Rating: 
Summary: Simple but effective
Review: I am constantly is search of books that will help me advance in the spiritual life. I find alot of books that I read are repetitive. This short book by Brother Lawrence shows a simple, direct, effective way to strengthen your spirituality without losing you halfway through the book. Through the practice of one simple method we can be in continual union with God. All we need is the perseverance to continue practicing it!
Rating: 
Summary: An answer to a prayer for growth
Review: I encourage anyone in search of growing closer to the Lord our God to buy this book. Brother Lawrence simply states that a life devoted to God needs to be a LIFE devoted to God, and not just minutes and hours here and there. With such a love as that from God, why should we want to do anything else but ponder the beautiful heart of God every second? This was the question that brother Lawrence asked. If God wills, buy this book and may it help you to understand that God is always with us (Galatians 2:20) and that all we need to do is look and we may see and understand our glorious Lord Jesus.
Rating:
Summary: A Seminal and Very Influential Classic of Spirituality
Review: I first learned about this wonderful little book through another very useful book entitled "Great Books of the Christian Tradition" by Terry Glaspey. Glaspey is a Christian booklover who's well read in Christian literature and considers this book one of the top ten that every Christian ought to read. The value of Brother Lawrence's book is seen in the fact that it is one of the favorites of some of the other authors on Glaspey's top ten list: A.W. Tozer (author of "The Pursuit of God") and Richard Foster (author of "A Celebration of Discipline"). Another popular Christian author (who is a Quaker like Foster) that was influenced by Brother Lawrence is mentioned in the introduction by Hal Helms in Paraclete Press's edition of "The Practice of the Presence of God": Hannah Whitall Smith (author of "The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life"). Mrs. Smith called Lawrence's book "one of the most helpful books I know." And still another Quaker, Thomas Kelly (author of the classic, "A Testament of Devotion"), treasured Brother Lawrence's book as well. This is just a small handful of major authors influenced by this classic that testifies to its enduring value in the broader Christian community. I've read all of the above classics and therefore can personally testify that Brother Lawrence's principles are reflected in all of them! Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (a.k.a. Nicholas Herman) lived in the 17th century and was a monk within the Carmelite Order of the Roman Catholic Church. This was the Order of such notable Christian mystics as St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross who authored other seminal mystical texts. "The Practice of the Presence of God" is a small book of compiled documents of various literary genres. The one who compiled them was the Abbe of Beaufort who is the author of the "Eulogy" portion of the book. He was a close friend to Brother Lawrence and, at the request of others, published his eulogy along with four conversations he had with Brother Lawrence and sixteen letters from Brother Lawrence to various individuals (Reverend Mother N {for "name"}, Reverend Father N, and Madame N). Also included in the compilation are Spiritual Maxims that condense his fundamental spiritual principles and teachings. Included in The Paraclete Press's edition of this classic is a memoir from the Abbe de Beaufort entitled "Brother Lawrence's Way of Life", published around two years after his Eulogy and recorded conversations. Overall, The Paraclete Press's edition is a good compilation and translation (by Robert Edmonson) of this classic work. The title of the book speaks volumes as to what the book is about. Brother Lawrence was a very practical man whose struggles were common ones that we can all relate to. His sincere honesty (and that of the Abbe) is apparent throughout and his spirituality is simple to understand. Application, however, may not be so simple at first, but with disciplined PRACTICE one can turn one's life into a perpetual prayer to God. Remember, prayer is more than just words on the lips (although that is important too!); it is a humble attitude of a heart that has abandoned itself to the God of grace! Whatever the task is at hand (including such a mundane task as washing dishes like Brother Lawrence), one can offer it up to God in an act of love and worship. Everything one does becomes sanctified as one lives unto God and follows the Holy Spirit's leading. Two wonderful companion volumes to this book are "Abandonment to Divine Providence" by Jean-Pierre de Caussade (one of my favorites!) and the Eastern Orthodox classic "The Way of a Pilgrim" by an anonymous Russian pilgrim. The former beautifully expounds on the same principles of Brother Lawrence's book and the latter reflects that same concern to "pray without ceasing" which is what practicing the presence of God is all about.
Rating:
Summary: A Book that Changed my Life!!!
Review: I first read "The Practice of the Presence of God" when I was a young Christian. It probably is one of the books that saved me from being totally destroyed spiritually by liberal theology in seminary. I strongly desired to walk daily in the presence of God. After I became a truly Bible-believing Christian, and began editing Andrew Murray books, I used "The Practice of the Presence of God" when I compiled and edited: "The Believer's Secret of the Abiding Presence" for Bethany House Publishers.
