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The Practice of the Presence of God and The Spiritual Maxims
“The Practice of the Presence of God” is a compilation of letters and records of conversations with 17th-century Carmelite monk Brother Lawrence compiled by his contemporary, Father Joseph de Beaufort. An influential work of Christian spirituality “The Practice” describes Brother Lawrence’s philosophy that a relationship with God is more important than the service and work done in God’s name. Brother Lawrence focuses on seeing the love of God, his presence, in all aspects of daily life. In this short work an attempt is made to explain Lawrence’s method of acquiring this presence of God. According to Brother Lawrence it is only in acquiring this presence that one truly can have a relationship with God. Also included in this work is “The Spiritual Maxims”, a collection of thoughts intended to give daily inspiration and guidance towards living a more spiritual life. Together these classic works of Christian devotion give great insight into the life and spiritual philosophy of Brother Lawrence.
52 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1692
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About the author
Brother Lawrence
145 books303 followersBrother Lawrence was born Nicolas Herman in Hériménil, near Lunéville in the region of Lorraine, located in modern day eastern France and as a young man went into the army due to his poverty. At the age of 18 he received what he felt was a revelation of the providence and power of God. He went on to fight in the Thirty Years' War and later served as a valet, but within six years joined the Discalced Carmelite Priory in Paris.
Nicolas entered the priory in Paris as a lay brother, not having the education necessary to become a cleric, and took the religious name, "Lawrence of the Resurrection." He spent almost all of the rest of his life within the walls of the priory, working in the kitchen for many of these years and as a repairer of sandals in his later years.
Despite his lowly position in the life of the priory, his character attracted many to him. He had a reputation for experiencing profound peace and visitors came to seek spiritual guidance from him. The wisdom he passed on to them in conversations and in letters would later become the basis for the book The Practice of the Presence of God.
[From Wikipedia]
Nicolas entered the priory in Paris as a lay brother, not having the education necessary to become a cleric, and took the religious name, "Lawrence of the Resurrection." He spent almost all of the rest of his life within the walls of the priory, working in the kitchen for many of these years and as a repairer of sandals in his later years.
Despite his lowly position in the life of the priory, his character attracted many to him. He had a reputation for experiencing profound peace and visitors came to seek spiritual guidance from him. The wisdom he passed on to them in conversations and in letters would later become the basis for the book The Practice of the Presence of God.
[From Wikipedia]
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,938 reviews
June 18, 2025
Brother Lawrence was a simple man. But he was happy.
Supremely happy, he said, for he had reached the summation of his Life’s Quest.
Now, Aquinas said the pinnacle of all our spiritual experiences is to See God. Did Brother Lawrence achieve that height?
Well, I believe so.
Just because he was POOR IN SPIRIT...
It all started when he was eighteen. As an uneducated soldier in the Thirty Years War, he, Nicolas Herman - as he was then called - saw a barren tree in a wintry field and suddenly grasped its inner meaning. He was thunderstruck and transfixed.
The message?
That like the tree, all of us - in our ordinary, unoccupied state, stripped of all our endless diversions and distractions - will remain denuded of all REAL and LASTING comforts, in empty surroundings, unless God steps in.
And in the same way that He sends light, heat and rain in the spring, to bring the tree back to life, He will eventually give new Life to our Hearts.
But we have to ask Him in.
Now, wait a minute - that doesn’t make sense! If we need comfort nowadays, we just press a button and adjust the thermostat, right?
Not quite. Let’s put it another way.
If you’re that tree, and for all the perks that go with being JUST a tree (and just think of never again being forced to Be someone you aren’t!) you might - just might - want to have the comfort of a little MEANING in your life!
I think we ALL want that.
So, Lawrence says, all we have to do is sincerely ask God for meaning. And we’ll get it.
In His time.
And if we never afterwards STOP talking to Him - about whatever pops into our minds, however trivial... we’ll always find Him, in whatever we DO.
For, He- like the tree - is just pure BEING.
As I said, Brother Lawrence was a simple man!
But his simple method works Wonders.
Why do I say that?
Because there’s a wonderfully beneficial psychological underpinning to it all.
Because if we Believe, and Pray constantly, after a while we’ll lose our interior monologue, our ceaseless griping and comparing ourselves to others, and become our authentic selves.
And we’ll finally evade our Shadows.
Because our so-called social self will drop away, as our self-consciousness itself drops away.
Natural living is all that will remain - just like the tree in the field.
And if we go the full way, giving our all, one day we will reach Poverty of Spirit.
The Lowest Point - and, paradoxically, the Pinnacle.
Because whether your tree blossoms, grows dense foliage, or sheds... is now God’s business.
That’s called simply: Abandonment to divine providence.
Timeless time.
And we all have a glimpse of that now and then.
And those are the times we are Real: and it does happen, now and then. It’s not continuous, for we are flawed and will always lapse into our precious murky Shadowlands. Heaven help us!
But, as T.S. Eliot says, we only LIVE in our Timeless Moments.
And once we KNOW - listening to Brother Lawrence - how to get there, we’ll finally be sure of Who we are and what our Purpose is.
And, you know, even if your own background is oriented toward Eastern religions, you’ll recognize the pattern.
For as the Japanese Zen saint Dogen said in the Middle Ages:
I won’t even stop
at the valley’s brook
for fear that
my shadow
may flow into the world.
For self-assertion, like a shadow, can disturb the world...
And ego is the OPPOSITE of poverty of Spirit.
If you’re content within your soul, why would you bother with riches won by competition?
Why on earth should we stick your neck into the endless and fruitless power games of the world, to be dominated and victimized again and again by their and your endless Shadows?
Be like the tree.
And keep up your part of the inner dialogue with God - for Brother Lawrence ingenuously says His answers will always come, and provide you with the protection and comfort of spiritual foliage, and with the real and continual fruits of the Spirit.
And that’s a pretty fair return for just asking that our lives have a little meaning, isn’t it?
Supremely happy, he said, for he had reached the summation of his Life’s Quest.
Now, Aquinas said the pinnacle of all our spiritual experiences is to See God. Did Brother Lawrence achieve that height?
Well, I believe so.
Just because he was POOR IN SPIRIT...
It all started when he was eighteen. As an uneducated soldier in the Thirty Years War, he, Nicolas Herman - as he was then called - saw a barren tree in a wintry field and suddenly grasped its inner meaning. He was thunderstruck and transfixed.
The message?
That like the tree, all of us - in our ordinary, unoccupied state, stripped of all our endless diversions and distractions - will remain denuded of all REAL and LASTING comforts, in empty surroundings, unless God steps in.
And in the same way that He sends light, heat and rain in the spring, to bring the tree back to life, He will eventually give new Life to our Hearts.
But we have to ask Him in.
Now, wait a minute - that doesn’t make sense! If we need comfort nowadays, we just press a button and adjust the thermostat, right?
Not quite. Let’s put it another way.
If you’re that tree, and for all the perks that go with being JUST a tree (and just think of never again being forced to Be someone you aren’t!) you might - just might - want to have the comfort of a little MEANING in your life!
I think we ALL want that.
So, Lawrence says, all we have to do is sincerely ask God for meaning. And we’ll get it.
In His time.
And if we never afterwards STOP talking to Him - about whatever pops into our minds, however trivial... we’ll always find Him, in whatever we DO.
For, He- like the tree - is just pure BEING.
As I said, Brother Lawrence was a simple man!
But his simple method works Wonders.
Why do I say that?
Because there’s a wonderfully beneficial psychological underpinning to it all.
Because if we Believe, and Pray constantly, after a while we’ll lose our interior monologue, our ceaseless griping and comparing ourselves to others, and become our authentic selves.
And we’ll finally evade our Shadows.
Because our so-called social self will drop away, as our self-consciousness itself drops away.
Natural living is all that will remain - just like the tree in the field.
And if we go the full way, giving our all, one day we will reach Poverty of Spirit.
The Lowest Point - and, paradoxically, the Pinnacle.
Because whether your tree blossoms, grows dense foliage, or sheds... is now God’s business.
That’s called simply: Abandonment to divine providence.
Timeless time.
And we all have a glimpse of that now and then.
And those are the times we are Real: and it does happen, now and then. It’s not continuous, for we are flawed and will always lapse into our precious murky Shadowlands. Heaven help us!
But, as T.S. Eliot says, we only LIVE in our Timeless Moments.
And once we KNOW - listening to Brother Lawrence - how to get there, we’ll finally be sure of Who we are and what our Purpose is.
And, you know, even if your own background is oriented toward Eastern religions, you’ll recognize the pattern.
For as the Japanese Zen saint Dogen said in the Middle Ages:
I won’t even stop
at the valley’s brook
for fear that
my shadow
may flow into the world.
For self-assertion, like a shadow, can disturb the world...
And ego is the OPPOSITE of poverty of Spirit.
If you’re content within your soul, why would you bother with riches won by competition?
Why on earth should we stick your neck into the endless and fruitless power games of the world, to be dominated and victimized again and again by their and your endless Shadows?
Be like the tree.
And keep up your part of the inner dialogue with God - for Brother Lawrence ingenuously says His answers will always come, and provide you with the protection and comfort of spiritual foliage, and with the real and continual fruits of the Spirit.
And that’s a pretty fair return for just asking that our lives have a little meaning, isn’t it?
January 22, 2020
It is truly fitting and proper—somewhat ironic too—that the author of the shortest, sweetest, and perhaps the most useful guide to prayer and union with God was written by a Catholic who never became a saint, never became a priest, and worked almost his entire life in the kitchen.
