The Practice of the Presence of God Description:

The Practice of the Presence of God review:
4 stars (God's Presence in All Things) - Brother Lawrence's life, as revealed in this book, is a testimony to the place that God should occupy in the daily life of all committed Christians. His humility forced him to be dependent on God for all things, and this book illustrates his philosophy in action. Brother Lawrence tells the reader how he can be grateful for all things - both good and bad - in one's life. I recommend it to all Christians who seek to prioritze their life to place God at the forefront.
4 stars (Devotional Classic) - The Practice of the Presence of God is an incredible story of a man who sought to be ever in God's presence. The lesson of Brother Lawrence is simple: If you want to be ever in the presence of God, you have to practice, practice, practice! You must force yourself to be ever aware of God's working around you. You must turn every aspect of your life into a service to Him. When you have done so, you will be habitually in the presence of God. No silly gimmicks. Just a continuous state of prayer, thanking God for every blessing and turning over every care.



While at times this little book finds ways to repeat itself, hidden in the basic story is truth upon truth. This little book makes for very good daily spiritual reading. It is broken up into small, easily manageable sections which can be read as part of a daily devotional or prayer time. The only difficulty with it is that it's very short, so it probably won't last you that long if you only read through it once. But, it is still a devotional classic worth reading.


5 stars (constant and unceasing prayer) - Over the years I've met a few "prayer warriors" who seemed to spend every waking moment connected to God. They carried a peace about them, and saw prayer as a gift rather than an obligation. Frankly, they made me feel terribly inadequate.



I wanted to have that type of relationship with God, but wasn't quite sure where to start. I had trouble setting aside fifteen minutes per day for prayer...how on earth did they manage it? Like Brother Lawrence, they had learned to practice the presence of God.



We learn how Brother Lawrence was able to include God in every detail of his life, and focus his activities to suit. We (thankfully) see that he was not always successful, but rather than dwell on his failures, asked for God's forgiveness and simply went again. He shares his insight and life's journey through four conversations with Abbe Joseph de Beaufort, fifteen letters and six maxims.



Through his writings, Brother Lawrence shares a humility and a desire for communion with God that is not only infectious, but also simple enough for anyone to apply. With enough practice, anyone can become a prayer warrior.



Larry Hehn, author of Get the Prize: Nine Keys for a Life of Victory