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The Practice of the Presence of God

Brother Lawrence

4.29 · Rating details · 39,769 ratings · 1,229 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 ope ...more

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Paperback, 95 pages

Published June 1st 1982 by Whitaker House (first published 1692)

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Jan 05, 2019 Fergus rated it it was amazing

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 ...more

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Nov 15, 2015 Bill Kerwin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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
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. ...more

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Sep 20, 2008 booklady rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone serious about the spiritual life

Shelves: 2011, philosophy, 2018, hagiography, 2007, prayer, religion, non-fiction, worth-reading-over-and-over, must-have

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 au ...more

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May 29, 2019 Shaun Lyon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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... ...more

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Nov 22, 2010 Christopher rated it liked it

Shelves: christian-living

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 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.
...more

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Feb 16, 2017 Douglas Wilson rated it really liked it

Shelves: theology

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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Sep 24, 2011 Leslie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Seekers

Recommended to Leslie by: My gaurdian angel?

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. ...more

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Jan 14, 2009 Rhonda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: theology

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 w ...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Bob O'bannon rated it liked it

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 occ ...more

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May 13, 2008 Ebookwormy1 rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bible, non-fiction, christian-church, 1-character-forming

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 boo ...more

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Dec 31, 2019 Valerie Kyriosity rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

“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 ...more

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Jul 21, 2018 Caterina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Caterina by: booklady

Shelves: classics, spiritual-or-relig, christianity, health-illness-healing, catholicism, french-author, french-engl-tran, trauma

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, 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... ...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Jane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, christian

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 ...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Rachel rated it it was ok

Shelves: audiobooks

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/2009/1 ...more

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Aug 02, 2010 Andrea rated it it was ok

Shelves: christian-living

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 L 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. ...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Skylar Burris rated it liked it

Shelves: christianity, spiritual-autobiography

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 bod ...more

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Dec 12, 2015 Brian rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christian, non-fiction

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. ...more

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Aug 01, 2010 Rick Davis rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: christian-living

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. 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.
...more

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Sep 13, 2013 Mike E. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: the-christian-life

I read elsewhere this book is available as a free Kindle download. This review is based on a free version downloaded from Google Books: 1906, London: H.R. Allenson, Ltd.

Quotes:
That we ought to give ourselves up entirely to God, with regard both to things temporal and spiritual, and seek our satisfaction only in the fulfilling of His will, whether He lead us by suffering or by consolation; for all would be equal to a soul truly resigned. (10)

That we ought to act with God in the greatest simplicit ...more

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Apr 19, 2009 Art rated it really liked it

Shelves: christian-spirituality

Brother Lawrence is a 17th century Carmelite monk who engaged in a near continual conversation with God. Even while he was doing seemingly menial tasks of while he was sick, he had a constant consciousness of the presence of God.
This book is a collection of conversations with him and letters from him that describe and prescribe his daily inner and external dialogue with God.
I learned from brother Lawrence a couple of ways to sustain the dialogue. One thing I learned was that he described his c Brother Lawrence is a 17th century Carmelite monk who engaged in a near continual conversation with God. Even while he was doing seemingly menial tasks of while he was sick, he had a constant consciousness of the presence of God.
This book is a collection of conversations with him and letters from him that describe and prescribe his daily inner and external dialogue with God.
I learned from brother Lawrence a couple of ways to sustain the dialogue. One thing I learned was that he described his conversations with God as extremely pleasurable. He kept at the conversation because he enjoyed being with God. There's joy in being with God.

Another way he kept the conversation going was that he wasn't too self deprecating when he noticed that he hadn't been conversing with God. He apologized, and he got right back to it.

One conversation I had to have with brother Lawrence (with his writings I mean, sometimes I talk out loud right back to the literature I'm reading as if I'm talking to the author; in my imagination I process what is being said better by doing this), was about how he saw illnesses and sufferings. To brother Lawrence these were also little gifts from God sent to bring awareness to the sufferer's need for God and to bring awareness to God's sustenance during suffering. So brother Lawrence welcomed suffering (without seeking it out) as gifts from God. That's a stretch for me to understand them that way. I expect suffering in this ever changing, sometimes evil world, and I prefer to see sufferings instead as being there, but they are not hindrances to God's stronger love, which has defeated all suffering, and that God's presence is there for consolation during suffering.
So I agree with him that being with God can make paradise available even for the sufferer, not because the suffering is a gift, but because God's presence is the ever promised gift even despite suffering.
As he says:
"Pain and suffering would be a paradise to me if I could suffer with my God. The greatest pleasures would be hell if I relished them without Him."
...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Stephanie rated it it was amazing

Good stuff. Free Kindle download. Read it through in one sitting.