Nicholas Herman grew up amid the violence and upheavals of The Thirty Years War, and, being a poor peasant, he joined the army in order to eat and survive. One winter, while still a soldier, he happened to gaze upon the bare branches of a tree, and he knew in that instant not only that its leaves and its fruits were certain to arrive, in good time, in the coming spring and in the summer, but also that grace would surely bring him to a flowering and a ripeness too. That tree had "flashed upon [his] soul the fact of God" and from that moment he never ceased to burn with Love.
After being wounded and discharged from the army, Nicholas first worked briefly as a footman, and then entered the Discalced Carmelite monastery. Considered too unlettered to be a priest and too ignorant to perform any but the most menial tasks, he was assigned to cook and clean in the kitchen.
The name he chose for himself was Lawrence, for St. Lawrence was the Patron Saint of Cooks, having achieved his martyrdom by being cooked to death on a grate. (“Turn me over! I'm done on this side!” St. Lawrence cried out to his torturers, and this dark witticism eventually earned him the additional title of Patron Saint of Comedians.)
By concentrating on the simple, uncomplicated duties of the kitchen, Brother Lawrence developed his method of prayer. Whether he was picking up a stray straw from a broom or washing a bowl or a plate, he continually sought “to fix [himself] firmly in the presence of God by conversing all the time with Him.” This practice, after years, led him to great peace, a conviction of God's presence, thoughtfulness toward others, and an extraordinary sweetness of manner. He was revered within the monastery, admired without, and eventually the aide of a local bishop arrived to crystallize Brother Lawrence's spiritual teachings by transcribing his conversation, which—along with a few letters of spiritual direction—make up The Practice of the Presence of God.
If you can, try to obtain a copy of The Practice which, like this one, also includes the “maxims.” The Practice is a better read, for it conveys clearly the sweet personality of the aging friar, but the maxims are more succinct, and numbered, and thus a more efficient aid to reflection and meditation.
October 20, 2024
April 9, 2018: Concluding another official read of this book, although whether it be the fifth, sixth or more, who can say? In any event, this will never be a closed book on my shelf, mostly because I want to be ‘practicing the presence of God’ always. Guardian Angel help me.
The weekly reflections from the French and Austrian Carmelites were a wonderful supplement to the text to be kept alongside the book for the next read. (Scroll down for original review.)
February 27, 2018: Listened to the audio version again today. Listening is the easy part. Remembering to bring Him into every moment is the constant struggle. That is why it is so good to keep returning and rereading this book.
February 14, 2018: Began Lenten journey with the French and Austrian Carmelites, reflecting along with Brother Lawrence in his ‘practicing the presence of God’. UPDATE: Did the retreat on-line, for free and provided a link but it has since been pulled, I am sorry. However, the book itself can still be read on-line or downloaded to your kindle or computer for free. There are also more expensive versions available with various additional options. I am using this version mostly, but also a more simplified kindle and an audio version.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
The Practice of the Presence of God is a little gem. But it is also a book you have to be receptive to appreciate. Without this requisite receptivity, its pearls of wisdom would be wasted. But with the right frame of mind and heart, it is the perfect book.
Perfect in that while it can be read in one hour; mastery of its central concept requires a lifetime. Well, at least for this soul ... and a very long lifetime at that. And I write that without the least trace of humility, remorse or even chagrin—as a simple statement of fact. Indeed, growth in virtue does require total commitment and extended preparation time. I'm on at least my seventh reading of this book and each has been a sincere attempt to take in the saint's simple way of constantly living in God's Holy Presence. I just pray I've made some progress!
Our humble author, Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, assures us that his own journey along this path toward ‘practicing the presence of God’ took him many years as well. So, despair should not deter one's efforts.
I like that the word ‘practice’ is used in the title, and indeed throughout the book, because it recognizes the fallibility in human nature. We will have to creep, crawl, stumble and fall many times in this effort before we will ever be able to actually walk in God's presence. That is Brother Lawrence's goal – and presumably the goal of any self-professed Christian: to actually walk hand-in-hand with Our LORD. In the meantime, He carries us.
Brother Lawrence and his solitary legacy bear much in common with Father De Caussade and his work, Abandonment to Divine Providence. Both men were post-Reformation, French religious, from rather obscure backgrounds, who left us one primary work of spiritual insight comprised of meditations and letters collected postmortem. Few hard facts can be substantiated about either man – even such basic information as definitive dates of birth and death, although we do know approximate dates. Both were extremely humble men who preferentially would have lived quiet lives far away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of society; but they were not given that chance. God’s will was to call these two holy men out from their peaceful solitude to minister to their neighbors.
Brother Lawrence lived and worked most of his life at the monastery of the Discalced Carmelites on the Rue de Vaugirard in Paris, where he spent many years working in the kitchen. He died in 1691 at around 80 years of age. A year later his Abbot collected what could be found from Brother Lawrence's letters, spiritual writings and recorded conversations, put them together and this comprises what we know today as The Practice of the Presence of God.
Unfortunately, upon publication, Practice became associated with the controversy of the day, the heresy then causing so much bitter debate, Quietism. Although it is beyond the scope of this review and the abilities of this writer to discuss the theological aspects of Quietism, it is important to understand that one tenet of this heresy bore a similarity to Brother Lawrence's principle theses, complete abandonment to the will of God, and therefore was used by advocates of the Quietist heresy to justify their position. As it would be some years before this struggle could be resolved, especially in France, Practice suffered the taint of guilt by association – albeit a slim association at best – and fell into disfavor in the country of its birth. Fortunately for us, our book was picked up by other Christian denominations and carried to other countries where it has spread around the world. Since its initial printing, Practice has been always been available in one form or another and now can even be found in many versions on-line.
The first section of the book consists of four dated conversations where Brother Lawrence describes what it is that led him to the realization that pursuing the Practice of the Presence of God was the best way, indeed the only way, to follow Christ. These are not conversations as most Americans today would categorize conversations, but more like Shakespearean soliloquies, with the little monk giving his thoughts on how he came to know that putting God first, last, and always, was the only way to live. That is Practice in a nutshell. I could stop writing here and you would have the book. Except that as simple as it is write or say such words, anyone who has really tried to live them knows, it is not that easy.
In the next section of the book, we are given sixteen of Brother Lawrence's letters—mostly written to a nun, but also one to a priest and several to a lay woman. All of these further elucidate how one is to advance along the path toward our ultimate goal, full and total communion with God. The book concludes with a group of Brother Lawrence's maxims.
What Brother Lawrence teaches through Practice is that no matter where we are, or what we are doing, we can and should be in God's presence at all times. But how to achieve this state, you may well ask? Although he answers this question in many different ways throughout the book, probably the most clear-cut answer lies here:
“Having found different methods of going to God and different practices to attain the spiritual life in several books, I decided that they would serve more to hinder than to facilitate in me what I was seeking—which was nothing other than a means to be wholly God's. This made me decide to give all to gain all; so after having given all to God in satisfaction for my sins, I began to live as if there were no one in the world but Him and me.” (p73) On the surface, such an approach sounds very simplistic, or even selfish. However, the same day I read those words of Brother Lawrence, I read almost the exact same idea expressed by another Carmelite from 200 years earlier. In describing the transforming union that a soul undergoes when it finally achieves oneness with God, St. John of the Cross writes, “And here lies the remarkable delight of this awakening: the soul knows creatures through God and not God through creatures.” (p189, Fire Within, Thomas Dubay, S.M.)
Indeed the life of Brother Lawrence is testimony to his writings; his single-minded concern for God, far from leading him away from love of people, brought him closer to them. Only through a greater love of God, can we ever hope for a fuller love of all of His creation.
My first recorded acquaintance with Practice was May of 2004—at least according to the little bookmark card maintained inside the front cover of my ragged paperback copy. Recently I read and listened to the book again. I wish I could say that reading Practice was enough, or even writing about it. But they aren't. It takes much more than that. Nevertheless, I shall continue to do both, because I see great wisdom in this little book and at least reading it keeps the idea foremost in my mind.
‘I must know, love and serve God in this world that I may gain the happiness of heaven.’ (Baltimore Catechism)
But even more than that, to be happy in this life, Brother Lawrence tells us is only possible with God as our one and only purpose, end and goal.
Updated October 20, 2024, to remove an obsolete link and correct text.
The weekly reflections from the French and Austrian Carmelites were a wonderful supplement to the text to be kept alongside the book for the next read. (Scroll down for original review.)
February 27, 2018: Listened to the audio version again today. Listening is the easy part. Remembering to bring Him into every moment is the constant struggle. That is why it is so good to keep returning and rereading this book.
February 14, 2018: Began Lenten journey with the French and Austrian Carmelites, reflecting along with Brother Lawrence in his ‘practicing the presence of God’. UPDATE: Did the retreat on-line, for free and provided a link but it has since been pulled, I am sorry. However, the book itself can still be read on-line or downloaded to your kindle or computer for free. There are also more expensive versions available with various additional options. I am using this version mostly, but also a more simplified kindle and an audio version.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
The Practice of the Presence of God is a little gem. But it is also a book you have to be receptive to appreciate. Without this requisite receptivity, its pearls of wisdom would be wasted. But with the right frame of mind and heart, it is the perfect book.
Perfect in that while it can be read in one hour; mastery of its central concept requires a lifetime. Well, at least for this soul ... and a very long lifetime at that. And I write that without the least trace of humility, remorse or even chagrin—as a simple statement of fact. Indeed, growth in virtue does require total commitment and extended preparation time. I'm on at least my seventh reading of this book and each has been a sincere attempt to take in the saint's simple way of constantly living in God's Holy Presence. I just pray I've made some progress!
