RSS

Practice of the Presence of God: Two teachings from Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (b. 1611)

These notes are a way for Meg to keep current her most extensive teaching on this practice. Over the years I have written extensively on these teachings, but this is a way to keep my most current notes in one place. Also, I had prepared many of these tools to be an appendix on the new book, Lectio Divina, but had to cut them to keep the book tightly written and focused.


Brother Lawrence was born Nicholas Herman in 1611 in the Province of Loraine, France. After military service he became a footman in service of the Treasurer of France.

Wanting to give his life to God he first became a hermit. This he found too depressing. In his later 30’s he joined the Carmelites in Paris. He was assigned kitchen duty. As he found formal prayer tedious but he discovered the Practice of the Presence while he did manual labor.

This became his mission. He taught it to all who came to the kitchen or his shoe shop. We have 14 letters he wrote and his funeral eulogy and maxims that were collected by those who were taught by him. He died at age 84.

This Practice of the Presence is now taught in Hindu ashrams to those seeking to have their own experience of God. (Christ Consciousness).

Brother Lawrence has inspired us to practice, to renounce all that is not God. It’s a practice that is easy to teach, but not so easy to do in a sustained manner and to incorporate into one’s consciousness. It is a scandal of being too simple:

That Br. Lawrence has no harsh judgment towards anyone who does wicked deeds and is surprised that people are so good because he is profoundly aware of his own tendencies to do evil.
That Br. Lawrence really embraces suffering for as long as and as severe as it is given to make up for his sins and to purify his soul.


This practice is comprehensive. When I first taught it I thought it was more of a short prayer, an arrow prayer practice similar to John Cassian’s “O God, come to my assistance.” But now I see that it quickly leads to a total shift of consciousness into colloquy and renouncing all else that leads away from God.

I am not sure any Christian can honestly say that and know what that means….it seems more and more to me that no matter what our practice of prayer is called we must in faith turn over our whole mind, heart and soul to God.

When we stray away, we return, return etc. Then, when we do that we’ll talk to God continuously, or be with God all the time instead of being in self-talk or self-possession. There is only God. This is faith (ing…as in a verb).

To stop, direct my mind toward God

Say a prayer

Spontaneous, whatever comes to my mind
Return to work

Stop often and remember God

Sometimes say nothing, just nod (simple regard)

Practice over and over

While at work, walking, sitting, standing and

Even stop and practice at mass or divine office

When I forget, return promptly

Without any recrimination

Remember God’s mercy

Think God in an image that rises (no set form)

Think God when doing little things

Faith (ing) as a verb when doing things

Do this or that for God, in God, with God

Nothing is too small for worship

Adore, thank, greet, ask, remain attentive

At all times, places, before sleep, 
upon awakening

Restart the practice when in mindless
default thinking

Check free-fall thinking and practice 
the presence

The method is simple

God never fails offering His grace

God always gives lights in our doubts

We don’t change works, but our ways of 
doing our works with faith

Do our work without motivation of getting praise from humans

Prayer is sense-at-work of Presence of God

Prayer and work is the same as the practice is continuous

When not working, pray in the presence

Prayer is the sense of the presence of God so there is no difference between work/prayer.

Continue familiar conversation as often as possible

Rise after a fall quickly and with no self-talk or commentary

Never use prayer as an excuse to not work since there’s no difference

Do for God’s sake all works rather than change works and do for our sake.


And….

To teach the shift in consciousness from practicing the presence of God when it flares up into that undifferentiated Presence I held a match and tapped it against the matchbook, but not with enough friction to ignite the match head. I tapped and tapped, tapped and tapped demonstrating that the practice first has to be strenuous and often enough to reprogram ordinary thinking. Then, I struck the match with enough force to light the match. The practice shifts into Presence as in a whole range of felt-presence of God.

And…

The major teaching to practice is more than mindfulness and awareness, or even concentration on the present moment as in the “now,” but the object of faith, who is God.

