The most holy and necessary practice in our spiritual life is the presence of God. That means finding constant pleasure in His divine company, speaking humbly and lovingly with him in all seasons, at every moment, without limiting the conversation in any way.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of being in constant communion with God in our spiritual lives.
Brother Lawrence highlights that the essence of a fulfilling spiritual life lies in maintaining a constant and open dialogue with God. This includes finding joy in His presence and engaging in a humble and loving manner, without restrictions on the nature of the conversation, suggesting that spiritual connection should be an integral part of everyday life.
In practice
During a sermon, the pastor quoted Brother Lawrence to emphasize the importance of prayer in daily life.
In order to form a habit of conversing with GOD continually, and referring all we do to Him, we must at first apply to Him with some diligence: but that after a little care we should find His love inwardly excite us to it without any difficulty.
It is enough for me to pick up but a straw from the ground for the love of God.
A little lifting of the heart suffices; a little remembrance of God, one act of inward worship are prayers which, however short, are nevertheless acceptable to God.
If the vessel of our soul is still tossed with winds and storms, let us awake the Lord, who reposes in it, and He will quickly calm the sea.
We should fix ourselves firmly in the presence of God by conversing all the time with Him...we should feed our soul with a lofty conception of God and from that derive great joy in being his. We should put life in our faith. We should give ourselves utterly to God in pure abandonment, in temporal and spiritual matters alike, and find contentment in the doing of His will,whether he takes us through sufferings or consolations.
And it is not necessary to have great things to do. I turn my little omelette in the pan for the love of God.
O my God, what must a soul be like when it is in this state! It longs to be all one tongue with which to praise the Lord. It utters a thousand pious follies, in a continuous endeavor to please Him who thus possesses it.
Whoever wants God intensely, finds Him. Go and verify it in your own life.
We pray not to inform God or instruct Him but to beseech Him closely, to be made intimate with Him, by continuance in supplication; to be humbled; to be reminded of our sins.
If Jesus is to become the center of our life, we need to spend time in His presence, before the Tabernacle.
Prayer is not logical, it is a mysterious moral working of the Holy Spirit.
In centering prayer, the sacred word is not the object of the attention but rather the expression of the intention of the will.
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