Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Practice of the Presence of God
    The Practice of the Presence of God
    The Practice of the Presence of God
    Ebook50 pages51 minutes

    The Practice of the Presence of God

    By Brother Lawrence

    4.5/5

    ()

    Switch to audiobook
    Read preview

    About this ebook

    The Practice of the Presence of God is a text compiled by Father Joseph de Beaufort of the wisdom and teachings of Brother Lawrence, a 17th century Carmelite monk.
    It is a collection of his letters, and records made, by other participants in them, of his conversations. A constant theme is the development of an awareness of the presence of God.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDigital Deen Publications
    Release dateFeb 1, 2017

    Read more from Brother Lawrence

    Related to The Practice of the Presence of God

    Related ebooks

    Christianity For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Josh & Tara McCauley On A REDEMPTIVE Mission

      Sep 4, 2020

      Whilst his friends were out playing cops and robbers, a young Joshua would sit in the front row of church listening to the sermons of his dad (Rhema Church founder, Pastor Ray McCauley) blissfully unaware that one day he too would be standing behind

      10 min read

    • Article

      Bob Goff

      May 27, 2022

      Bob Goff
      2 min read

    • Article

      Pray With a Pen

      May 24, 2019

      Pray With a Pen
      4 min read

    • Article

      May

      Apr 16, 2022

      May
      32 min read

    • Article

      Man’s Disappointment, God’s Appointment

      Jun 15, 2020

      It was Monday evening, 23 March, 2020. The entire nation was sitting in deep suspense, waiting for an urgent broadcast from our President, Cyril Ramaphosa. No one wanted to miss this all important announcement. The wait was long, eventually the Presi

      2 min read

    • Article

      WHAT EXACTLY IS A believer?

      Oct 30, 2020

      WHAT EXACTLY IS A believer?
      3 min read

    • Article

      Ask Val

      Aug 26, 2022

      Ask Val
      2 min read

    • Article

      Getting to Know God God’s Incomprehensibility

      Jun 15, 2020

      In last month’s issue of JOY! Magazine we considered Genesis chapter 1 and what the creation account tells us about God. Before that, we discussed the importance of revelation, the doctrine that states that in order for us to properly know God, He mu

      4 min read

    • Article

      “My People Are Destroyed For Lack Of Knowledge…”

      Sep 24, 2021

      “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” – Hosea 4:6 Believers tend to q

      4 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Apr 22, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      7 min read

    • Article

      The Secret To CONTENTMENT

      Aug 7, 2020

      I was confronted with the word “contentment” recently. In this age where we are constantly bombarded by what we are supposed to have, we can sometimes find ourselves lacking contentment in our lives, which influences our spiritual journey. 1 Timothy

      4 min read

    • Article

      Women Of Grace

      Apr 22, 2019

      The divide between parents and their children grows more evident every day. Parents feel today’s youth are independent and are doing their own thing. Young people believe that their parents are trying to control them, and they are not free to lead th

      2 min read

    • Article

      Happy New Year

      Sep 29, 2017

      I'm on probation these days. For it's that time of year when Jews put themselves on trial before the High Judge, so I write today's column from the dock, being my own accuser and, at the end of these Ten Days of Repentance, my own defense attorney. E

      4 min read

    • Article

      Rebuilding Our Altars The Importance Of Living In Unity

      Nov 18, 2019

      The word ‘altar’ is derived from the Latin word altarium, meaning “high”. It is a structure upon which offerings are placed and sacrifices are made. It is a place of slaughter. There are many types of altars mentioned in the word of God. In this arti

      3 min read

    • Article

      Getting to Know God

      Mar 16, 2020

      Getting to Know God
      3 min read

    • Article

      Absolute Mystery

      Sep 22, 2017

      I HEAR THE WORD, of course. I go to Mass some Sundays, listen to Al Green’s Greatest Gospel Hits, and have lived in or near the Bible Belt for the better part of the past decade. Even still, the word God has never quite fitted itself to my ears. And

      7 min read

    • Article

      Pooch Parables God Delights In Us!

