Wow! This tiny book is full of wisdom in every single line. You can read this book in one sitting, but you will want to read it over and over. It is rare that books this simple can convey messages so deep. This is one of the few books I have read that are on my must revisit list. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
During my time in The Fellowship Residency Program, I will be reading a long list of powerful books. To read more about my residency experience click here. One aspect of my assignments is to summarize and write key takeaways from each of the books. This is a summary of "The Practice of the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence.
The book takes a deeper look into Brother Lawrence’s life and walk with Christ. To summarize, he was a truly humble servant of God who consistently sought to be in the presence of God over all else. The book documents conversations had with Brother Lawrence, letters he wrote, spiritual maxims, and finally a summary of his life. Throughout the entire book, it is clear that the way to experience God is to seek Him, put aside one’s pride, and live a life continually focused on serving Him and His people.
Part 1: Conversations
We first learn that the way to become aware of God’s presence is to practice constant conversation with Him. We must be faithful even in the difficult times. If we are truly committed to doing God’s will, then the suffering and joy we experience throughout the seasons will not affect our desire to obey. Lawrence says, “When we are willing to accept God’s help and guard our souls according to His desires, we may commune with Him whenever we like.” There was an extended period of time that Brother Lawrence was concerned that he wasn’t saved. However, he figured that loving God brought him so much earthly joy that it was worth it. His desire to obey went so far as to wish to not receive rewards for his obedience so that he would have the pleasure of doing something solely for the purpose of loving God. Brother also said that he confessed his sins without pleading or making excuses, and the Lord was faithful to forgive every single time. Likewise, if he was ever able to avoid temptation, he would pause and thank God for it. He knew that if it were up to him alone, he would have fallen slave to his sinful nature.
He also gave us some practical tips on how to excel in experiencing the presence of God. One of the bigger takeaways of the book for me personally was that Brother Lawrence believed that thinking often is where evil begins and actively rejected any thought that wasn’t in alignment with his salvation. Brother also never spent time worrying, because he trusted that God would always give him a clear image of what needed to be done and said at the exact right time. It is helpful to remember that no skill or knowledge is needed when approaching God. Instead, a heart that is focused on God’s will above all else is all that is necessary. When practicing going to God, we must rebuke all that is in opposition of God. Similarly, when we begin to doubt our Lord, God will always show us the way such that our only goal is to please Him and show His love. Another big takeaway came from Brother Lawrence’s reminder that, “Our sanctification does not depend as much on changing our activities as it does on doing them for God rather than for ourselves.” It is the motive behind our actions that matters just as much as the actions themselves. He reminds us that people with faith, hope, and love are able to experience the presence and blessings of God to the fullest extent.
Part 2: Letters
The second part of the book includes letters written by Brother Lawrence throughout his life. He reminds us that those who follow God with everything they have are commonly unknown in the world, but with God they are loved and cherished. Additionally, we must remember that before God can do any important work within our souls, we must first allow Him to have total control of our lives. However, we must not seek the presence of God for comfort for our own troubles, but as a pouring out of our love for Christ. We also learn that even in the midst of trouble and suffering, seek Him. For with Him suffering is bearable, but without Him there can be no joy. When Brother Lawrence finally surrendered the idea of an easy life, his soul was able to arrive and rest in inner peace. Anytime that he became distracted from God, God would lovingly call him back to Himself with grace as God’s goodness and treasures are infinite. Brother prayed that we would never stop looking until we have found every last bit of treasure that God has to offer for nothing is simpler than worshiping our God. He cautioned his friends from being upset if they wondered away from God, for the feelings of frustration would continue to distract them from the goodness of God.