Our humble author, Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, assures us that his own journey along this path toward ‘practicing the presence of God’ took him many years as well. So, despair should not deter one's efforts.
I like that the word ‘practice’ is used in the title, and indeed throughout the book, because it recognizes the fallibility in human nature. We will have to creep, crawl, stumble and fall many times in this effort before we will ever be able to actually walk in God's presence. That is Brother Lawrence's goal – and presumably the goal of any self-professed Christian: to actually walk hand-in-hand with Our LORD. In the meantime, He carries us.
Brother Lawrence and his solitary legacy bear much in common with Father De Caussade and his work, Abandonment to Divine Providence. Both men were post-Reformation, French religious, from rather obscure backgrounds, who left us one primary work of spiritual insight comprised of meditations and letters collected postmortem. Few hard facts can be substantiated about either man – even such basic information as definitive dates of birth and death, although we do know approximate dates. Both were extremely humble men who preferentially would have lived quiet lives far away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of society; but they were not given that chance. God’s will was to call these two holy men out from their peaceful solitude to minister to their neighbors.
Brother Lawrence lived and worked most of his life at the monastery of the Discalced Carmelites on the Rue de Vaugirard in Paris, where he spent many years working in the kitchen. He died in 1691 at around 80 years of age. A year later his Abbot collected what could be found from Brother Lawrence's letters, spiritual writings and recorded conversations, put them together and this comprises what we know today as The Practice of the Presence of God.
Unfortunately, upon publication, Practice became associated with the controversy of the day, the heresy then causing so much bitter debate, Quietism. Although it is beyond the scope of this review and the abilities of this writer to discuss the theological aspects of Quietism, it is important to understand that one tenet of this heresy bore a similarity to Brother Lawrence's principle theses, complete abandonment to the will of God, and therefore was used by advocates of the Quietist heresy to justify their position. As it would be some years before this struggle could be resolved, especially in France, Practice suffered the taint of guilt by association – albeit a slim association at best – and fell into disfavor in the country of its birth. Fortunately for us, our book was picked up by other Christian denominations and carried to other countries where it has spread around the world. Since its initial printing, Practice has been always been available in one form or another and now can even be found in many versions on-line.
The first section of the book consists of four dated conversations where Brother Lawrence describes what it is that led him to the realization that pursuing the Practice of the Presence of God was the best way, indeed the only way, to follow Christ. These are not conversations as most Americans today would categorize conversations, but more like Shakespearean soliloquies, with the little monk giving his thoughts on how he came to know that putting God first, last, and always, was the only way to live. That is Practice in a nutshell. I could stop writing here and you would have the book. Except that as simple as it is write or say such words, anyone who has really tried to live them knows, it is not that easy.
In the next section of the book, we are given sixteen of Brother Lawrence's letters—mostly written to a nun, but also one to a priest and several to a lay woman. All of these further elucidate how one is to advance along the path toward our ultimate goal, full and total communion with God. The book concludes with a group of Brother Lawrence's maxims.
What Brother Lawrence teaches through Practice is that no matter where we are, or what we are doing, we can and should be in God's presence at all times. But how to achieve this state, you may well ask? Although he answers this question in many different ways throughout the book, probably the most clear-cut answer lies here:
“Having found different methods of going to God and different practices to attain the spiritual life in several books, I decided that they would serve more to hinder than to facilitate in me what I was seeking—which was nothing other than a means to be wholly God's. This made me decide to give all to gain all; so after having given all to God in satisfaction for my sins, I began to live as if there were no one in the world but Him and me.” (p73) On the surface, such an approach sounds very simplistic, or even selfish. However, the same day I read those words of Brother Lawrence, I read almost the exact same idea expressed by another Carmelite from 200 years earlier. In describing the transforming union that a soul undergoes when it finally achieves oneness with God, St. John of the Cross writes, “And here lies the remarkable delight of this awakening: the soul knows creatures through God and not God through creatures.” (p189, Fire Within, Thomas Dubay, S.M.)
Indeed the life of Brother Lawrence is testimony to his writings; his single-minded concern for God, far from leading him away from love of people, brought him closer to them. Only through a greater love of God, can we ever hope for a fuller love of all of His creation.
My first recorded acquaintance with Practice was May of 2004—at least according to the little bookmark card maintained inside the front cover of my ragged paperback copy. Recently I read and listened to the book again. I wish I could say that reading Practice was enough, or even writing about it. But they aren't. It takes much more than that. Nevertheless, I shall continue to do both, because I see great wisdom in this little book and at least reading it keeps the idea foremost in my mind.
‘I must know, love and serve God in this world that I may gain the happiness of heaven.’ (Baltimore Catechism)
But even more than that, to be happy in this life, Brother Lawrence tells us is only possible with God as our one and only purpose, end and goal.
Updated October 20, 2024, to remove an obsolete link and correct text.
May 29, 2019
wonderful book. every christian should read this! this book will make you more hungry for the presence of God! This is the best edition of it available at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Prese...
November 22, 2010
Actually, this is more of an author review as I don't take issue with the content of the book, which is highly reccomended, but rather the inconsistent lifestyle of the author.
Here it is:
"Coram Deo": to live "before the face of God" best sums up the message of Brother Lawrence. That even the most mundane tasks can be taken up with glorying in the Lord Jesus.
This is one of those places however where we ought to heed the words of Jesus concerning the Pharisees, "do what they say but not what they do" which highlights the great oversight of brother Lawrence.
What I expected from this book was an account of the faith of a hardworking Christian man in the midst of his daily labors, what I got was a man who was disappointed by how "satisfying" life in the monastery was and who expected future suffering (purgatory) to make up for his carefree life as a monk. This was a man who did not truly believe in the sufficiency of Christ's suffering on his behalf. Thinking he had to make up the difference somehow, such was the mindset of the monks. It's alot easier to be taken up with spiritual ecstasies when you have no real responsibilities in the world.
As a Christian husband and father of one (and another on the way), I am moved by the practical principles for religious devotion to Christ that are laid out in this book, but I do wish that they were not hypocritically represented by a clergyman who divorced himself entirely from life amongst lay people. It sets a terrible precedent when Jesus said,"no one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light" (Luke 11:33).
Brother Lawrence said he was convinced that in the kitchen he could "possess God in as great tranquility as if upon [his] knees at the blessed sacrament" and yet he remained a reclusive monk primarily and not instead a cook. He chose to flee the world under pretense of devoting his life to God and yet as a monk, in a very unChristlike fashion, he would not live and eat amongst sinners in order to reveal Christ to them.
In practice he maintained the essentially Gnostic dichotomy between the material world as evil and the spiritual as good, rather than living out his ideal of serving God in everyday occupations like washing dishes and serving food, he chose the supposed higher path of the monk. If brother Lawrence wanted to convey his ideas with integrity he ought to have left the monastery and sought out honorable employment amongst the populus in order to be a missionary to them. By not doing this he has lead people by example into a hyper-spirituality that is so heavenly minded its no earthly good.
There is no doubt that this man was devoted to loving God, but it is doubtful that he was much devoted to loving people the way Jesus did. Christ calls his disciples to be people who are ready to live godly lives in front of others as before the face of God.
There are some great words to be found in this book concerning prayer and devotion, yet if you seek to truly walk as Jesus did please do not imitate the authors way of life.
Here it is:
"Coram Deo": to live "before the face of God" best sums up the message of Brother Lawrence. That even the most mundane tasks can be taken up with glorying in the Lord Jesus.
This is one of those places however where we ought to heed the words of Jesus concerning the Pharisees, "do what they say but not what they do" which highlights the great oversight of brother Lawrence.
What I expected from this book was an account of the faith of a hardworking Christian man in the midst of his daily labors, what I got was a man who was disappointed by how "satisfying" life in the monastery was and who expected future suffering (purgatory) to make up for his carefree life as a monk. This was a man who did not truly believe in the sufficiency of Christ's suffering on his behalf. Thinking he had to make up the difference somehow, such was the mindset of the monks. It's alot easier to be taken up with spiritual ecstasies when you have no real responsibilities in the world.
As a Christian husband and father of one (and another on the way), I am moved by the practical principles for religious devotion to Christ that are laid out in this book, but I do wish that they were not hypocritically represented by a clergyman who divorced himself entirely from life amongst lay people. It sets a terrible precedent when Jesus said,"no one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light" (Luke 11:33).
Brother Lawrence said he was convinced that in the kitchen he could "possess God in as great tranquility as if upon [his] knees at the blessed sacrament" and yet he remained a reclusive monk primarily and not instead a cook. He chose to flee the world under pretense of devoting his life to God and yet as a monk, in a very unChristlike fashion, he would not live and eat amongst sinners in order to reveal Christ to them.
In practice he maintained the essentially Gnostic dichotomy between the material world as evil and the spiritual as good, rather than living out his ideal of serving God in everyday occupations like washing dishes and serving food, he chose the supposed higher path of the monk. If brother Lawrence wanted to convey his ideas with integrity he ought to have left the monastery and sought out honorable employment amongst the populus in order to be a missionary to them. By not doing this he has lead people by example into a hyper-spirituality that is so heavenly minded its no earthly good.
There is no doubt that this man was devoted to loving God, but it is doubtful that he was much devoted to loving people the way Jesus did. Christ calls his disciples to be people who are ready to live godly lives in front of others as before the face of God.
There are some great words to be found in this book concerning prayer and devotion, yet if you seek to truly walk as Jesus did please do not imitate the authors way of life.
