To get the most out of this classic work in its modern format, consider these steps:
To understand the book Experiencing the Presence of God , you must understand the man. Finney was a trained attorney who, in 1821, underwent a radical conversion in the woods near his law office in Adams, New York. He described the event not as a subtle shift, but as a "baptism of the Holy Ghost" that physically moved through him like an electric current.
Finney criticized Christians who sang hymns and prayed while mentally assuming God would not show up. He writes, "We are commanded to 'draw near with a true heart.' If you do not expect to meet God, you will not." Apply this by entering church or private prayer with the explicit expectation that God will reveal Himself to your spirit.
To experience the presence of God, the power of sin must be broken. What are the conditions of this deliverance?