      Sep 4, 2020

      Sandy’s enthusiasm and delight when she sees me is infectious. When faced with her joyful greeting I find myself regularly picking her up, looking her square in the eyes, and saying something like: “Aaaah my special girl, do you have any idea how muc

      2 min read

    • Article

      Rooted In God’s Love

      Feb 10, 2023

      Rooted In God’s Love
      5 min read

    • Article

      Letters To The EDITOR

      Jul 22, 2022

      Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to ke

      9 min read

    • Article

      HOW IS YOUR VISION? 5 Tips To Establish God’s Plan For Your Life

      Jun 24, 2019

      A church in a community bought a piece of property and built a building. They were excited about serving the Lord. They wanted to win the lost for Christ and encourage the believers to live for Jesus. They really had a vision for God. It was their de

      6 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Practice of the Presence of God

    4.5/5

    9 ratings2 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 1/5
      Horrible. Bad writing, bad editing. Sometimes bad advice. Hardly a scripture referenced.
    • 5/5
      This is one of those books many have recommended and it has been on my shelf for years. I finally read it!
      One of my favorite fictional characters is Tevya from "Fiddler on the Rood." His relationship with God inspired me to have a similar relationship. Having finally read Brother Lawrence's philosophy, I wonder if Sholem Aleichem (author of the book on which "Fiddler on the Roof" was based) read the words of this French monk as well.
      According to Brother Lawerance, to practice the presence is to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). This is what I see in Tevya and how I have tried to live, with more failure than success. Reading this book has encouraged me to start again to keep my conversation with my God at all times, recognizing that I am in His presence at all times. Brother Lawerance helps me to understand how this changes how I need to live.

    Book preview

    The Practice of the Presence of God - Brother Lawrence

    read.

    First Conversation

    Conversion and previous employment. * Satisfaction in God’s presence. * Faith our duty. * Resignation the fruit of watchfulness.

    THE first time I saw Brother Lawrence was upon the 3rd of August, 1666. He told me that GOD had done him a singular favour, in his conversion at the age of eighteen.

    That 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. That this view had perfectly set him loose from the world, and kindled in him such a love for GOD, that he could not tell whether it had increased in above forty years that he had lived since.

    That he had been footman to M. Fieubert, the treasurer, and that he was a great awkward fellow who broke everything.

    That he had desired to be received into a monastery, thinking that he would there be made to smart for his awkwardness and the faults he should commit, and so he should sacrifice to GOD his life, with its pleasures: but that GOD had disappointed him, he having met with nothing but satisfaction in that state.

    That we should establish ourselves in a sense of GOD’s Presence, by continually conversing with Him. That it was a shameful thing to quit His conversation, to think of trifles and fooleries.

    That we should feed and nourish our souls with high notions of GOD; which would yield us great joy in being devoted to Him.

    That we ought to quicken, i.e., to enliven, our faith. That it was lamentable we had so little; and that instead of taking faith for the rule of their conduct, men amused themselves with trivial devotions, which changed daily. 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.

    That we ought to give ourselves up 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. That there needed fidelity in those drynesses, or insensibilities and irksomenesses in prayer, by which GOD tries our love to Him; that then was the time for us to make good and effectual acts of resignation, whereof one alone would oftentimes very much promote our spiritual advancement.

    That as for the miseries and sins he heard of daily in the world, he was so far from wondering at them, that, on the contrary, he was surprised there were not more, considering the malice sinners were capable of: that for his part, he prayed for them; but knowing that GOD could remedy the mischiefs they did, when He pleased, he gave himself no farther trouble.

    That to arrive at such resignation as GOD requires, we should watch attentively over all the passions which mingle as well in spiritual things as those of a grosser nature: that GOD would give light concerning those passions to those who truly desire to serve Him. That if this was my design, viz., sincerely to serve GOD, I might come to him (Bro. Lawrence) as often

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1