Pursuing God's Presence by Roger Helland Book Review

About the Book:

How a Presence-Centered Life Changes Everything

Balancing Scripture and Spirit, pastor and professor Roger Helland shows pursuing God's presence isn't about seeking signs and wonders--it's about seeking God's kavod: His radiant glory, His manifest presence. Sorting through common fears and misunderstandings about God's presence, Helland offers biblical and practical teaching, to help you

· pursue God's presence and holiness in everyday life,
· live a presence-centered life at work, home and church,
· enjoy a deeper biblical fullness of the Holy Spirit and
· experience God's supernatural strength, vitality, renewal and joy.

God's kavod changes everything. When you learn to seek, experience and host His presence, it will transform you--and the world.

You can read an excerpt here.

My Review:

I agree with Helland in that current spirituality among Christians does not seem to be as deep or committed as in generations past. The issue, he writes, is not having God's presence as the center of life. We live life with an inattention to God. He suggests we must be continually resetting our lives, seeking a spirituality with God at the center.

This book contains good teaching on how to pursue a spiritual life focused with God at the center. Helland writes about prayer, engaging Scripture, and pursuing holiness as the Holy Spirit transforms us. I like that he reminds us we are not to be preoccupied with the effects or manifestations of the Spirit but rather with God Himself.

I like Helland drawing our attention to the difference between formal and functional theology. We might formally say we believe a certain way but our functional theology is revealed by how we actually live. How we fill our minds reveals what we really believe about the importance of the pursuit of God as the center of our lives.

While this book is aimed at charismatic Christians, it is a good challenge to all Christians. In a world where there are so many distractions from pursuing God as the center of our lives, Helland gives practical suggestions to make it a realistic pursuit.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Dr. Roger Helland is the Prayer Ambassador for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and previously served as district minister of the Baptist General Conference in Alberta. The author of seven books, he has over 35 years of experience as a pastor, denominational leader, adjunct professor at several theological schools, and renewal catalyst. He lives with his wife, Gail, near Calgary. Photo Credit: © Lorna Rande, Artistic Imagery

Chosen Books, 240 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)