And…
This is a practice to make the sense of the presence of God habitual, not just from time to time. It seems that, in proportion to our intensity of desire, is the gift of the abiding Presence. We drive away all that is not thoughts/thinking/ about God. We keep our presence in the presence of God.

And so….

The Presence as a “wow” does fade into the ordinary. I’m not sure if it changes or if we metabolize the Presence and that it just feels so normal. But what does seem to shift is that there is no middle term of faith.

Br. Lawrence speaks of this saying this Presence doesn’t take faith anymore. What I understand by this is that there is no “little faith” that holds place on my side when God’s voice seems mute.

What has happens is that the voice is softer, softer and subtler as a presence. It’s like in a room that at first the wall seems white, then I see it is eggshell or a slight lemon or hint of green hew. It is just ok, the way it is, no matter how it is.

Seek God by faith and not by favors, says Br. Lawrence. We are often quite satisfied with faith rather than stunning experiences. Abiding faith is good enough. The experience that Br. Lawrence speaks of is that he’s not sure it is even faith at all, as this is still that subtle abiding presence of God.

Some of the stunning teachings of Brother Lawrence:

That he didn’t need a spiritual director, but a confessor.
That consciously he renounced everything that was not God.
For ten years he suffered guilt, unwholesome fear and dread of God.
He renounced methods of prayer that contributed to his depression
And offered his whole memory, imagination and interior world to God.
That formal prayers depressed him until he learned to Practice the Presence.
That God wants us to think only of Him.
That God cares about our every thought and even
God cares for our little “simple regard” of nodding to Him
From time to time, actually, really moment by moment.
That Our Lord accepts what ever prayer we offer and actually cares
About what we think, how we think, how we feel and act.
That reading about faith and speculation misses the actual experience of God.
How God is, need not concern us, but that God is and is close to us, is an abiding insight.
Lift up heart and mind to God often, everywhere and bow from the inside.
It matters not what we do.
But to do each and every action with faith…for, with, in God.
Lift up prayers gently, playfully, spontaneously.
Prayer as simple regard toward God is skillful means
To enter the Presence;
God does the rest.


The more I teach, practice myself and study the classics it seems clear that to let one’s mind go into free-fall fantasy is not of God and that the corrective is a non optional ceaseless prayer.

The error of reductionism is off-set with the whole teaching and not just a piece of it: a Biblical understanding of Jesus Christ from full bodied Gospel portrait, a full life response away from self and selfishness toward freely offered sacrifice toward God through others.

More on the training to Practice the Presence:

We start with a vivid recollection of God’s Presence in the imagination or understanding.

There are several descriptions: simple action, clear and distinct knowledge, indistinct general gaze at God, remembrance of God, attention to God, silent conversation with God.

The practice is actually “of faith.” Effort is faith rather than thinking about “God.” It is neither meditation nor study. Work becomes worship. Faith in God is the emphasis and not so much “about God.”

The presumed fact is that we believe that God is and is present.

How is the practice done? Again, for the sake of getting the teaching as a practice: repetition until it becomes a habit is essential. The practice is not meditating or thinking about God. It is lifting up our prayer in faith to God. Thinking about God in the presence would be acting “as if” God is not there. We offer our inner thoughts continually to God “as if” God is present.

We choose frequently to recall the presence of God—practice of active presence…we live “as if” there was God and you in the world. Converse with God no matter where we go, asking God for what we need, and unceasingly delighting God with total attention in the details of life. This is sustained conversation.

If this sounds too good to be true, it does require much faith and a sustained effort. We begin to repeat this act of faith at the depth of the soul. Over time we merge into heart to heart communication with God. We are gifted with His Presence and communion happens. Outside events now never disturb the real peace that we experience. A gentle loving gaze becomes the way of living and God lights the fire.

