After the Bible, one book had a huge impact on me: The Practice of the Presence of God. It was written by a monk in the 1600s named Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence blew my mind with his view of prayer. Well, not really prayer. Not like we normally think of it, anyway. What Lawrence set out to do was to maintain (as best he could) an awareness of God’s presence throughout the day. Hence the title of his book. So, whether he was washing dishes or walking in the woods, he would “practice” God’s presence, and keep a constant conversation with God. Look, God is with us. And according to the New Testament, Jesus indwells us and therefore accompanies us everyday. We’re just not aware of it like we should be. That’s why this revolutionized my prayer life! So many times I just try to concentrate on the fact that Jesus is with me. One day we will see him face to face. For now, we have this exercise we can do. And I find it helps me realize how close God is!
