Seeking the Presence of God

Christians are increasingly placing an emphasis on transcendent spiritual experience. They want to 'draw near to God' and experience the 'presence of God' in worship as well as in their daily lives. They desire to let go of the busyness of the world and be 'caught up' to God - and perhaps to experience 'spiritual gifts' such as 'speaking on tongues'. They long for a Direct experiential perception of God and the unseen realm to uncover Transcendent mysteries and receive empowerment towards holiness, purity, joy,, hope and assurance. Even conservative Christians look to the heightened experiences of Christians in Revivals and the 'Great Awakening' and pray for a new 'outpouring of the Holy Spirit' as a means of empowerment to honour God more effectively. So some Christians turn away from what they see as 'dry' theology to favour a dynamic life in touch with Jesus 'living in their heart', who guides them through life to glory. Even the most conservative Christians can be heard claiming divine guidance when they say things like 'God has led me to marry this person' or 'God told me to have this particular job'. There is an increase of interest in 'Christian mysticism' together with the teaching and practices that Christian mystics advocate, and as a result, some of these ideas and practices have begun to infiltrate even the most orthodox and traditional of Protestant Christian fellowships. This study is written for conservative Christians who seek to hold fast to the teaching of Jesus, the Apostles and Prophets and explores the Scriptural basis for these approaches and is written with Christian Elders, teachers, pastors and mature Christians in mind. Author Robert Laynton gained a B.Sc. Honors degree in Psychology with the Open University and Post Graduate Certificate and Diploma qualifications in counseling at Keele University in Staffordshire, England, and has been a member of the Transpersonal Psychology Division of the British Psychological Society. He has served briefly as a deacon, lay preacher and study leader and been a Christian for over fifty years. He has studied not only Christian, but also Islamic and Hindu mysticism.