Brother Lawrence teaches that the Soul only needs to consent. Our Soul speaks to its deepest Soul, the Holy Spirit. This practice of the Presence moves from practice to a way of living the life given to us.

We experience nourishment of our Soul. This means that instead of the soul having a practice in the midst of its ordinary life the shift happens – ordinary life becomes the practice. God expands our consciousness and we see God everywhere in every one and in everything including ourselves.

While Brother Lawrence spent is days in the kitchen or shoe cobbler he considered his main work was “to remain in the presence of God with all the humility of an unprofitable, but nonetheless faithful servant.” To all that would come into the back door of this friary he’d expound on the method. He’d encourage them to start now no matter what troubles they have in prayer or in living a good life.

He said when sinful ask for mercy. Notice he didn’t say, “if” sinful, but “when” sinful. He had a profound sense of his own past and said of himself that he did not need a spiritual director, but a confessor!

But he also said that it’s not surprising about how at risk are all of us on this human side; the good news is we can still remain faithful without worry.

He said to replace worry with practice: Stop for a short moment, stop whatever you are doing as frequently as you can, moment by moment adore God deep within your heart and delight in Him in secret. Nothing can stop you from practicing your faith:

Talk to Him.
Notice Him.
Gaze.
Shift your attention from your thoughts to your faith in God.


“The multitude of thoughts that crowd in on us and spoil everything.” Evil begins in our thoughts, so we must be careful to lay them aside as soon as we become aware that they are not essential to our present duties or to our salvation. Doing this allows us to begin our conversation with God once again.

This practice is not only for kitchen duty. We are to remember God at prayer. The practice is helpful because just being at prayer isn’t prayer.

This practice of the presence is similar but not the same as colloquy. As Brother Lawrence recommends this actually becomes passive very soon and as an impulse comes we would lift it to prayer.

The presence is spontaneous whereas colloquy is a steady effort to shift all self-talk to God and not have any inner talk to the self.

Brother Lawrence fine-tuned the French preference for the practice of Simple Regard. This momentary glance is noticing God looking at me! He said to use our own words for our side of the conversation and for God we just let whatever comes to our mind be the response: Lord, bless my work!

This kind of practice doesn’t need a cell, a shrine or a sanctuary. We make our hears a prayer room into which we can retire from time to time to converse with Him gently, humbly and lovingly.

"One way to call your mind easily back to God during your fixed prayer times and to hold it more steady, is not to let it take much flight during the day. You must keep it strictly in the presence of God.”

As we become used to doing this over and over in our minds, it is easier to remain at peace during our prayer times, or at least to recall our mind from its wanderings.

We talk about whatever is on our minds. Ask for grace, offering sufferings, Brother Lawrence says.

During conversation with others lift your heart towards Him from time to time; the slightest little remembrance will always be very pleasant to God.

The Practice is not so much about the conversation as it is an act of living faith. We talk to God “as if” He’s here. Most of the time we act “as if” God is not here. This is a reversal and a change of heart that has immense consequences for our interior life.

There are many benefits to this practice. We ask for help and then overcome temptations. We lead a life that is closer to our desire for God. If God grants it, sometimes we actually have a felt Presence of God.

This lasts for days, weeks or years. This presence kindles love. Our desire becomes sharply focused. We try to live and live only in the presence of God. And to some rare souls the practice of the presence accompanies them through the sufferings of this life and even the stages of dying.

The practice of simple regard sometimes is not a thought of God, but of pain. This very pain can be a prayer. Brother Lawrence provides teachings on how suffering that is used like a prayer can become redemptive in Letters 11 and 14.

He assures the one suffering that God’s work on their behalf is being accomplished though their time of trial. He is direct in telling them to not waste all their time on seeking a remedy but in surrendering to God’s way for them. He also assures them of his prayers.

Recommended text: The Practice of the Presence of God

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection. Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God. Trans. Salvatore Sciurba, O.C.D. Washington, D.C.: Institute of Carmelite Studies, 1994.