The Practice of the Presence of GodSample

The Means of Acquiring God's Presence

The first means of acquiring the presence of God is a new life, received by salvation through the blood of Christ.

The second is by faithfully practicing God’s presence. This must always be done gently, humbly, and lovingly, without giving way to anxiety or problems.

Next, the soul’s eyes must be kept on God, particularly when something is being done in the outside world. Since much time and effort are needed to perfect this practice, one should not be discouraged by failure. Although the habit is difficult to form, it is a source of divine pleasure once it is learned.

It is proper that the heart—which is the first to live and which dominates all the other parts of the body—should be the first and the last to love God. The heart is the beginning and the end of all our spiritual and bodily actions and, generally speaking, of everything we do in our lives. It is, therefore, the heart whose attention we must carefully focus on God.

Then, in the beginning of this practice, it would not be wrong to offer short phrases that are inspired by love, such as “Lord, I am all Yours,” “God of love, I love You with all my heart,” or “Lord, use me according to Your will.” However, remember to keep the mind from wandering or returning to the world. Hold your attention on God alone by exercising your will to remain in His presence.

Finally, although this exercise may be difficult at first to maintain, it has marvelous effects on the soul when it is faithfully practiced. It draws the graces of the Lord down in abundance and shows the soul how to see God’s presence everywhere with a pure and loving vision, which is the holiest, firmest, easiest, and the most effective attitude for prayer.