April 19, 2013
In a world of constant distraction, Brother Lawrence has much to teach us about offering every moment of our waking existence to a deliberate awareness of God's gracious and intimate presence, whether we're writing a sermon or working in the kitchen. One must discipline himself to be mindful of God's constant and immediate accessibility. The result is a life of peace and joy, even in the face of a painful death.
At the same time, I found myself troubled by at least three things: 1) On several occasions, Lawrence mentions the need to make satisfaction for his sins. Maybe he means something different than I realize, but if he means what I think he means, I have to wonder if the man even understands the gospel. 2) I don't think Lawrence refers to Scripture even one time in this whole book. 3) Lawrence seems to value a kind of mystical detachment from the present world, as if there is something super spiritual about ignoring the world around us.
Lots of good meat in this book, but don't be afraid to spit out the bones just because it is regarded as such a classic.
At the same time, I found myself troubled by at least three things: 1) On several occasions, Lawrence mentions the need to make satisfaction for his sins. Maybe he means something different than I realize, but if he means what I think he means, I have to wonder if the man even understands the gospel. 2) I don't think Lawrence refers to Scripture even one time in this whole book. 3) Lawrence seems to value a kind of mystical detachment from the present world, as if there is something super spiritual about ignoring the world around us.
Lots of good meat in this book, but don't be afraid to spit out the bones just because it is regarded as such a classic.
March 29, 2025
This very short booklet (I don't recall what edition I actually read it in, but it's less than 100 pages long) was one that I read in my early 20s, when I was first getting a serious concept of Christian discipleship, and during a stage in my reading life when I was exclusively reading Christian books. A few of those would fall under the broad heading of "Christian self-help" literature, such as The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith or God's Psychiatry: Healing for Your Troubled Heart by Charles L. Allen. While I've never reviewed either of those, or any other books of that general type, it would be fair to say that they offer, generally speaking, what we could call "Biblical common sense;" they don't suggest (or, at least didn't to me) any insight I hadn't already derived from reading the Bible itself. They also have in common a certain human-centered focus; what they seek to provide is advice on how we, as humans, by listening to God's wise counsel and drawing on His grace and power, can improve our lives and satisfaction with life. That's not, necessarily, an illegitimate nor unimportant goal. The Practice of the Presence of God, however, is focused differently.
Its author, born Nicolas Herman, was a 17th-century French monk (he's known by his monastic name), of apparently working-class stock, who joined a monastery in Paris as a young man, after serving as a soldier in the Thirty Years War. Not particularly learned, he spent the rest of his long life (he lived into his mid-80s, dying in 1691) mostly working as a cook's helper in the monastery kitchen, not teaching or studying theology. He apparently didn't set out to publish a book; this one was published in 1692, after his death, and put together from notes made by a French priest, Abbe' de Beaufort, of his conversations with Lawrence, a few letters from the author to folks who had written to him for spiritual advice, and a short collection of "maxims" found after his death in a manuscript he'd written. But why, you might ask, was anybody outside the monastery interested in the first place in conversing with this seemingly unimportant monk, in asking for his advice, or in bothering to look at anything he'd written?
Beginning even before he became a monk, Lawrence consciously chose to orient his whole life around the fact that whatever we're doing (whether it's nominally "religious" or not) God is present with us, and worthy of our recognition and appreciation of his presence. He also resolved that whatever he did should be done out of love for God. This is a very simple sort of spirituality, and also one that's fundamentally centered around God --giving God his due, and focusing our thoughts and actions on Him-- not on what God can do for us. But paradoxically, it made Brother Lawrence a very happy, contented and fulfilled person, whose love for God spilled over in love and kindness to other people; this earned him not only respect and appreciation inside the monastery, but increasing fame and respect outside of it.
While some pundits characterize the author and his counsel as part of the "mystical" tradition, there's really nothing particularly mystical about it. For Lawrence, the "practice" of God's presence didn't happen in the context of solitary navel-gazing and undistracted meditation, but rather of a busy schedule of hard, manual work in service to others. And although he was certainly a devout Roman Catholic, his counsel is remarkably non-denominational; Christians of any persuasion can (and have, in the over 300 years this book has been in print!) appreciate and benefit from it. The basic idea is certainly implicit in the Bible itself; but for my part, I have to admit that I never thought to formulate it in this way, nor did it strike me with exactly the same force, until I read this book. I can't claim that I practice God's presence to the degree that Brother Lawrence did. But from the time that I read this book, I've always cultivated some conscious awareness of that constant, loving presence, and I believe that my Christian life has been the better for it. That's not the kind of take-away that I can say that I ever got from the books mentioned above by Smith, Allen, or others of that type, though I don't doubt that they've also been helpful to many people.
Like most non-fiction books I read in my pre-Goodreads days, when I added it to my Goodreads shelves I slapped a three-star rating on it, to indicate that I'd liked it. But given the enduring good influence it's had on me, compared to other reads, and the objective spiritual value it delivers, I can't deny that it deserves the full five. Enthusiastically recommended to all Christian readers!
Its author, born Nicolas Herman, was a 17th-century French monk (he's known by his monastic name), of apparently working-class stock, who joined a monastery in Paris as a young man, after serving as a soldier in the Thirty Years War. Not particularly learned, he spent the rest of his long life (he lived into his mid-80s, dying in 1691) mostly working as a cook's helper in the monastery kitchen, not teaching or studying theology. He apparently didn't set out to publish a book; this one was published in 1692, after his death, and put together from notes made by a French priest, Abbe' de Beaufort, of his conversations with Lawrence, a few letters from the author to folks who had written to him for spiritual advice, and a short collection of "maxims" found after his death in a manuscript he'd written. But why, you might ask, was anybody outside the monastery interested in the first place in conversing with this seemingly unimportant monk, in asking for his advice, or in bothering to look at anything he'd written?
Beginning even before he became a monk, Lawrence consciously chose to orient his whole life around the fact that whatever we're doing (whether it's nominally "religious" or not) God is present with us, and worthy of our recognition and appreciation of his presence. He also resolved that whatever he did should be done out of love for God. This is a very simple sort of spirituality, and also one that's fundamentally centered around God --giving God his due, and focusing our thoughts and actions on Him-- not on what God can do for us. But paradoxically, it made Brother Lawrence a very happy, contented and fulfilled person, whose love for God spilled over in love and kindness to other people; this earned him not only respect and appreciation inside the monastery, but increasing fame and respect outside of it.
While some pundits characterize the author and his counsel as part of the "mystical" tradition, there's really nothing particularly mystical about it. For Lawrence, the "practice" of God's presence didn't happen in the context of solitary navel-gazing and undistracted meditation, but rather of a busy schedule of hard, manual work in service to others. And although he was certainly a devout Roman Catholic, his counsel is remarkably non-denominational; Christians of any persuasion can (and have, in the over 300 years this book has been in print!) appreciate and benefit from it. The basic idea is certainly implicit in the Bible itself; but for my part, I have to admit that I never thought to formulate it in this way, nor did it strike me with exactly the same force, until I read this book. I can't claim that I practice God's presence to the degree that Brother Lawrence did. But from the time that I read this book, I've always cultivated some conscious awareness of that constant, loving presence, and I believe that my Christian life has been the better for it. That's not the kind of take-away that I can say that I ever got from the books mentioned above by Smith, Allen, or others of that type, though I don't doubt that they've also been helpful to many people.
Like most non-fiction books I read in my pre-Goodreads days, when I added it to my Goodreads shelves I slapped a three-star rating on it, to indicate that I'd liked it. But given the enduring good influence it's had on me, compared to other reads, and the objective spiritual value it delivers, I can't deny that it deserves the full five. Enthusiastically recommended to all Christian readers!
February 16, 2017
I read this many years ago (I think), but just now listened to it on Audible. Enjoyed it -- he has a good functional grasp of grace, even though his theology of it was a little muddy.
October 1, 2011
One of the best books I ever read. I can hardly believe it was written by a virtually unknown kitchen monk from like a billion years ago. Seriously useful advice on exactly how to stay connected with God in constant communion. Not a bit sentimental. Nothing vain or extraneous. Nothing obtuse. Clear, solid advice. A real treasure. i'll never part with this book. I may just buy copies for everyone's Christmas this year.
September 30, 2023
“We have a God who is infinitely good, and Who knows what He is doing.”
I had a copy of THE PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD for years but I never read it. I finally picked up this slim volume and read a little bit of it every morning as part of my daily devotional/prayer time and I found it complemented that time nicely.
The text tis a compilation of spiritual writings and letters written by Brother Lawrence, a monk from the 1600s. It is divided into 4 parts: letters, conversations, maxims, and finally a brief overview of Brother Lawrence’s life. All of these sections are worthwhile.
In the “Conversations” section of the text the “Second Conversation” is simple and yet theologically very deep. I love that paradox. The “Fourth Conversation” is simply brilliant.
Other highlights include a 1 paragraph description of what faith is like (page 88/89 in this edition) and Brother Lawrence’s description of what the first 10 years of his Christian life was like. It is beautifully honest and a very truthful description. It mirrored my own in many ways.
Quotes:
• “…he spoke very simply and frankly to God.”
• “…because complete surrender to God’s will is the only secure road to follow.”
• “Never tire of doing even the smallest things for Him, because He isn’t impressed so much with the dimensions of our work as with the love in which it is done.”
• “When we are in doubt, God never fails to show us the right way to go, as long as our only goal is to please Him and show our love for Him.”
• “God has various ways of drawing us to Him. But sometimes He hides from us. In those times, the sole support of our confidence must be our faith, which must be totally in God. Such faith will not fail.”
