This classic of devotional literature was written sometime in the late seventeenth century. Its author, Brother Lawrence, was born Nicholas Herman, and served as a soldier before becoming a monk in his middle years, some time after receiving a severe wound that left him in lifelong chronic pain. Following a series of spiritual trials, Brother Lawrence discovered a system that allowed him to be conscious of the presence of God on a continual basis, throughout all of his daily life. In this book, (collated by Joseph de Beaufort, counsel to the Archbishop of Paris), this simple, holy man...

Do not pick up this book unless you want to be changed What good is it to "know" God if that knowledge does not influence your attitudes and behavior. For hundreds of years, The Imitation of Christ and The Practice of the Presence of God have served as remedies to this dilemma. Going beyond dead formalities and vainly exalting doctrine over the needs of people's souls, both of these works demonstrate what the Christian life should look like by example. With Jesus Christ as the ultimate point of reference, these two works display the Christian life filled with awe, reverence, love, mercy, and...

Brother Lawrence was born Nicolas Herman in Herimenil, near Luneville in the region of Lorraine, located in modern day eastern France. Having felt he had received a revelation of the providence and power of God at the age of 18, within six years he joined the Discalced Carmelite Priory in Paris. In this intervening period he fought in the Thirty Years' War and later served as a valet. 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...

The Practice of the Presence of God is a book of collected teachings of Brother Lawrence, a 17th-century Carmelite monk. 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. This classic has been translated and published many times since Nicholas Herman, known as Brother Lawrence, first penned his letters and conversations in the 17th century. His view of "practicing the presence of God" could be summed up...

"By rising after my falls, and by frequently renewed acts of faith and love, I am come to a state wherein it would be as difficult for me not to think of God as it was at first to accustom myself to it." "The Practice of the Presence of God," compiled by Father Joseph de Beaufort, is a collection of the wisdom and teachings of Brother Lawrence, a 17th century Carmelite monk, a very ordinary person who became an extraordinary Christian. Through a life of humility and service, Brother Lawrence achieved something that all true Christians aspire to - for God to became a part of his every breath...

"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."
--- Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
The Practice of the Presence of God
Brother Lawrence (1614 - 1691)
The Practice of the Presence of God is a collection of letters and transcriptions of conversations, compiled by a disciple of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk and head cook in his monastery's kitchens. He quickly gained an international reputation as a mystic and spiritual...

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...