Thank God that Whitaker House keeps printing books written by people like Brother Lawrence, Charles Finney, and Andrew Murray! If it were not for Whitaker House publishing their books, we would not have good editions of Brother Lawrence, Finney, and Murray books to share with others (as well as study ourselves). For example, all five of my Andrew Murray "Believer's Secret" books are out of print.
Brother Lawrence, Charles Finney, and Andrew Murray wrote the best books on the Holy Spirit and knowing God personally everyday that I have ever read. You cannot go wrong buying any Finney or Murray books published by Whitaker House! So I say again, thank God for Whitaker House!
I believe those of you who enjoy Brother Lawrence, Charles Finney, and Andrew Murray will also enjoy "Prayer Steps to Serenity," which teaches truths that I learned from studying Brother Lawrence, Finney, and Murray. You can learn more about how to Practice the Presence of God through praying through the 12 Steps and the Serenity Prayer with the Holy Spirit as your guide. "Prayer Steps to Serenity" follows a 12 Steps and Serenity Prayer format. It is available through Amazon, with ISBN 0595313043. If you know of anyone who is looking for a 12 Step devotional that will help them walk in the power of the Holy Spirit according to the scriptures, you can heartily recommend this book to them. "Prayer Steps to Serenity" was not published by Whitaker House, and it is a larger book than a trade paperback (it is a 9 inch by 6 inch paperback) that includes devotional readings, prayers to encourage you to keep on praying as the Holy Spirit leads, a personal Journey Guide (or workbook), and a Group Journey Guide for prayer and support groups. "Prayer Steps to Serenity" is also supported by two websites that offer a lot of free guides and resources for those seeking more information about Christian recovery and starting Serenity Groups. Go to PrayerSteps.org or SerenityGroups.org for more information.
Thank you for reading!
L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book!
Review: I first read just the 1st chapter of this book about 18 years old. With just that first chapter, I was able to experience a oneness with God on a level I had never gone before and I saw a vision of what my life would be like in the future. Well, 6 years later, I am actually seeing in my life the same things that God showed me in the vision. I couldn't find my old copy, so I just ordered a new one. It is DEEP! :-)
Rating:
Summary: A Powerful Humbling Experience
Review: I just can't believe it. Of all the thousands of books I have read, this small book has caught my heart. Sure I could have read it in an hour but the wisdom that flows from this edition just simply cooled the hurry of my life. It is a book that I will place next to my Bible and refer to it every time I sensed that God is far away. Each section of the book stands on its own and yet such a lovely intricate meshing makes the reading more of an experience that a reading exercise. The one section that caught my spirit reads: "The Time of business, said he, does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clutter of my kitchen (he was a cook) while several persons are calling at the same time for different things, I possess God in as great a tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the Blessed Sacrament". In another section he speaks of the opportunities to be in HIS prsence when we are stricken with an ailment. Such statements are throughout the book which will cause one to stop and meditate. I will be buying copies to give to those in my circle that hunger for a closer walk and relationship with God over anything and anyone in their lives.
Rating: 
Summary: Dull Book
Review: I looked at this teeny tiny little book and thought it was the most inane thing I ever read. It merely parrots what I read of the saints. It drags in points of the obivious and that which had been said by others. Brother Lawrence is just plain dull!
Rating:
Summary: This is a much under rated book of the Spiritual Life.
Review: I picked up this book and had no idea it would be this good. I figured there would be hell and damnation spoke of constantly since Brother Lawarence was off the Catholic faith. I couldn't have been more wrong. This book should be required reading by anyone seeking inner peace and a more loving and personal relationship with God and their surroundings. This is one of my most cherished books. I hope you enjoy it as well.
Rating:
Summary: Not So Easy As It Sounds
Review: I read this little book years ago, then recently used it as the text for my weekly Bible study group. It is easy reading, too easy to let the words just roll along. Then I try to do this simple practice and find it difficult to get hold of. Who was this Lawrence? A simple monk who worked in the kitchen? Or a spiritual giant? Can people like me really practice the presence of God? It might have been easy in the monastery kitchen, but then, Brother Lawrence didn't carry a pager or cell-phone, didn't have to deal with difficult people in a vast bureaucracy. It all began to seem rather hopeless until I came across one of his maxims, near the end of the book. Even during meditation or prayer, he says, "whilst our voice is rising in prayer, we ought to cease for one brief moment, as often as we can, to worship God in the depth of our being..." Then it all began to make sense. A practice of the depth of my heart, for any time and any situation. Thank you, Brother Lawrence!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I really like this book. It is perfect for a daily devotional with brief, simple thoughts about our Lord in the form of short essays and letters. As simple as the language is, I think that it would be very suitable for a teenager. I plan to read it again soon.
| 