• “The Lord’s perfections are truly beyond measure.”
• “The presence of God is the concentration of the soul’s attention on God, remembering that He is always present.”
I learned something about my faith, I grew and meditated as a Christian. For me, that is a good reason to read this text.
I had a copy of THE PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD for years but I never read it. I finally picked up this slim volume and read a little bit of it every morning as part of my daily devotional/prayer time and I found it complemented that time nicely.
The text tis a compilation of spiritual writings and letters written by Brother Lawrence, a monk from the 1600s. It is divided into 4 parts: letters, conversations, maxims, and finally a brief overview of Brother Lawrence’s life. All of these sections are worthwhile.
In the “Conversations” section of the text the “Second Conversation” is simple and yet theologically very deep. I love that paradox. The “Fourth Conversation” is simply brilliant.
Other highlights include a 1 paragraph description of what faith is like (page 88/89 in this edition) and Brother Lawrence’s description of what the first 10 years of his Christian life was like. It is beautifully honest and a very truthful description. It mirrored my own in many ways.
Quotes:
• “…he spoke very simply and frankly to God.”
• “…because complete surrender to God’s will is the only secure road to follow.”
• “Never tire of doing even the smallest things for Him, because He isn’t impressed so much with the dimensions of our work as with the love in which it is done.”
• “When we are in doubt, God never fails to show us the right way to go, as long as our only goal is to please Him and show our love for Him.”
• “God has various ways of drawing us to Him. But sometimes He hides from us. In those times, the sole support of our confidence must be our faith, which must be totally in God. Such faith will not fail.”
• “The Lord’s perfections are truly beyond measure.”
• “The presence of God is the concentration of the soul’s attention on God, remembering that He is always present.”
I learned something about my faith, I grew and meditated as a Christian. For me, that is a good reason to read this text.
January 14, 2009
The major barrier to this book is the slightly stilted language. I have recommended this to several people and they cannot get past this, essentially missing the book's message. If nothing else this makes me understand why the King James Bible remains obtuse for many.
Brother Lawrence isn’t a famous man and he didn't do anything that should make us place him on a pedestal in the social-historical scheme of things. However, what this man brings to understanding God on a daily basis, in real-life which each of us can understand, is nothing short of miraculous. Brother Lawrence involves God in all his daily affairs, not in some odd or curious way, but in a very natural way: he treats the Lord as one sitting with him in the kitchen where he works.
This little book is one which can be, I have found, life changing. As my friend from Tennessee often says, reading it is like being “hit upside the head with a tire iron!” I think this phrase is incredibly apt because Brother Lawrence’s solution to losing track of God in our daily life is simply to invoke him in all parts of one’s daily life.
In essence, this little tract is the epitome of simplicity which we often bypass by our bombast and rhetoric about situations. Those wishing to come back to God in a very personal way without making all sorts of noise and commotion would do well to read this book. I find that I must come back to it every so often because it is so easy to veer away from the simplicity it uses so effectively.
Brother Lawrence isn’t a famous man and he didn't do anything that should make us place him on a pedestal in the social-historical scheme of things. However, what this man brings to understanding God on a daily basis, in real-life which each of us can understand, is nothing short of miraculous. Brother Lawrence involves God in all his daily affairs, not in some odd or curious way, but in a very natural way: he treats the Lord as one sitting with him in the kitchen where he works.
This little book is one which can be, I have found, life changing. As my friend from Tennessee often says, reading it is like being “hit upside the head with a tire iron!” I think this phrase is incredibly apt because Brother Lawrence’s solution to losing track of God in our daily life is simply to invoke him in all parts of one’s daily life.
In essence, this little tract is the epitome of simplicity which we often bypass by our bombast and rhetoric about situations. Those wishing to come back to God in a very personal way without making all sorts of noise and commotion would do well to read this book. I find that I must come back to it every so often because it is so easy to veer away from the simplicity it uses so effectively.
October 25, 2018
Healing Trauma, Living in (The) Presence
This would be a five star book for the right person at the right time, I was just not that person or perhaps it was not the right time. Or was it?
I bought the scholarly Critical Edition, replete with supplemental materials (definitely the five-star edition of this book) and committed to reading a bit each day with the encouragement of my GR friend “Booklady,” a secular Carmelite. Surprisingly, Brother Lawrence’s actual text is only about four pages long, the rest, as they say, is commentary--including Brother Lawrence's own commentary and letters. The brother's practice was, on the surface, seemingly simple: to repeat a short prayer continuously throughout the work day to unite himself at all times with the presence of God. Humorously, the book’s introduction warned that Americans in particular tend to find this very difficult and also tend to turn it into something to achieve, at which they then fail. Well. I did not even try to achieve it. But although I wasn’t particularly attracted to this form of prayer, the book and my daily reading did get me moving spiritually in other ways, ultimately reconnecting instead with Ignatian spiritual practices I feel more attuned with — and I found myself in awe of Brother Lawrence’s own deeply moving story.
The young, uneducated soldier who became known as Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection entered a French Carmelite monastery fresh from battle and pretty much destroyed by war trauma, experiencing what today we would call severe PTSD. I imagine he enters the community hoping to find peace—but instead, his life is a nightmare because of extreme terrors that continue day and night for four years before beginning to abate. In an era when psychological medicine did not exist, he is healed, slowly but completely, through the continual, maybe even continuous, practice of a simple, repetitive, spoken prayer throughout the work day by which he intends to give himself completely over to God. Eventually, as an old, still rough-spoken man, he becomes known as a spiritual master--I am not sure whether the term "spiritual master" was in use at the time, but he becomes someone others recognize for the peace in his soul and seek out for wisdom and guidance. All the while, he is subject to work that would have been brutally difficult -- imagine preparing meals for a huge community of (probably grouchy) men at a time when stoves and ovens were wood-fired and there was no air conditioning or even electric fans, and all the cookware was heavy cast iron or copper -- he worked in the inferno on earth. When his body could no longer handle that work, he “retired” to the shoe repair shop.
In light of the fact that my friends who have read this have all given it five-star ratings, I feel a bit ungenerous, but I hope my brief review has made up a bit for my just “Good” rating. Thank you, Booklady, for your recommendation that I go ahead and post a review, and for your own inspiring and much more thorough review and analysis: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This would be a five star book for the right person at the right time, I was just not that person or perhaps it was not the right time. Or was it?
I bought the scholarly Critical Edition, replete with supplemental materials (definitely the five-star edition of this book) and committed to reading a bit each day with the encouragement of my GR friend “Booklady,” a secular Carmelite. Surprisingly, Brother Lawrence’s actual text is only about four pages long, the rest, as they say, is commentary--including Brother Lawrence's own commentary and letters. The brother's practice was, on the surface, seemingly simple: to repeat a short prayer continuously throughout the work day to unite himself at all times with the presence of God. Humorously, the book’s introduction warned that Americans in particular tend to find this very difficult and also tend to turn it into something to achieve, at which they then fail. Well. I did not even try to achieve it. But although I wasn’t particularly attracted to this form of prayer, the book and my daily reading did get me moving spiritually in other ways, ultimately reconnecting instead with Ignatian spiritual practices I feel more attuned with — and I found myself in awe of Brother Lawrence’s own deeply moving story.
The young, uneducated soldier who became known as Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection entered a French Carmelite monastery fresh from battle and pretty much destroyed by war trauma, experiencing what today we would call severe PTSD. I imagine he enters the community hoping to find peace—but instead, his life is a nightmare because of extreme terrors that continue day and night for four years before beginning to abate. In an era when psychological medicine did not exist, he is healed, slowly but completely, through the continual, maybe even continuous, practice of a simple, repetitive, spoken prayer throughout the work day by which he intends to give himself completely over to God. Eventually, as an old, still rough-spoken man, he becomes known as a spiritual master--I am not sure whether the term "spiritual master" was in use at the time, but he becomes someone others recognize for the peace in his soul and seek out for wisdom and guidance. All the while, he is subject to work that would have been brutally difficult -- imagine preparing meals for a huge community of (probably grouchy) men at a time when stoves and ovens were wood-fired and there was no air conditioning or even electric fans, and all the cookware was heavy cast iron or copper -- he worked in the inferno on earth. When his body could no longer handle that work, he “retired” to the shoe repair shop.
In light of the fact that my friends who have read this have all given it five-star ratings, I feel a bit ungenerous, but I hope my brief review has made up a bit for my just “Good” rating. Thank you, Booklady, for your recommendation that I go ahead and post a review, and for your own inspiring and much more thorough review and analysis: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
April 12, 2018
Many have heard of Brother Lawrence's quote about peeling potatoes to the glory of God. This book is a collection of his letters dealing with the topic of practicing God's presence.
This is a short but profoundly meditative read. Good stuff for mothers in a hurry who want to ponder a connection with God in the midst of busy days; also palatable for people going through a hard time to read little bits at a time and absorb them without charging through. Brother Lawrence didn't intend to write a book, and some concepts are a bit disjointed. But, he is consistent enough in his perspective and approach that the same themes work throughout his pastoral correspondence.
I found his ideas to be challenging. Too often, I can emphasize service to God over relationship with God. Brother Lawrence's goal to focus on developing a conscious awareness of God's presence, to live and interact with His presence such that his relationship with God was the strongest experience of his life is a worthy goal. Since I first read it, I feel I've made progress, but it does tend to drop off the radar as life goes on and a good refresher is always welcome. As a result, I've read it a few times and anticipate reading it several more times before I meet him in heaven!
