FROM: Banbury, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
ABOUT ME: Living the highs and lows of life in the adventurous pursuit of God Himself and of who I'm meant to be as the Bride of Christ.
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Sunday, August 03, 2008,3:45 p.m.
THE PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE
Some brilliant advice from someone who "practiced the presence of God" for forty years....
I think the remedy for the problem is to confess our faults to God and humble ourselves before Him. It isn’t necessary to be too verbose in prayer, because lengthy prayers encourage wandering thoughts. Simply present yourself to God as if you were a poor man knocking on the door of a rich man, and fix your attention on His presence. If your mind wanders at times, don’t be upset, because being upset will only distract you more. Allow your will to recall your attention gently to God. Such perseverance will please Him.
Another way to prevent the mind from wandering away from God during prayer is to train yourself to dwell in His presence all day long. This will provide a sort of “practice” for you, as you remind yourself to concentrate on Him. Remaining in His presence during prayer time will thus become easier.
You know from my other letters how advantageous I think it is to practice the presence of God. Let us take this act of loving God seriously, and pray for one another.
I remain your brother in Christ.
“Eighth Letter” from the practice of the
Dear Friend,
You aren’t the only one to be distracted from the presence of God; I understand completely. Our minds are so flighty. But remember that our God-given will governs all of our strength. It must recall the mind to God. Otherwise, our spirit may wander, dragging us down to the things of this earth.
You aren’t the only one to be distracted from the presence of God; I understand completely. Our minds are so flighty. But remember that our God-given will governs all of our strength. It must recall the mind to God. Otherwise, our spirit may wander, dragging us down to the things of this earth.
I think the remedy for the problem is to confess our faults to God and humble ourselves before Him. It isn’t necessary to be too verbose in prayer, because lengthy prayers encourage wandering thoughts. Simply present yourself to God as if you were a poor man knocking on the door of a rich man, and fix your attention on His presence. If your mind wanders at times, don’t be upset, because being upset will only distract you more. Allow your will to recall your attention gently to God. Such perseverance will please Him.
Another way to prevent the mind from wandering away from God during prayer is to train yourself to dwell in His presence all day long. This will provide a sort of “practice” for you, as you remind yourself to concentrate on Him. Remaining in His presence during prayer time will thus become easier.
You know from my other letters how advantageous I think it is to practice the presence of God. Let us take this act of loving God seriously, and pray for one another.
I remain your brother in Christ.
“Eighth Letter” from the practice of the
presence of God by brother Lawrence