"You need not cry very loud; He is nearer to us than we are aware of."

"There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of continual conversation with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it; yet I do not advise you to do it from that motive. It is not pleasure which we ought to seek in this exercise; but let us do it from a principle of love, and because God would have us."

"It i ...more

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Oct 29, 2009 Natalie Weber rated it really liked it

Shelves: christian-living

To be honest, the only reason I read this book is because it was included in the same volume as the afore-mentioned book on prayer by Andrew Murray. However, I found it to be a perfect continuation of the primary thing God has really been impressing upon my heart this year – the importance of walking in the Spirit and performing even the most mundane duties to His glory. I loved this thought that Brother Lawrence shares, “That in order to form a habit of conversing with God continually, and refe ...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Will Thomas rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A magnificent and challenging book from an uneducated man who humbly set out to serve God, and spent his life in joy. His great disappointment was that he never got to suffer as he thought he deserved!

Brother Lawrence saw his day-to-day work as service and praise to God. He set himself a discipline of awareness of the Divine Presence, until it became his habit and his life. For decades he toiled in the kitchen of the monastery, not ordained, but a lay brother, given that job because they found h ...more

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Sep 15, 2013 Kazango rated it it was amazing

I first read this book 26 years ago, and now I must atone for a grave injustice I did it at that time. I was asked to read it by an acquaintance, and I agreed with distaste: can any good come out of a book written by a Catholic monk? I asked my Presbyterian self. Accordingly my opinion when finished was that it was a book of no value.

How wrong I was! Now as a Catholic I am at least honest enough to see that the book is marvelous in proposing to us that we should seek always to be mindful of our ...more

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Oct 06, 2010 Jessica rated it it was amazing

I absolutely loved this book! I was given it to borrow from a friend and when I saw the size of it I figured I'd have it done in an afternoon. My friend cautioned me to take my time, and I did, reading every page with mindfulness, catching bits of truths and insights not only on every page but within every sentence. This is the type of book that can be transforming depending upon the receptiveness of the reader. It is possible to experience God in the present moment, throughout one's day, living ...more

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Feb 25, 2008 Cameron rated it liked it

A simple reminder that God is not only the means of our spiritual life and salvation, but the end as well. Brother Lawrence believed that we must practice God's presence, knowing that He is always much nearer than we think (living in the chapel of our heart), and love Him more than the blessings He gives and the comfort He provides. ...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Diane rated it liked it · review of another edition

Simple, powerful. If one used this philosophic, spiritual path Love would be in mind consistently, constantly. Alas, the distractions of the illusory world just keep showing up and off I go again. But still, his Wisdom remains true and also in my holy mind. A very important read.

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Jun 10, 2012 Ben Larson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Such a great book!

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Aug 30, 2010 Justin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: jesus

It keeps coming into my mind - how much man would be capable of if his soul were strong in the love of God, if he wanted God as much as he wanted to penetrate the power and glory of God's creation. ~ Dorthy Day, Reflections on the presence of God, p.20

[His:] disposition brought him to so great an unconcern about everything and to so complete a detachment, that it was near to the freedom of the Blessed... Nothing could hold him to earth; his vision was not bounded by time from long contemplation ...more

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Jan 07, 2021 Brice Karickhoff rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2021

So simple and so good. Of all the authors of Christian books out there, Brother Lawrence may be the one whose mind and heart Id most want to look more like myself. S/O Carson Travers for sending this one in the mail.

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About Brother Lawrence

Brother Lawrence

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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 Discalc ...more

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“We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.” — 173 likes

“He does not ask much of us, merely a thought of Him from time to time, a little act of adoration, sometimes to ask for His grace, sometimes to offer Him your sufferings, at other times to thank Him for the graces, past and present, He has bestowed on you, in the midst of your troubles to take solace in Him as often as you can. Lift up your heart to Him during your meals and in company; the least little remembrance will always be the most pleasing to Him. One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us than we think.” — 98 likes

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