---
Update: For those seeking more practical direction on HOW to implement these principles in the Christian life, I also recommend "We Would See Jesus" by Roy & Revel Hession, published 1958.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This is a short but profoundly meditative read. Good stuff for mothers in a hurry who want to ponder a connection with God in the midst of busy days; also palatable for people going through a hard time to read little bits at a time and absorb them without charging through. Brother Lawrence didn't intend to write a book, and some concepts are a bit disjointed. But, he is consistent enough in his perspective and approach that the same themes work throughout his pastoral correspondence.
I found his ideas to be challenging. Too often, I can emphasize service to God over relationship with God. Brother Lawrence's goal to focus on developing a conscious awareness of God's presence, to live and interact with His presence such that his relationship with God was the strongest experience of his life is a worthy goal. Since I first read it, I feel I've made progress, but it does tend to drop off the radar as life goes on and a good refresher is always welcome. As a result, I've read it a few times and anticipate reading it several more times before I meet him in heaven!
---
Update: For those seeking more practical direction on HOW to implement these principles in the Christian life, I also recommend "We Would See Jesus" by Roy & Revel Hession, published 1958.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
November 11, 2013
If I would have stopped reading about 3/4 of the way through, I probably would have given this book three stars instead of two.
I was disappointed to learn that really only about half of this book was written by Brother Lawrence. The first section contains a series of "conversations" recorded by someone who had spoken with Brother Lawrence and the last section was a short biography of his life. I found this biography to be so inundated with bad theology and an almost worshipful view of Brother Lawrence that it left a severe distaste of the entire book.
The portions of the book which were written by Brother Lawrence were divided into letters that he had written to various people, and "maxims" and short sayings or explanations of what he believed and/or his way of life. The nature of this lent itself to being quite repetitive and disjointed. I guess I expected the book to be entirely written by this man and involving a larger scope and explanation of his life and beliefs.
I was looking forward to reading this as I have heard about it for several years but I don't feel like it really added anything to my understanding of God or my convictions about daily living. The basic premise, that being in the presence of God is a practice that one can achieve through discipline and foucs, was repeated often. However, I didn't find his methods overly profound or his committment to them overly impressive considering the fact that he was secluded from the world. To say that he followed in Christ's footsteps seems to really miss the point as Christ was ever fellowshipping, teaching and evangelizing out in the world.
Brother Lawrence makes an example of the chore of doing dishes and serving in the kitchen to bolster his proposition that any activity can be completed inside the presence of God but I found that to be pretty hollow. I don't disagree that doing dishes (or any seemingly mundane task)can be done as an act of service and love but I thought it was weak to use that as an example of a trying or difficult circumstance which would really challenge our ability to be God-centered. I don't know; maybe he really hated doing dishes. However if that's the most difficult situation he faced in his life in the monastery, it makes me wonder how credible his teaching really is.
I agreed with Brother Lawrence that a right, awe-filled view of God brings us a long way in seeking and remaining in His presence and that it is a discpline to pursue God's presence. I'm not sure I really see the merit in "achieving" a consistent position in the presence of God if it's not used to bring others to Him. Apparently Brother Lawrence had great influence with other "brothers" living around him and we know that he wrote to encourage others so I guess you could say that his life and writings have inspired others to connect with God. However, he seemed to be more interested in a life of pleasant seclusion than in fulfilling the Great Commission. From the evidence of this book alone, this position is merely conjecture, but I really didn't see any inclination to "put to good use" the profound connection he seemed to have achieved in his decades of "the practice of the presence of God."
This book is readable in one sitting. My overall view is that you'd probably be just as well off using the time it takes to read this book to meditate on the Scriptures instead. I didn't feel that it offered much insight. I would highly recommend "A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life" by William Law to anyone looking for meatier inspiration and instruction about a life lived fully for God. I think, possibly, reading Law's book just a couple months ago wrecked anything I could have gotten out of "The Practice of the Presence of God." I'd be curious to know what (if anything) I would have gotten out of Brother Lawrence's maxims had I read it 10 years ago. I think there is some good to be gotten out his writings but they just didn't do much for me.
I feel like I should be apologizing for this overly negative review considering the other reviews...but the combination of faulty theology (much of it brought in by the other contributing writers), a lifestyle of seclusion and mediocre insight just left me disappointed and irritated. The two star "It was OK" rating it pretty true to my experience with this book. I'd love to have a discussion with someone for whom this book was much more significant.
I was disappointed to learn that really only about half of this book was written by Brother Lawrence. The first section contains a series of "conversations" recorded by someone who had spoken with Brother Lawrence and the last section was a short biography of his life. I found this biography to be so inundated with bad theology and an almost worshipful view of Brother Lawrence that it left a severe distaste of the entire book.
The portions of the book which were written by Brother Lawrence were divided into letters that he had written to various people, and "maxims" and short sayings or explanations of what he believed and/or his way of life. The nature of this lent itself to being quite repetitive and disjointed. I guess I expected the book to be entirely written by this man and involving a larger scope and explanation of his life and beliefs.
I was looking forward to reading this as I have heard about it for several years but I don't feel like it really added anything to my understanding of God or my convictions about daily living. The basic premise, that being in the presence of God is a practice that one can achieve through discipline and foucs, was repeated often. However, I didn't find his methods overly profound or his committment to them overly impressive considering the fact that he was secluded from the world. To say that he followed in Christ's footsteps seems to really miss the point as Christ was ever fellowshipping, teaching and evangelizing out in the world.
Brother Lawrence makes an example of the chore of doing dishes and serving in the kitchen to bolster his proposition that any activity can be completed inside the presence of God but I found that to be pretty hollow. I don't disagree that doing dishes (or any seemingly mundane task)can be done as an act of service and love but I thought it was weak to use that as an example of a trying or difficult circumstance which would really challenge our ability to be God-centered. I don't know; maybe he really hated doing dishes. However if that's the most difficult situation he faced in his life in the monastery, it makes me wonder how credible his teaching really is.
I agreed with Brother Lawrence that a right, awe-filled view of God brings us a long way in seeking and remaining in His presence and that it is a discpline to pursue God's presence. I'm not sure I really see the merit in "achieving" a consistent position in the presence of God if it's not used to bring others to Him. Apparently Brother Lawrence had great influence with other "brothers" living around him and we know that he wrote to encourage others so I guess you could say that his life and writings have inspired others to connect with God. However, he seemed to be more interested in a life of pleasant seclusion than in fulfilling the Great Commission. From the evidence of this book alone, this position is merely conjecture, but I really didn't see any inclination to "put to good use" the profound connection he seemed to have achieved in his decades of "the practice of the presence of God."
This book is readable in one sitting. My overall view is that you'd probably be just as well off using the time it takes to read this book to meditate on the Scriptures instead. I didn't feel that it offered much insight. I would highly recommend "A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life" by William Law to anyone looking for meatier inspiration and instruction about a life lived fully for God. I think, possibly, reading Law's book just a couple months ago wrecked anything I could have gotten out of "The Practice of the Presence of God." I'd be curious to know what (if anything) I would have gotten out of Brother Lawrence's maxims had I read it 10 years ago. I think there is some good to be gotten out his writings but they just didn't do much for me.
I feel like I should be apologizing for this overly negative review considering the other reviews...but the combination of faulty theology (much of it brought in by the other contributing writers), a lifestyle of seclusion and mediocre insight just left me disappointed and irritated. The two star "It was OK" rating it pretty true to my experience with this book. I'd love to have a discussion with someone for whom this book was much more significant.
August 18, 2024
Wow. So I do think this may be the best book I have ever read…. I will be contemplating this for a while. I learned so much. There is so much power behind a testimony!!! LOVED THIS. Kinda want to read it again already
January 4, 2015
While there is certainly a truism presented in this book, and though I appreciated much in it, I believe it is faulty in that it encourages a mystical view of God and the practice of contemplative prayer.
Brother Lawrence is listed here as an author than endorses contemplative prayer in this article entitled, "The Top 50 Christian Contemplative Books– A “NOT RECOMMENDED Reading List”"
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.c...
For more info on contemplative prayer, visit:
http://apprising.org/2009/11/05/donal...
Brother Lawrence is listed here as an author than endorses contemplative prayer in this article entitled, "The Top 50 Christian Contemplative Books– A “NOT RECOMMENDED Reading List”"
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.c...
For more info on contemplative prayer, visit:
http://apprising.org/2009/11/05/donal...
August 22, 2020
“In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”
This little book seems to me very much in the spirit of this verse from Isaiah. Return to His presence. Rest in His presence. Be quiet in His presence. Grow confident in His presence. Find salvation and strength in His presence. The Romish errors here are easily enough ignored, so I think I will be revisiting it regularly as a reminder to "set the Lord always before me."
Kirsten Ferreri's narration was fine for a LibriVox recording.
This little book seems to me very much in the spirit of this verse from Isaiah. Return to His presence. Rest in His presence. Be quiet in His presence. Grow confident in His presence. Find salvation and strength in His presence. The Romish errors here are easily enough ignored, so I think I will be revisiting it regularly as a reminder to "set the Lord always before me."
Kirsten Ferreri's narration was fine for a LibriVox recording.
July 7, 2023
EDIT: I’ve edited this review a couple times now - this is my final edit… lol but it’s a pretty beefy one. Just thought I needed to end on a better, more hopeful note***
Yeaaa so a few things about this classic:
1. Some really frustrating emphasis on the main motivation of the Christian life being, “doing everything within your power to not disappoint God” - a perspective and lifestyle I think sons and daughters of Abba are freed from by His love of us.
