John used the phrase “spiritual legacy,” when I mentioning reading Jeanne Guyon’s Experiencing the Depth of Jesus Christ. Probably because I kept making comments about how similar the themes in her writing are to other favorites of mine, Jan Johnson, Charles Wesley and Dallas Willard. Jeanne Guyon (1648-1717) was a French woman. She had five children, two of which died from illness. Her husband and her two children died before she was 28 years old. Though she had a lot of money from her marriage and her parents, she gave all that she could to the poor. She was imprisoned twice because of her beliefs.
Months after finishing this book, a few quotes are still inspiring me…
All you need to do is remain steadfast in giving your utmost attention to God. He will do all things perfectly.
Oh, if only once we could be convinced of God’s goodness towards His children and of His desire to reveal Himself to them! We would no longer seek our own selfish desires. We would not be so quickly discouraged from pursuing what He is so longing to give us.
To give your whole heart to God is to have all the energy of your soul always centered on Him.
The Holy Spirit is interceding in you for all that is necessary for your perfection. If the Spirit is fully able to care for all your needs, why should you burden yourself with unnecessary cares?
“Praying the Scripture” is not judged by how much you read but by the way in which you read. If you read quickly, it will benefit you little. You will be like a bee that merely skims the surface of a flower. Instead, in this new way of reading with prayer, you must become as the bee who penetrates into the depths of the flower. You plunge deeply within to remove its deepest nectar.
As you come to the Lord to pray, bring a full heart of pure love, a love that is not seeking anything for itself. Bring a heart that is seeking nothing from the Lord, but desires only to please Him and do His will.
Dear reader, there is nothing in this universe that is easier to obtain than the enjoyment of Jesus Christ! Your Lord is more present to you than you are to yourself! Furthermore, His desire to give Himself to you is greater than your desire to lay hold of Him.
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