Dake Bible Discussion BoardPracticing the Presence of God?

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luchnia
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Practicing the Presence of God?

Post by luchnia »

Can you practice the presence of God? We hear people talk about feeling the presence of God and they wind up in some type of emo type stuff that usually leads to other things that don't align with God's word.

This is not to negate feelings, yet IMO the presence of God is not about a feeling as much as it is more of a knowing in our spirit. This is not about the practice of prayer, but the presence of God. Is that something that can be practiced? Is there any scriptural evidence of such a practice?


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Re: Practicing the Presence of God?

Post by bibleman »

luchnia wrote:
Sat Oct 01, 2022 10:21 am
Can you practice the presence of God? We hear people talk about feeling the presence of God and they wind up in some type of emo type stuff that usually leads to other things that don't align with God's word.

This is not to negate feelings, yet IMO the presence of God is not about a feeling as much as it is more of a knowing in our spirit. This is not about the practice of prayer, but the presence of God. Is that something that can be practiced? Is there any scriptural evidence of such a practice?
Yes you can practice the presence of God.

There is a great book that was written a number of years ago in the 1600's by Brother Andrew Lawrence by that very title.

You can find it here: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5657/pg5657.html

But here is a very important part of the book.
First Letter: You so earnestly desire that I describe the method by which I arrived at that habitual sense of God's presence, which our merciful Lord has been pleased to grant me. I am complying with your request with my request that you show my letter to no one. If I knew that you would let it be seen, all the desire I have for your spiritual progress would not be enough to make me comply.

The account I can give you is: Having found in many books different methods of going to God and divers practices of the spiritual life, I thought this would serve rather to puzzle me than facilitate what I sought after, which was nothing but how to become wholly God's. This made me resolve to give the all for the All. After having given myself wholly to God, to make all the satisfaction I could for my sins, I renounced, for the love of Him, everything that was not He, and I began to live as if there was none but He and I in the world.

Sometimes I considered myself before Him as a poor criminal at the feet of his judge. At other times I beheld Him in my heart as my Father, as my God. I worshipped Him the oftenest I could, keeping my mind in His holy presence and recalling it as often as I found it wandered from Him. I made this my business, not only at the appointed times of prayer but all the time; every hour, every minute, even in the height of my work, I drove from my mind everything that interrupted my thoughts of God.

I found no small pain in this exercise. Yet I continued it, notwithstanding all the difficulties that occurred. And I tried not to trouble or disquiet myself when my mind wandered. Such has been my common practice ever since I entered religious life. Though I have done it very imperfectly, I have found great advantages by it. These, I well know, are to be imputed to the mercy and goodness of God because we can do nothing without Him; and I still less than any.

When we are faithful to keep ourselves in His holy presence, and set Him always before us, this hinders our offending Him, and doing anything that may displease Him. It also begets in us a holy freedom, and, if I may so speak, a familiarity with God, where, when we ask, He supplies the graces we need. Over time, by often repeating these acts, they become habitual, and the presence of God becomes quite natural to us.

Please give Him thanks with me, for His great goodness towards me, which I can never sufficiently express, and for the many favors He has done to so miserable a sinner as I am. May all things praise Him. Amen.


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luchnia
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Re: Practicing the Presence of God?

Post by luchnia »

bibleman wrote:
Sat Oct 01, 2022 10:58 am
luchnia wrote:
Sat Oct 01, 2022 10:21 am
Can you practice the presence of God? We hear people talk about feeling the presence of God and they wind up in some type of emo type stuff that usually leads to other things that don't align with God's word.

This is not to negate feelings, yet IMO the presence of God is not about a feeling as much as it is more of a knowing in our spirit. This is not about the practice of prayer, but the presence of God. Is that something that can be practiced? Is there any scriptural evidence of such a practice?
Yes you can practice the presence of God.

There is a great book that was written a number of years ago in the 1600's by Brother Andrew Lawrence by that very title.

You can find it here: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5657/pg5657.html

But here is a very important part of the book.
First Letter: You so earnestly desire that I describe the method by which I arrived at that habitual sense of God's presence, which our merciful Lord has been pleased to grant me. I am complying with your request with my request that you show my letter to no one. If I knew that you would let it be seen, all the desire I have for your spiritual progress would not be enough to make me comply.

The account I can give you is: Having found in many books different methods of going to God and divers practices of the spiritual life, I thought this would serve rather to puzzle me than facilitate what I sought after, which was nothing but how to become wholly God's. This made me resolve to give the all for the All. After having given myself wholly to God, to make all the satisfaction I could for my sins, I renounced, for the love of Him, everything that was not He, and I began to live as if there was none but He and I in the world.

Sometimes I considered myself before Him as a poor criminal at the feet of his judge. At other times I beheld Him in my heart as my Father, as my God. I worshipped Him the oftenest I could, keeping my mind in His holy presence and recalling it as often as I found it wandered from Him. I made this my business, not only at the appointed times of prayer but all the time; every hour, every minute, even in the height of my work, I drove from my mind everything that interrupted my thoughts of God.

I found no small pain in this exercise. Yet I continued it, notwithstanding all the difficulties that occurred. And I tried not to trouble or disquiet myself when my mind wandered. Such has been my common practice ever since I entered religious life. Though I have done it very imperfectly, I have found great advantages by it. These, I well know, are to be imputed to the mercy and goodness of God because we can do nothing without Him; and I still less than any.

When we are faithful to keep ourselves in His holy presence, and set Him always before us, this hinders our offending Him, and doing anything that may displease Him. It also begets in us a holy freedom, and, if I may so speak, a familiarity with God, where, when we ask, He supplies the graces we need. Over time, by often repeating these acts, they become habitual, and the presence of God becomes quite natural to us.

Please give Him thanks with me, for His great goodness towards me, which I can never sufficiently express, and for the many favors He has done to so miserable a sinner as I am. May all things praise Him. Amen.
Thanks, Bibleman. I am looking forward to reading the ebook.


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Hill Top
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Re: Practicing the Presence of God?

Post by Hill Top »

luchnia wrote:
Sat Oct 01, 2022 10:21 am
Can you practice the presence of God?
Yes, by giving to the poor, and by resisting temptation.
And a hundred other ways we manifest Him by our new lives.
We hear people talk about feeling the presence of God and they wind up in some type of emo type stuff that usually leads to other things that don't align with God's word.
This is not to negate feelings, yet IMO the presence of God is not about a feeling as much as it is more of a knowing in our spirit. This is not about the practice of prayer, but the presence of God. Is that something that can be practiced? Is there any scriptural evidence of such a practice?
It is written..."Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." (Col 2:8)



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