2. A biiig red flag in that he was such a big proponent of not needing to confess anything in his life to anyone but God, sins and struggles alike. There is nothing I can find biblical about that. Sorry, but get some 1 John 1 and James 5 in your Bible diet.
3. The book feels like a Brother Lawrence parade more than an actual helpful, humble guide for how to engage with God’s presence.
4. So much vague repetition without actually going into details of what listening to God/praying/doing daily life looks like. Not really sure how to describe it other than vague and not helpful. Never gets specific.
5. My biggest issue is the oft-repeated phrase, “everything I do, I aim to do for the love of God,” (paraphrased from my memory) as in, “everything I do, I do to prove my love for God.”
This just feels so robot-y to me. So “servant of God” rather than “son of God.” I truly believe the Christian life is less about loving Him than it is about believing He loves me. That’s hard enough. The Gospel is considered offensive/scandalous for a reason: it forces us to accept that we can’t do anything to make ourselves acceptable, and yet the God of the universe took it upon Himself to do the work for us. When the Spirit communicates its beautiful truth to us, that Jesus did the work and Abba accepts us based on Jesus’ representation of us, it’s not like we now have to live a life of convincing Abba that we’re one of the ones Jesus represents. He knows His own, and nothing will snatch them from His hand. And that reality produces love in our hearts for our Abba - our love is derivative of His love. Derivatives are normally “effects” in cause and effect scenarios. His love is the cause of the effect of our love.
I.e., ain’t no striving necessary, bro. And there is a LOT of striving preached in this book.
I would highly suggest people read Beholding by Strahan Coleman in lieu of this work. Though it’s far more modern, I think that Strahan does a far better job of explaining present prayer with Abba while also explaining it in light of the freedom we have in Christ, as opposed to the works based, performative approach Brother Lawrence seemed to be all about.
This book makes it seem like our purpose in practicing presence with God is for the sake of protecting ourselves from disappointing Him - it’s like we have to walk on eggshells with God because He’s so easily displeased with us. Dude… no.
Present prayer with Abba is a benefit of our ability to rest in His goodness and a result of our FREEDOM from striving to be better or to “please Him” or “not disappoint Him.” Jesus has perfectly pleased Abba permanently on our behalf, and there is no chance of Him being displeased with or disappointed in His beloved who are HIDDEN in Christ (i.e., He looks at me, He sees Jesus).
Therefore we are free to joyfully approach each day in peace, knowing that He is with us and pleased with us and desires more of us - not because we are awesome or because we “never disappoint Him” or even try to not disappoint Him.
But because His Son chose us and gave Himself for us, so that there would be nothing between us and Abba anymore. Not our sin, not our striving, not the Law, nothing. Jesus freed us from needing to be anything but our broken selves with our Abba who loves us. And that’s why we can be ever in His presence, day to day. It’s because of who Jesus is and what He has done that we can commune daily, momentarily with Abba.
Consider Hebrews 4:14-16:
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Abba is safe. You are in safe hands with Him. You don’t need to be afraid of hurting Him or disappointing Him. Do you trust daily that Jesus loves you and gave Himself for you? And that that is all the evidence needed in your case before God Almighty? That you don’t have to self-improve or “just be a little better” each day? Do you truly believe Jesus covers you and speaks on your behalf?
Then all you have to look forward to is sweet, sweet intimacy with your Abba who loves you. And that intimacy is readily available to you every moment of every day. That’s the presence of God.
Yeaaa so a few things about this classic:
1. Some really frustrating emphasis on the main motivation of the Christian life being, “doing everything within your power to not disappoint God” - a perspective and lifestyle I think sons and daughters of Abba are freed from by His love of us.
2. A biiig red flag in that he was such a big proponent of not needing to confess anything in his life to anyone but God, sins and struggles alike. There is nothing I can find biblical about that. Sorry, but get some 1 John 1 and James 5 in your Bible diet.
3. The book feels like a Brother Lawrence parade more than an actual helpful, humble guide for how to engage with God’s presence.
4. So much vague repetition without actually going into details of what listening to God/praying/doing daily life looks like. Not really sure how to describe it other than vague and not helpful. Never gets specific.
5. My biggest issue is the oft-repeated phrase, “everything I do, I aim to do for the love of God,” (paraphrased from my memory) as in, “everything I do, I do to prove my love for God.”
This just feels so robot-y to me. So “servant of God” rather than “son of God.” I truly believe the Christian life is less about loving Him than it is about believing He loves me. That’s hard enough. The Gospel is considered offensive/scandalous for a reason: it forces us to accept that we can’t do anything to make ourselves acceptable, and yet the God of the universe took it upon Himself to do the work for us. When the Spirit communicates its beautiful truth to us, that Jesus did the work and Abba accepts us based on Jesus’ representation of us, it’s not like we now have to live a life of convincing Abba that we’re one of the ones Jesus represents. He knows His own, and nothing will snatch them from His hand. And that reality produces love in our hearts for our Abba - our love is derivative of His love. Derivatives are normally “effects” in cause and effect scenarios. His love is the cause of the effect of our love.
I.e., ain’t no striving necessary, bro. And there is a LOT of striving preached in this book.
I would highly suggest people read Beholding by Strahan Coleman in lieu of this work. Though it’s far more modern, I think that Strahan does a far better job of explaining present prayer with Abba while also explaining it in light of the freedom we have in Christ, as opposed to the works based, performative approach Brother Lawrence seemed to be all about.
This book makes it seem like our purpose in practicing presence with God is for the sake of protecting ourselves from disappointing Him - it’s like we have to walk on eggshells with God because He’s so easily displeased with us. Dude… no.
Present prayer with Abba is a benefit of our ability to rest in His goodness and a result of our FREEDOM from striving to be better or to “please Him” or “not disappoint Him.” Jesus has perfectly pleased Abba permanently on our behalf, and there is no chance of Him being displeased with or disappointed in His beloved who are HIDDEN in Christ (i.e., He looks at me, He sees Jesus).
Therefore we are free to joyfully approach each day in peace, knowing that He is with us and pleased with us and desires more of us - not because we are awesome or because we “never disappoint Him” or even try to not disappoint Him.
But because His Son chose us and gave Himself for us, so that there would be nothing between us and Abba anymore. Not our sin, not our striving, not the Law, nothing. Jesus freed us from needing to be anything but our broken selves with our Abba who loves us. And that’s why we can be ever in His presence, day to day. It’s because of who Jesus is and what He has done that we can commune daily, momentarily with Abba.
Consider Hebrews 4:14-16:
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Abba is safe. You are in safe hands with Him. You don’t need to be afraid of hurting Him or disappointing Him. Do you trust daily that Jesus loves you and gave Himself for you? And that that is all the evidence needed in your case before God Almighty? That you don’t have to self-improve or “just be a little better” each day? Do you truly believe Jesus covers you and speaks on your behalf?
Then all you have to look forward to is sweet, sweet intimacy with your Abba who loves you. And that intimacy is readily available to you every moment of every day. That’s the presence of God.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2021
A classic of practical Christianity. Brother Lawrence's core insight is that if God is everywhere, we are always in his presence; so our difficulty is not so much in being "nearer" or "farther" at various points in life, but in being more and less aware of the divine presence due to busyness and other immediate distractions. Despite working as a cook, which kept him continuously busy, Brother Lawrence cultivated habits of mindfulness that he found practical to that end. Through a series of letters (possibly dictated) and conversations recorded by others, The Practice of the Presence of God and Spiritual Maxims preserves his insights and advice.
Though shedding some light on the history of the barefoot Carmelite monks of late 1600s Paris, this book would mainly be enjoyable and useful to practicing Christians.
Though shedding some light on the history of the barefoot Carmelite monks of late 1600s Paris, this book would mainly be enjoyable and useful to practicing Christians.
August 12, 2016
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection is, to borrow a phrase, a book for transformation and not merely information. In fact, as far as information goes, this book has only one main idea. Namely, we should live our lives every moment with the realization that God is present with us, and we should lift up our hearts to Him frequently in a spirit of prayer. It’s a painfully obvious principle going back to St. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.” However, how many of us actually fulfill this biblical mandate? Sadly, very few of us can avoid distractions long enough to have any sort of unbroken time of communion with God.
Brother Lawrence was a monk, but he was not the type of monk who spent all day in the chapel praying. He worked in the kitchen, bought the groceries from the market, and traveled on behalf of the monastery. In all ways, he had a very mundane and, dare I say, “worldly” job. However, the beauty of his book is to show that no vocation makes it impossible to have a strong life of prayer.
My own prayer life suffers greatly from distractions and self-imposed haste, and I have struggled often to get back on track and spend quality time in prayer. As such, some of Brother Lawrence’s sayings are welcome breaths of fresh air. “…Many souls get stuck among systems and particular devotions,” he writes, “and neglect that love which is their real end.” Systems may be helpful or they may simply obscure the real purpose for prayer. There is not a one-size-fits-all method for maintaining a healthy prayer life. Also, prayer should be normal, and not some separate experience from the rest of life. Lawrence writes that it is “a great delusion to imaging that prayer-time should be different from any other, for we are equally bound to be united to God by work at work-time as by prayer at prayer-time.”
Finally, and this strikes at the heart of man’s pride and perhaps at the heart of why I and so many others in our modern world struggle with prayer, prayer is not a matter of becoming smarter or stronger. “Neither skill nor knowledge is required to enable us to go to God…” Rather, this sort of continual prayer can only come by a deep sense of our helplessness and weakness before God. We can’t work our way there, and we can’t think our way there. “The greater the perfection to which a soul aspires, the more dependent is she upon divine grace, and this grace becomes more necessary every moment because without it the soul can do nothing. The world, the flesh, and the Devil together wage so fierce and unremitting a war that, without actual grace and a humble reliance thereon, the soul would be dragged down in spite of herself.”
