The Presence of God: Will You Accept the Invitation Without an Agenda?

Brother Lawrence, a seventeenth-century French monk, was assigned kitchen duty as his ministry in the monastery. Disappointed at first that his lack of poise and formal education had disqualified him from a more conventional “monkish” life, he eventually lived his way into an enthusiastic embrace of his calling. In fact, the insights he gleaned while scrubbing pots and pans were the very thing that secured his reputation as a spiritual advisor.

His conversations and letters have been collected in The Practice of the Presence of God, a classic work in which Brother Lawrence makes this astonishing claim:

The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen… I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees….”

Of course, as catechized and orthodox people, we also affirm God’s omnipresence. He’s just as present at my kitchen sink as he is on Sunday morning when I’m listening to a sermon with an open Bible in my lap.

However, Brother Lawrence isn’t calling you and me to correct theology as much as he’s inviting us to shift our gaze to the unseen. After all, when our hands are busily scrubbing scrambled eggs off the morning frying pan or folding towels to the right dimensions for the linen closet, our brains are free to choose: Will we descend into worry or ascend into the presence of God?

An Invitation Simply to Be

The presence of God, then, becomes a come-as-you-are party in which I am invited simply to show up. God is not looking for scintillating conversation or advice on how to run the universe. He’s there, fully present, and he invites me to be there with him.

Simply to be.

Will you accept the invitation without bringing along your agenda?

David the King and the Psalmist got a lot of things wrong in his life, but this one thing he knew and practiced well (like our friend, Brother Lawrence!):

You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Psalm 16:11

The pleasure is found in God’s presence. The joy comes not merely from God’s good gifts but from his inherent goodness, demonstrated by his willingness to keep company with the likes of me and you.

In 2023, “The Practice of the Presence of God” is going to require some intense practice, because we’re not good at simply showing up without an agenda. So let’s make a plan together:
Where will you practice God’s presence today?
When will you set aside time simply to be in the presence of God, listening for his voice, soaking in his love and acceptance?

The pleasure is found in God’s presence. The joy comes not merely from God’s good gifts but from his inherent goodness, demonstrated by his willingness to keep company with the likes of me and you.

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And New Let’s Talk Books…

For example, taking to heart Brother Lawrence’s practice of seeking to allow God to “possess [his] heart alone,” Joni has memorized “love words” for God, borrowed from the Bible, to fill her heart and calm her mind when she’s unable to sleep. Nearness to God heightens her awareness of her absolute neediness and God’s perfect loveliness.

Each entry includes a vignette from the writing of Brother Lawrence followed by reflections from Joni’s life and spiritual disciplines. This collection of daily meditations on the nearness of our Savior is a primer for 21st-century Christians who have not taken monastic vows nor been afflicted with paralysis and yet desire to make the daily choice to focus on Christ as their greatest treasure and fondest hope.

Holding You in the Light,

#ThePracticeofthePresenceofJesus: A primer for us who have not taken monastic vows or been afflicted with paralysis to seek daily focus on Christ as treasure and fondest hope. #BrotherLawrence @WaterBrookPress #JoniEarecksonTada

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Newsletter Day Tomorrow! (Including a book give-away…)

On the third Thursday of every month, I send a newsletter with biblical encouragement straight to my subscribers’ email inboxes. Frequently, I share free resources, and the newsletter is where everything lands first. I’m committed to the truth that women can become confident followers of God and students of his Word, and it’s my goal to help you along that path.

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees. If you should decide to purchase any of the books or products I’ve shared, simply click on the image, and you’ll be taken directly to the seller. If you decide to buy, I’ll receive a few pennies at no extra cost to you.

Many thanks to Multnomah Press and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.

Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash