Him and determined to suffer all things for Him.”
“That in the beginning of the spiritual life it was necessary to act faithfully, and renounce one's own will, but after that there were joys indescribable. In times of difficulty we need only turn to Jesus and ask for His grace, with which all things become easy.”
“That neither skill nor knowledge is required to enable us to go to God, but just a heart determined to turn to Him only, to beat for Him only, and to love Him only.”
“That in times of doubt God will always enlighten us, provided that we wish only to please Him and act for His love.”
“That our sanctification does not depend upon certain works, but upon doing for God that which we ordinarily do for ourselves.”
“That it was a great delusion to imagine that prayer-time should be different from any other, for we are equally bound to be united to God by work at work-time as by prayer at prayer-time.”
“That we ought not to get tired of doing little things for the love of God, because He looks at the love rather than the work.”
“That all things are possible to him who believes, less difficult to him who hopes, still less difficult to him who loves, and easiest of all to him who perseveres in all three virtues.”
“The greater the perfection to which a soul aspires, the more dependent it is upon divine grace.”
“Nevertheless we must go on working, because not to advance in the spiritual life is to go back. But those on whom the Holy Spirit has breathed go forward even when they sleep.”
“We ought not to seek consolations from this practice, but to undertake it for love and because God wills it.”
“If we knew the need we have of God's grace and aid, we should not lose sight of Him even for a second.”
“There is no need to cry very loudly, for He is nearer to us than we think.”
“Since then I have walked before God in simplicity and faith, in humility and love, trying hard to do nothing, to say nothing, to think nothing that would displease Him. I hope that when I have done all I can, He will do with me according to His will.”
“I have given up all devotions and pieties which are not of obligation, and instead try to keep myself always in God's holy presence by simple attentiveness and a loving gaze upon Him. This I may call the actual presence of God, or to speak more accurately, an habitual, silent and hidden communion of the soul with Him.”
“If I am deluded, then it is for God to remedy it that He may do as He wishes with me; I only want Him and to be His.”
“What is there to fear when I am with Him? I cling to Him as much as I am able. May He be blessed by all.”
“I advise you to avoid much talking in prayer; long speeches often induce distractions.”
“Hold yourself in prayer before God like a dumb or paralysed beggar at a rich man's gate; rivet your attention on keeping your mind in the presence of the Lord.”
“…that our only concern in this life is to please God, and that everything else is only a vain waste of time.”
“We must know before we can love; and to know God we must often think about Him. And when we love Him, we shall think about Him all the more, "for where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also."”
“Worldly people suffer after their kind, and not in a Christian way; they look on sickness as an affliction of nature, not as a gift of God, and for that reason they find in it only the hardness and rigour of nature. But those who look upon sickness as coming from the hand of God, as an evidence of His solicitude, as a means which He chooses for their salvation, commonly find great happiness and solace in it.”
“Whatever remedies you make use of they will only succeed so far as He allows; when pain comes from God, He only can cure it, and He often sends disorders of the body to cure those of the soul. Comfort yourself with the all powerful Physician of both souls and bodies. ”
“So I made up my mind to give all to gain all,..”
“God often allows us to suffer somewhat in order to purify our souls, and so bring us nearer to Him. My own experience is such that I cannot understand how a soul that lives with God and desires only Him can be capable of misery. ”
“And yet I do not know how He could leave me alone, since faith has brought me so close to Him and He never goes away from us unless we desert Him first.”
“I said in my last letter that God sometimes allows the body to suffer for the good of the soul. Take courage, then; make a virtue of necessity; ask God, not to take away your physical ills, but for strength to bear them bravely for His sake, and for so long as may please Him. Truly such a prayer is difficult to our human nature, but it is very pleasing to God and sweet to those that love Him. Love eases pain, and when one loves God one suffers for Him with gladness and courage. Do this, I beseech you: comfort yourself with Him who is the only cure for all our ills, who is the Father of the afflicted, who is always ready to help us and who loves us immeasurably more than we imagine.”
“…if we want to taste of Heaven in this world, we must cultivate a close and humble and loving communion with Him; we must keep our minds from wandering away at any time; we must make our hearts a sanctuary where He is always worshipped;…”
“And, as knowledge is commonly the measure of love, the deeper and wider our knowledge, the greater will be our love. And if our love of God is great, we shall love Him equally in sorrow and in joy.”