God convicted me personally as Brother Lawrence describes a friend of his, “She seems so full of good will, but she wants to go faster than grace allows. It is not possible to become spiritually mature all at once.” I continually want to get to the “end” quickly and be exactly who God desires for me to be. I am learning to seek God, be patient and trust in His will throughout the process. The more we can know God, the more we are able to love Him. After all, it is our profession as Christians to live and die loving God. In order to practically improve our ability to experience the presence of God, we must begin to live as if it is just God and ourselves in the world. We remove what is in opposition to him, seek him relentlessly, and ask for grace so we will not stray from Him. It is a comforting truth that God will never abandon us. However, Lawrence argues that He may occasionally hide such that our faith and our ability to recognize His goodness may be tested. As great as God’s blessings are to us, they are not as good as a moment of faith in a season of struggle.
Part 3: Spiritual Maxims
The third section of the book focused on practices and proverbs of the Christian faith. Overall, Christians must consider God in all they do and say. We must remember that we are unworthy of being a Christian apart from the sacrificial love gifted to us by Jesus Christ, recognize that God is pleased when we rightfully sacrifice ourselves for Him, and rely on Him in every little moment for without Him our flesh is weak.
Brother Lawrence also discusses essential practices for spiritual life. For example, he reminds us that God desires for us to pray and reveal the truth in our hearts. Additionally, we should consistently act with caution to avoid sinning as our sinful actions reveal our “disordered spirits.” No matter what we are doing, we should pause on occasion to take a step back from our worldly concerns, worship God, and soak in the peace of His presence. Christians must recognize and believe that God is deserving of all love, praise, and attention, and search themselves to identify the deepest sins and need for righteousness so that they may seek to reconcile those things.
God is to be adored and unified within our souls. We must adore Him with the most sincere and humble adoration that comes from the center of our spirit. We do this by recognizing God for who he is and who we are in light of Him and proclaiming that the nature of God is perfect and the nature of man is corrupted with sin. Our souls are united to God through, salvation, Gods grace, and experiencing His perfectly peaceful presence. We are reminded that the presence of God is then, “the life and nourishment of the soul, which can be acquired with the grace of God.” We are nourished by practicing His presence without distraction, focusing our attention on Him through the exercise of our will, and faithfully practicing the experience. The blessings of obediently seeking God include a more passionate and active faith, strengthened hope, a rejoicing and freed will, and devoting of our life joyfully to wholly worshiping God.
Part Four: The Life of Brother Lawrence
The final section of the book highlighted how Brother Lawrence came to be the faithful servant of God we remember today. Initially, Brother Lawrence, formerly known as Nicolas Herman, was a soldier who did not fear death and was released as a result of his bravery. When he was later wounded, he decided to spend his energy fighting the battle for Jesus Christ. He began to seek humility over the glories that the world had to offer. After much wrestling with God, he decided to go to Paris and become a lay brother of the Carmelite Order to live in Christian brotherhood. From the beginning, he always prioritized prayer. Although he was assigned the unpleasant duties, he never complained as he enjoyed humbling himself for the work of God. However, he began to dwell on the guilt of his sin and was stuck for 10 years in a place of fear and anxiety. Ultimately, he surrendered himself to God and “received a divine revelation of God’s majesty that illuminated his spirit, dissipated all his fears, and ended him inner struggles and pain.”
Brother Lawrence argues that there is no “right way” to go about practicing the presence. One must just do it “generously and simply.” He called the presence “the easiest and shortest way to attain Christian perfection and to be protected from sin.” Lawrence truly did not want anyone to know what he was doing and only expected to receive more of God as the reward for his work. He believed that everything he had read was less significant than what his faith in Christ reveled to him directly. His principal virtue was faith, it was his greatest instructor. It gave him a love and respect for the scriptures and a hope in God’s goodness to provide and protect His people. He focused solely on God’s plan and considered God alone when making decisions. He was fearless and would often cry out that God would prevent blessings from falling on him so he would not become distracted. He treated others with the same affection that he felt for the Lord and helped all in need as often as he could. At the end of his life, he became ill. However, death did not frighten Him, and he passed in peace. The life of Brother Lawrence is a wonderful example of what walking faithfully with Christ offers; peace, presence, and an eternity with our perfect God.