Episode 28 -- The Practice of the Presence of God -- Spiritual Maxim 6-The Means to the Presence of God

How does one arrive at the practice of the presence of God?

Three means are crucial. In chapter 6, Br Lawrence lays out the main ways to arrive at the loving awareness of God's presence. The first is purity of life, that is, chastity and being sincere. The second is the actual practice of the presence of God. We must strive to remember God, however briefly, before we do things. But we also must turn our minds to him during our actions. Finally, we must turn to him at the completion. This practice is hard and should not discourage us. It will bear fruit. The third means is the mortification of the senses. We must not allow ourselves to satisfy all our desires for seeing and touching and eating and hearing. We must deny ourselves in things when God asks us to do so. We must be faithful to God in trying to practice self-denial if we want Him to be generous with us in prayer.