So what can a lowly kitchen attendant from the 1600’s, with some terribly smelly feet, know about my spiritual life?
Apparently, quite a bit.

We can’t be sure that Brother Lawrence (c.1614-1691) had some of the world’s nastiest feet, but he did belong to a special monastic group known as the “Discalced Carmelites� (“discalced� means “without shoes�). His birth name was Nicholas Herman and he received his call from God at the age of 18. Six years later, he joined the monastic community in Paris. But without any formal religious education to be a cleric, he took the humble profession as a worker in the priory’s kitchen. It is this kind of position that perhaps gives his writing an “every man’s� quality. It is this meekness of spirit that attracted such notable readers as John Wesley and A. W. Tozer.

The Practice of the Presence of God is the written record of conversations and letters between an unnamed correspondent and Brother Lawrence. Despite his intimidating stance as a monk, his views are rather…well…un-monkish. He is highly obsessed with the idea of coming to “perfection� in God, but he doesn’t always agree that the ascetic practices of many monks of his day are the best way to get there. In fact, he claims that “all bodily mortifications and other exercises are useless, but as they serve to arrive at the union with GOD by love.� You don’t have to beat yourself to a pulp…you don’t have to spend hours open hours in an empty room meditating…you just have to practice the presence of God wherever you find yourself. This is a new (yet old) kind of monk; one that is for the common man who doesn’t wake up thinking “gee, the vow of celibacy sounds glorious today.�
Practicing the presence of God…what does that even look like?

Do yourself a favor and don’t assume you can come to some high level of spiritual knowledge without a little discipline. Just because he’s not “turbo-monk� doesn’t mean that he doesn’t expect a lot of sacrifice by the one seeking the presence of God. The word “practice� is in there for a reason. But take heart, Brother Lawrence tells us that after some diligence, “we should find His love inwardly excite us to it without any difficulty.� And though we should expect a little suffering, the road gets easier. The more we practice it, the easier it gets until it becomes almost natural.

One sure way to “practice the presence of God� is to realize that everything you do can be done for God’s love; which is the end of all our actions. It is God’s business that we are about in life, which is why Brother Lawrence considers even buying wine for the monastery an act of godly proportions. If we do it in the right heart and with the right motives, we can have God’s presence with us even if we pick trash off the ground in His name. This is what Brother Lawrence calls “doing the little things for the love of God.� Another tip: It’s not enough to just think continually on God in all that we do. We also have to make a intensive effort to reject thoughts that are un-godly. As soon as we perceive a thought sneaking into our minds that could blot out divine inspiration, we are to reject it, and then return to “our communion with God.� A continual practice of prayer like this results in what Brother Lawrence calls “a familiarity with God.�

What Christian doesn’t want to experience that? And take heart, because according to our ancient author “everyone is capable of such familiar conversation with GOD, some more, some less; He knows what we can do.â€? Regardless, this is the employment of a Christian, and therefore can be learned. You don’t have to be born with itâ€"you just have to work at it.

But let’s face itâ€"we all fail. How many times have when supposedly been “practicing the presence of Godâ€? in our rooms or even in church for that matter, when our minds suddenly wander off on the latest football highlight or upcoming hot date? To some monastic communities, admitting such a thing is enough to get thrown into solitary confinement. But Brother Lawrence has a different take, perhaps because he even admits that he fails at this. If we fail at continually thinking on God, just acknowledge it, and move on. That’s right, not solitary confinement in the prayer room. Which makes sense, because to Brother Lawrence, practicing the presence of God isn’t something we do just during set prayer hours; it’s something we do as we go about our daily business. It’s a continual conversation with our Maker. In fact, to remedy the “getting lostâ€? during prayer time, Brother Lawrence says we should just cut down all the fancy talk and speak plainly before God. Multiplying our words just results in occasions for our minds to wander. And getting mad at ourselves when we do fail only distracts us more. Just get back on the horse!

So after taking off his shoes and joining the Carmelites, Brother Lawrence quickly realized he wasn’t all that “religious.â€? He was failing as a monk compared to many of his brothers. He was actually discouraged by their examples and their steadfast methods of becoming “pious.â€? So he gave it up. He found a better way. Instead of worrying so much about the stages of consummation that his other friends had going for them, he just decided to walk simply before God in faith, with humility and love. This took the form of this conversational style with the living Godâ€" a habitual, silent, and secret conversation of the soul with his Maker. And when he failed even at this, he picked up some wine for the monastery and talked to God all along the way; he practiced the presence of God as he went about his everyday business.

“We must nevertheless always work at it, because not to advance, in the spiritual life, is to go back. But those who have the gale of the Holy Spirit go forward even in sleep.�
-Brother Lawrence’s 4th Letter-

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