The Practice of the Presence of God Paperback – 8 June 2016
by Brother Lawrence (Author)
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2016 Reprint of 1895 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Brother Lawrence was a man of humble beginnings who discovered the greatest secret of living in the kingdom of God here on earth. It is the art of "practicing the presence of God in one single act that does not end." He often stated that it is God who paints Himself in the depths of our soul. We must merely open our hearts to receive Him and His loving presence. For centuries this unparalleled classic has given both blessing and instruction to those who can be content with nothing less than knowing God in all His majesty and feeling His loving presence throughout each simple day. Inspirational classic
Publisher : Martino Fine Books (8 June 2016)
Language : English
Paperback : 42 pages
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Mr Vaughan Willis
5.0 out of 5 stars A word in time
Reviewed in Australia on 1 March 2021
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I was praying and said to God, “I need to practice your presence.” This after I realised I get so distracted by many things. I suddenly remembered that that was a title of a book. I found it and it confirmed all I was thinking in my praying. I recommend this to anyone wanting a closer relationship with God.
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Sam
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring
Reviewed in Australia on 28 December 2020
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A beautiful book about how to walk with God through prayer as Brother Lawrence did daily - well worth reading
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Steve Tee
4.0 out of 5 stars As expected, thank you
Reviewed in Australia on 13 February 2019
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Good book, as expected.
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Haney Francis
5.0 out of 5 stars must read
Reviewed in Australia on 26 October 2020
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highly recommended
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4.0 out of 5 stars Practising the presence of God - bringing prayer to the next level
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 September 2019
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I like how Brother Lawrence defined adoration as something unattached to rigid rules or scrupulous routines. Prayer is simply acknowledging that God is present every day in every moment of our lives. It is the constant surrendering of our hearts and labour to God.
Loving God begins with knowing Him, and what greater way to know Him but by constantly thinking about Him.
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Angela Jones
5.0 out of 5 stars Not long enough!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 October 2020
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I could not get enough of the wisdom, love and hope, and found Brother Lawrence very like St Theresa , the Little Flower.
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MikeyC
5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended reading for all Christians serious about God
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 July 2017
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What can you say about this slim volume that has'nt been already said? One of the greatest devotional books every written by a man who simply shares "golden nuggets" of how to develop a close relationship with God. Excellent
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Steve P
5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing collection of letters written in the 16th century by ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 February 2018
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An amazing collection of letters written in the 16th century by a carmelite monk very challenging and moving ,has the potential to change your life!
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Julie R
4.0 out of 5 stars Okay if you are perfect!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 August 2018
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I bought this book because an extract from it was in another book I read twice daily thinking that I would be inspired by it. Alas, it made me feel inadequate as the world the writer lives in doesn't reflect my own. I cannot commit to the lifestyle devotions the writer aspires his readers to and I gave up reading after I was three-quarters of the way through it.
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The Practice of the Presence of God
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"The Practice of the Presence of God" is also the title of a section of Jeremy Taylor's Holy Living
The Practice of the Presence of GodAuthor Brother Lawrence
(Nicolas Herman 1605–91)
Compiled by Father Joseph de Beaufort
Language French
Genre Christian literature
The Practice of the Presence of God is a book of collected teachings of Brother Lawrence (born Nicolas Herman), a 17th-century Carmelite friar, compiled by Father Joseph de Beaufort. The compilation includes letters, as well as records of his conversations kept by Brother Lawrence's interlocutors. The basic theme of the book is the development of an awareness of the presence of God.
Contents1About Brother Lawrence
2Theme
3Translations
4References
5External links
About Brother Lawrence[edit]
The first conversation in the book recounts Brother Lawrence's conversion to a deeper commitment to his Christian faith at 18 years old: "...in the winter, seeing a tree stripped of its leaves, and considering that within a little time, the leaves would be renewed, and after that the flowers and fruit appear, he received a high view of the Providence and Power of God, which has never since been effaced from his soul."[1]
At the age of 24, Brother Lawrence joined the Order of Discalced Carmelites in Paris, taking the religious name "Lawrence of the Resurrection". He spent the rest of his life with this order, dying on 12 February 1691. During his time as a friar he was much preoccupied with the cultivating a keen sensitivity to the presence of God in everyday life.