It is this last emphasis, the reliance on God’s grace for all of this, which makes this book so wonderful to me. Brother Lawrence gives pointers in the right direction and practical hints for helping along the way, but there is no simple 5 step plan. He frankly admits that what he is speaking of is impossible, but he doesn’t leave us there. He points us to faith in Christ as the means to attaining the goal of ceaseless prayer. “All these acts of worship must be the fruit of faith. We must believe that God is indeed within our hearts, and that we must worship, love and serve Him in spirit and in truth…” This emphasis makes up for any shortcomings in Lawrence’s specific theology, and makes this a book by which every Christian, new or old, may grow and benefit.
Brother Lawrence was a monk, but he was not the type of monk who spent all day in the chapel praying. He worked in the kitchen, bought the groceries from the market, and traveled on behalf of the monastery. In all ways, he had a very mundane and, dare I say, “worldly” job. However, the beauty of his book is to show that no vocation makes it impossible to have a strong life of prayer.
My own prayer life suffers greatly from distractions and self-imposed haste, and I have struggled often to get back on track and spend quality time in prayer. As such, some of Brother Lawrence’s sayings are welcome breaths of fresh air. “…Many souls get stuck among systems and particular devotions,” he writes, “and neglect that love which is their real end.” Systems may be helpful or they may simply obscure the real purpose for prayer. There is not a one-size-fits-all method for maintaining a healthy prayer life. Also, prayer should be normal, and not some separate experience from the rest of life. Lawrence writes that it is “a great delusion to imaging that prayer-time should be different from any other, for we are equally bound to be united to God by work at work-time as by prayer at prayer-time.”
Finally, and this strikes at the heart of man’s pride and perhaps at the heart of why I and so many others in our modern world struggle with prayer, prayer is not a matter of becoming smarter or stronger. “Neither skill nor knowledge is required to enable us to go to God…” Rather, this sort of continual prayer can only come by a deep sense of our helplessness and weakness before God. We can’t work our way there, and we can’t think our way there. “The greater the perfection to which a soul aspires, the more dependent is she upon divine grace, and this grace becomes more necessary every moment because without it the soul can do nothing. The world, the flesh, and the Devil together wage so fierce and unremitting a war that, without actual grace and a humble reliance thereon, the soul would be dragged down in spite of herself.”
It is this last emphasis, the reliance on God’s grace for all of this, which makes this book so wonderful to me. Brother Lawrence gives pointers in the right direction and practical hints for helping along the way, but there is no simple 5 step plan. He frankly admits that what he is speaking of is impossible, but he doesn’t leave us there. He points us to faith in Christ as the means to attaining the goal of ceaseless prayer. “All these acts of worship must be the fruit of faith. We must believe that God is indeed within our hearts, and that we must worship, love and serve Him in spirit and in truth…” This emphasis makes up for any shortcomings in Lawrence’s specific theology, and makes this a book by which every Christian, new or old, may grow and benefit.
February 1, 2013
Where I got the book: purchased on the Nook (yes, it does happen).
I'm not really sure what to say about this little book. I guess I was expecting some great revelation about how to be a better Christian but the basic message here is "practice the presence of God every day." Hmmm. That's a bit like opening a book and finding written inside, "This is a book. Read it."
Don't get me wrong, Brother Lawrence sounds like a great guy. In fact the book is part memoir, part biography, part letters and so on. It's a collection of documents by and about Brother Lawrence who, from the sound of it, was a genuinely humble, dedicated follower of Christ. I think this book may inspire some people; it just didn't inspire me, and probably that's indicative of my own spiritual status (low on the scale). I know I SHOULD practice the presence of God; I'm not sure HOW, and maybe it's one of those things like riding a bike; you try until you get it, and once you get it you don't know how you were ever not able to do it.
Maybe I should revisit this one in ten years' time. Will there still be a Nook, I wonder?
I'm not really sure what to say about this little book. I guess I was expecting some great revelation about how to be a better Christian but the basic message here is "practice the presence of God every day." Hmmm. That's a bit like opening a book and finding written inside, "This is a book. Read it."
Don't get me wrong, Brother Lawrence sounds like a great guy. In fact the book is part memoir, part biography, part letters and so on. It's a collection of documents by and about Brother Lawrence who, from the sound of it, was a genuinely humble, dedicated follower of Christ. I think this book may inspire some people; it just didn't inspire me, and probably that's indicative of my own spiritual status (low on the scale). I know I SHOULD practice the presence of God; I'm not sure HOW, and maybe it's one of those things like riding a bike; you try until you get it, and once you get it you don't know how you were ever not able to do it.
Maybe I should revisit this one in ten years' time. Will there still be a Nook, I wonder?
August 30, 2016
A Catholic man who loved Jesus with all his heart. Even Protestants covet this book in our time. Since I'm a Calvinist, I'm one of them.
This devotee finds God in mundane tasks, like washing dishes. Read in 1999.
This devotee finds God in mundane tasks, like washing dishes. Read in 1999.
January 18, 2022
Such a lovely book to begin the year. I had the pleasure of reading this in college and picked it back up (unknown to me, it was my sister’s copy). I read Brother Lawrence’s musings, smiled at my sister’s highlights and notes, and enjoyed being closer to God in this simple little book.
October 25, 2025
Such a grounding reread from 2012.
This time around it was even more special. My grandmother was a part of the Stephen Ministry in her church and when she died a few months ago, we found that she had been giving copies of The Practice of the Presence of God to folks she was loving on.
I’m so grateful I get to be one of those people.
Thankful for the constant reminder to practice God’s presence and how much I believe Grandma is loving being with Jesus.
This time around it was even more special. My grandmother was a part of the Stephen Ministry in her church and when she died a few months ago, we found that she had been giving copies of The Practice of the Presence of God to folks she was loving on.
I’m so grateful I get to be one of those people.
Thankful for the constant reminder to practice God’s presence and how much I believe Grandma is loving being with Jesus.
January 15, 2023
Such an exhortation and encouragement to truly live in God’s unending presence. Our main priority should be to “concentrate the souls attention on God, remembering that He is always present.” Looking forward to growing in this practice!
"God alone is capable of making Himself known as He really is; we search in reasoning and in the sciences, as in a poor copy, for what we neglect to see in an excel lent original. God Himself paints Himself in the depths of our souls. We must enliven our faith and elevate ourselves by means of that faith, above all our feelings, to adore God the Father and Jesus Christ in all their divine perfections. This way of faith is the mind of the church, and it suffices to arrive at high perfection.
"God alone is capable of making Himself known as He really is; we search in reasoning and in the sciences, as in a poor copy, for what we neglect to see in an excel lent original. God Himself paints Himself in the depths of our souls. We must enliven our faith and elevate ourselves by means of that faith, above all our feelings, to adore God the Father and Jesus Christ in all their divine perfections. This way of faith is the mind of the church, and it suffices to arrive at high perfection.
July 30, 2012
This is a collection of letters from Brother Lawrence primarily about how he obtained closeness to God through the “practice of the presence of God.” It begins with a narrative introduction about Brother Lawrence, incorporating some information from “interviews” (more like conversations) with him. There were some real gems in here that struck me, and I admire Brother Lawrence’s high spirituality, but I also found it difficult to relate to in some ways. “It is, however, proper to deprive [the body] sometimes, nay often, of many little pleasures which are innocent and lawful. God will not permit a soul that desires to be devoted entirely to Him to take pleasures other than with Him.” This one puzzles me – how can God not delight in his creatures taking lawful and innocent pleasures, and how can any such pleasure be apart from Him? The idea that everything in life must be deliberately spiritualized and that if it is not deliberately spiritualized it is harmful to the spiritual life is not an idea I have been able to embrace. There were also times when his theology seemed a bit heavy on the idea that God sends all inflictions and suffering and sickness to purge/cure our soul. While I think he can use those sufferings for good, I don’t know that they are usually deliberately sent to us for the purpose of soul refinement. I will have to mull this little volume over further, perhaps in a moment of greater receptivity.
September 3, 2018
The attraction of Brother Lawrence, and his life of prayerful contemplation of the presence of God, is its simplicity. Worship within the prescribed services of the monastery seep into his labor in the kitchen. His whole life becomes a liturgy—not with complicated acts of spiritual labor or elaborate prayers, but short petitions for mercy, repetitive moments of reflection on the love of God, and the awareness of always living and working in the presence of God.
August 10, 2024
Reread, still gold
Life changing🚨🚨🚨
Life changing🚨🚨🚨
Read
January 8, 2024“He was never in the least fretful, when he was most wracked with pain; joy was manifest not only on his countenance, but still more in his speech, so much so in fact that those who visited him were constrained to ask whether he was not suffering. “Forgive me,” he replied. “Yes, I do suffer, the pains in my side sore trouble me, but my spirit is happy and well content.” They added, “Suppose GOD will that you suffer for ten years, what then?” “I would suffer,” he answered, “not for ten years only, but till the Day of Judgment, if it be GOD’S will; and I would hope that He would continue to aid me with His grace to bear it joyfully.”
January 15, 2026
A tiny but mighty book that I think everyone should read! Very challenged by the way Brother Lawrence lived his life and made living in the presence of God seem so easy. But then again, why do we find it so hard to invite a good, loving Father into our everyday lives?! I’ve found myself thinking about his advice and practices frequently - such good wisdom to take into every day.
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