The Practice of the Presence of God

by Brother Lawrence

That the way of faith was the spirit of the church, and that it was sufficient to bring us to a high degree of perfection.

I engaged in a religious life only for the love of God, and I have endeavored to act only for Him; whatever becomes of me, whether I be lost or saved, I will always continue to act purely for the love of God. I shall have this good at least, that till death I shall have done all that is in me to love Him.

That in this conversation with God we are also employed in praising, adoring, and loving Him incessantly, for His infinite goodness and perfection.

That 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.

after having given myself wholly to God, that He might take away my sin, I renounced, for the love of Him, everything that was not He, and I began to live as if there was none but He

I have no will but that of God,

The King, full of mercy and goodness, very far from chastising me, embraces me with love, makes me eat at His table, serves me with His own hands, gives me the key of His treasures; He converses and delights Himself with me incessantly, in a thousand and a thousand

ways, and treats me in all respects as His favorite. It is thus I consider myself from time to time in His holy presence.

Recommend to him, if you please, that he think of God the most he can,

My God, here I am all devoted to thee. Lord, make me according to Thy heart.

We must, nevertheless, always work at it, because not to advance in the spiritual life is to go back.

Were I a preacher, I should, above all other things, preach the practice of the presence of God;

In order to know

God, we must often think of Him; and when we come to love Him, we shall also think of Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure.

You would think it rude to leave a friend alone who came to visit you; why, then, must God be neglected? Do not, then, forget Him, but think on Him often, adore Him continually, live and die with Him; this is the glorious employment of a Christian.

Love sweetens pains; and when one loves God, one suffers for His sake with joy and courage.

“Nobody can paint the Saints so well as they themselves,” he

writes; “nothing can bring more clearly before you this servant of GOD, than

his own words spoken in all the simplicity...

For if the will can in any measure come to know GOD, it can do so only through love.

Let what may come of it, however many be the days remaining to me, I will do all things for the love of GOD”; that thus in forgetting self he had in truth found God.

His one method of going to GOD and abiding in His Presence was to do all for the love of Him.

“Believe me, count as lost each day you have not used in loving GOD.” —BROTHER LAWERENCE

Before beginning any task I would say to GOD, with childlike trust: “O GOD, since Thou art with me, and it is Thy will that I must now apply myself to these outward duties, I beseech Thee, assist me with Thy grace that I may continue in Thy Presence; and to this end, O LORD, be with me in this my work, accept the labor of my hands, and dwell within my heart with all Thy Fulness.”

The greatest glory we can give to GOD is to distrust our own strength utterly, and to commit ourselves wholly to His safe-keeping.

Believe me, count as lost each day you have not used in loving GOD.