Theme[edit]
The text attempts to explain Lawrence's method of acquiring the presence of God. A summary of his approach can be gleaned from the following passages. "That he had always been governed by love, without selfish views; and that having resolved to make the love of GOD the end of all his actions, he had found reasons to be well satisfied with his method. That he was pleased when he could take up a straw from the ground for the love of GOD, seeking Him only, and nothing else, not even His gifts."[1] "That in order to form a habit of conversing with GOD continually, and referring all we do to Him; we must at first apply to Him with some diligence: but that after a little care we should find His love inwardly excite us to it without any difficulty."[1] Lawrence pleads that all work is valuable to God and one needs not accomplish great things to please Him. The labourer is as valuable to God as the priest.[2]
Translations[edit]
Translators and readers have been struck by Brother Lawrence's seeming simplicity. "When I was exposed to his thoughts for the first time," wrote Henri Nouwen, "they seemed simple, even somewhat naive and unrealistic." Nouwen added that the more he reflected on Brother Lawrence's advice, he became aware that it "is not just a nice idea for a seventeenth-century monk but a most important challenge to our present-day life situation."[3] Translator Robert J. Edmonson had a similar experience. "I had an image of Brother Lawrence as a jolly monk who took pleasure in cleaning pots and cooking," Edmonson wrote. "I was struck by the depth of his love for God and his life lived in obedience, humility, and concern for others."[4] This paradox reflects the challenge facing translators, which is best illustrated by comparing the translations of one of the more famous passages. First, from the original 1692 French edition of Maximes spirituelles:
L'on seroit même surpris si l'on sçavoit ce que l'ame dit quelquefois à Dieu.[5]
Robert Edmonson took a straightforward approach in his translation of this Maximes passage:
We would be quite surprised if we knew what the soul sometimes says to God.[6]
Translators John Delaney, Edward Musgrave Blaiklock and Salvatore Sciurba rendered the passage with the same semi-literal interpretation.[7] Brother Lawrence could be surprisingly subtle: the original French has an implied sense of conversation, perhaps even of communion, that is difficult to communicate without taking a few liberties, as in the Donald Attwater translation of the same Maximes passage:
We should be surprised if we knew what converse the soul sometimes holds with God.[8]
Attwater's was a common approach taken by many translators of this passage: "Conversation with God occurs in the depth and center of the soul," in one translation;[9] and in another, "Great would be our surprise, if we but knew what converse the soul holds at times with God."[10]
Numerous versions of The Practice of the Presence of God have been published, as reprints or new translations.[11]
References[edit]
^ Jump up to:a b c Herman, Nicholas, The Practice of the Presence of God, The Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
^ "The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence". By Faith, ByFaith Media: Christian Inspiration, Encouragement & Adventure. ByFaith Books, ByFaith TV, ByFaith Documentaries & ByFaith Missions founded by brothers Paul Backholer & Mathew Backholer. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
^ Nouwen, Henri, J.M., Foreword, The Practice of the Presence of God, trans. John Delaney (Image, 1977): 10.
^ Edmonson, Robert, Translator's Note, Practicing the Presence of God, trans. Robert Edmonson (Paraclete, 2007): vii.
^ Maximes spirituelles fort utiles aux âmes pieuses, pour acquérir la présence de Dieu (Edme Couterot, 1692): 97.
^ Practicing the Presence of God, trans. Robert Edmonson (Paraclete, 2007): 115.
^ See The Practice of the Presence of God, trans. John Delaney (Image, 1977): 108; and The Practice of the Presence of God, trans. E.M. Blaiklock (Hodder & Stoughton, 1981): 74; The Practice of the Presence of God, critical edition, trans. Salvatore Sciurba (ICS, 2015): 43.
^ The Practice of the Presence of God, trans. Donald Attwater (Templegate, 1974): 121.
^ Often attributed to Sister Mary David, The Practice of the Presence of God (Whitaker House, 1982): 68.
^ Copyrighted by but not attributed to Fleming H. Revell, The Practice of the Presence of God with Spiritual Maxims (Spire, 1967): 78.
^ Editions of The Practice of the Presence of God
External links[edit]
The full text of The Practice of the Presence of God at WikisourceThe Practice of the Presence of God (full text and audio), Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
The Practice of the Presence of God at Project Gutenberg.
The Practice of the Presence of God public domain audiobook at LibriVoxMaximes spirituelles in French.
The Practice of the Presence of God
Brother Lawrence, Joseph de Beaufort
4.29
44,134 ratings1,523 reviews
Alternative cover edition of ISBN 0883681056 can be found here
Brother Lawrence was a man of humble beginnings who discovered the greatest secret of living in the kingdom of God here on earth. It is the art of “practicing the presence of God in one single act that does not end.” He often stated that it is God who paints Himself in the depths of our souls. We must merely open our hearts to receive Him and His loving presence.
As a humble cook, Brother Lawrence learned an important lesson through each daily chore: The time he spent in communion with the Lord should be the same, whether he was bustling around in the kitchen—with several people asking questions at the same time—or on his knees in prayer. He learned to cultivate the deep presence of God so thoroughly in his own heart that he was able to joyfully exclaim, “I am doing now what I will do for all eternity. I am blessing God, praising Him, adoring Him, and loving Him with all my heart.”
This unparalleled classic has given both blessing and instruction to those who can be content with nothing less than knowing God in all His majesty and feeling His loving presence throughout each simple day.
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First published January 1, 1692
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Brother 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.
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Fergus
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August 6, 2022
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?
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Bill Kerwin
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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.
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booklady
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April 11, 2018
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’. Doing the retreat on-line, for free here: here. Weekly reflections are emailed every Friday throughout Lent. The book itself can also 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.
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Shaun Lyon
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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...
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Christopher
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November 23, 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.
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Leslie
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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.
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Douglas Wilson
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February 17, 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.
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Bob O'Bannon
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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.
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Rhonda
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January 15, 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.
theology
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Ebookwormy1
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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!
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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.
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