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The Practice of the Presence of God: 325th Anniversary Edition
The Practice of the Presence of God is a text compiled by Father Joseph de Beaufort of the wisdom and teachings of Brother Lawrence, a 17th-century Carmelite monk (1614-1691). A constant theme is the development of awareness of God's presence.
Most people don’t choose to reject God. They just stop paying attention to Him.
Brother Lawrence was not like most people. While he worked as a cook or made and repaired sandals—his primary jobs at the monastery—Brother Lawrence learned something simple and exact: God is just as present in our mundane day-to-day tasks as He is in prayer. Not sometimes. Not ideally. Always.
The Practice of the Presence of God with the "Spiritual Maxims" brings Brother Lawrence’s insights and wisdom to the forefront of our minds. His “Conversations” and “Letters” highlight his lived reality, one that is pious, humble, and repeatable. The Maxims further sharpen his outlook on life. They define a way of life that requires attention, return, and a refusal to separate the sacred from the ordinary.
This isn’t just abstract spirituality. It’s a discipline of awareness.
Work becomes prayer not because the task changes, but because our awareness does. The work stays the same; you don’t lose sight of the task at hand. But your attention shifts. Distraction is no longer something to fight or be discouraged by. It becomes the signal to return to God, again and again. Over time, that pattern builds something steady. A quieter mind. A more focused presence. A kind of peace that doesn’t collapse when your circumstances do.
Brother Lawrence’s life was small by most standards. But his consistent devotion to God was bigger than anything imaginable. He proves that a life centered on God is not built in ideal conditions. It is built through daily repetition. The enduring appeal of his work lies in its simplicity: the idea that anyone, in any place, can learn to live in the presence of God.
Start where you are and bring God into everyday tasks you’re already doing.
Most people don’t choose to reject God. They just stop paying attention to Him.
Brother Lawrence was not like most people. While he worked as a cook or made and repaired sandals—his primary jobs at the monastery—Brother Lawrence learned something simple and exact: God is just as present in our mundane day-to-day tasks as He is in prayer. Not sometimes. Not ideally. Always.
The Practice of the Presence of God with the "Spiritual Maxims" brings Brother Lawrence’s insights and wisdom to the forefront of our minds. His “Conversations” and “Letters” highlight his lived reality, one that is pious, humble, and repeatable. The Maxims further sharpen his outlook on life. They define a way of life that requires attention, return, and a refusal to separate the sacred from the ordinary.
This isn’t just abstract spirituality. It’s a discipline of awareness.
Work becomes prayer not because the task changes, but because our awareness does. The work stays the same; you don’t lose sight of the task at hand. But your attention shifts. Distraction is no longer something to fight or be discouraged by. It becomes the signal to return to God, again and again. Over time, that pattern builds something steady. A quieter mind. A more focused presence. A kind of peace that doesn’t collapse when your circumstances do.
Brother Lawrence’s life was small by most standards. But his consistent devotion to God was bigger than anything imaginable. He proves that a life centered on God is not built in ideal conditions. It is built through daily repetition. The enduring appeal of his work lies in its simplicity: the idea that anyone, in any place, can learn to live in the presence of God.
Start where you are and bring God into everyday tasks you’re already doing.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1694
About the author
Matthew Kelly
207 books1,501 followersMatthew Kelly is a best-selling author, speaker, thought leader, entrepreneur, consultant, spiritual leader, and innovator.
He has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, 5 million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than 50 countries.
Today, Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.
In his early-twenties he developed "the-best-version-of-yourself" concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than twenty-five years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, "Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?"
Kelly's personal interests include golf, music, art, literature, investing, spirituality, and spending time with his wife, Meggie, and their children Walter, Isabel, Harry, Ralph, and Simon.
He has dedicated his life to helping people and organizations become the-best-version-of-themselves. Born in Sydney, Australia, he began speaking and writing in his late teens while he was attending business school. Since that time, 5 million people have attended his seminars and presentations in more than 50 countries.
Today, Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than 30 languages, have appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than 50 million copies.
In his early-twenties he developed "the-best-version-of-yourself" concept and has been sharing it in every arena of life for more than twenty-five years. It is quoted by presidents and celebrities, athletes and their coaches, business leaders and innovators, though perhaps it is never more powerfully quoted than when a mother or father asks a child, "Will that help you become the-best-version-of-yourself?"
Kelly's personal interests include golf, music, art, literature, investing, spirituality, and spending time with his wife, Meggie, and their children Walter, Isabel, Harry, Ralph, and Simon.
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August 9, 2026While this book has some good points, it was very repetitive and hard to understand at this beginning.
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