The Sayings of Brother Bhakta Lawrence

July 27, 2003

The Sayings of Brother Lawrence

Whatever becomes of me, whether I be lost or saved, I will always continue to act purely for the love of God. I shall have this good, at least, that till death I shall have done all that is in me to love Him.

Those who have the gale of the Holy Spirit go forward even in sleep. If the vessel of our soul is still tossed with winds and storms, let us awake the Lord who reposes in it. He will quickly calm the sea.

How can we pray to Him without being with Him? How can we be with Him without thinking of Him often? And how can we think of Him but by a holy habit we should form of it?

The more one knows God, the greater one desires to know Him. Knowledge is commonly the measure of love. The deeper and more extensive our knowledge, the greater is our love.

Comfort yourself with the Sovereign Physician of both body and soul.

There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful, than that of a continual conversation with God: those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it.

I walk before God simply, in faith, with humility and with love; and I apply myself diligently to do nothing and think nothing which may displease Him.

We must know before we can love. In order to know God, we must often think of Him. And when we come to love Him, we shall then also think of Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure.

We are made for God alone, who can only be pleased when we turn away from ourselves to devote ourselves to Him.

It is the Creator who teaches truth, who in one moment instructs the heart of the humble and makes him understand more about the mysteries of faith and even about Himself than if he had studied them for a long term of years.

One way to re-collect the mind easily in the time of prayer, and preserve it more in tranquillity, is not to let it wander too far at other times.

... to live as if there were none but He and I in the world.

We ought not to grow tired of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.

When an occasion of practicing some virtue was offered, Brother Lawrence addressed himself to God, saying, "Lord, I cannot do this unless Thou enablest me," and then he received strength more than sufficient.

I know that for the right practice the heart must be empty of all other things; because God will possess the heart alone; and as He cannot possess it alone, without emptying it of all else besides, so neither can He act there, and do in it what He pleases, unless it be left vacant to Him.

Perhaps all we need is a hearty resolution.

Pay little attention to the beautiful words and subtle discourse of the wise of the earth. Woe to those who look to human knowledge to satisfy their curiosity. It is the Creator who teaches the truth and instructs the heart of the humble.

I see Him in such a manner as might make me say, sometimes, I believe no more, but I see.

He converses and delights Himself with me incessantly, in a thousand and a thousand ways.

God has infinite treasure to bestow, and we take up with a little sensible devotion which passes in a moment. Blind as we are, we hinder God and stop the current of His graces. But when He finds a soul penetrated with a lively faith, He pours into it His graces and favors plentifully; there they flow like a torrent, which, after being forcibly stopped against its ordinary course, when it has found a passage, spreads itself with impetuosity and abundance.

Be always with God; and do nothing, say nothing, and think nothing which may displease Him; and this without any other view than purely for the love of Him, and because He deserves infinitely more.

I know that some charge this state with inactivity, delusion, and self-love. I confess that it is a holy inactivity, and it would be a happy self-love if the soul in that state were capable of it. However, while she is in this repose, she cannot be disturbed by such acts as she was formerly accustomed to and which were then her support. Such former acts would now hinder rather than assist her.

God alone is capable of making Himself known as He really is. We search in reasoning and in sciences, as in a poor copy. What we neglect to see is God's painting Himself in the depth of our soul.

God does not ask much of us. But remembering Him, praising Him, asking for His grace, offering Him your troubles, or thanking Him for what He has given you will console you all the time ... lift up your heart ... little remembrances please Him.

People seek methods of learning to know God. Is it not much shorter and more direct to simply do everything for the love of Him? There is no finesse about it. One only has to do it generously and simply.

When the mind, for want of being sufficiently reduced by recollection at our engaging in devotion, has contracted certain bad habits of wandering and dissipation, they are difficult to overcome. They commonly draw us, even against our wills, to the things of the earth. I believe one remedy for this is to confess our faults and to humble ourselves before God.

The end we ought to propose to ourselves is to become, in this life, the most perfect worshippers of God we can possibly be, as we hope to be through all eternity.

We ought to give ourselves up to God, both in temporal and spiritual things, and seek our satisfaction only in fulfilling His will. Whether He leads us by suffering or consolation, all is the same to one truly resigned.

In continuing the practice of conversing with God throughout each day, and quickly seeking His forgiveness when I fell or strayed, His presence has become as easy and natural to me now as it once was difficult to attain.

It is a great delusion to think our times of prayer ought to differ from other times. We are as strictly obliged to cleave to God by action in the time of action as by prayer in the season of prayer.

Useless thoughts spoil all, mischief begins there. We ought to reject them as soon as we perceive their impertinence and return to our communion with God.

The most excellent method of going to God is that of doing our common business without any view of pleasing people but purely for the love of God.

Our mind is extremely roving; but as the will is mistress of all our faculties, she must recall them, and carry them to God, as their last end. If your mind sometimes wanders and withdraws itself from Him, do not much disquiet yourself. Trouble and disquiet serve rather to distract the mind rather than to re-collect it. The will must bring it back in tranquillity. If you persevere in this manner then God will have pity on you.

We should establish ourselves in a sense of God's presence by continually conversing with Him. It is a shameful thing to quit His conversation to think of trifles and fooleries.

Let us think often that our only business in this life is to please God. Perhaps all besides is but folly and vanity.

We should, once and for all, heartily put our whole trust in God, and make a total surrender of ourselves, secure that He will not deceive us.

Everyone is capable of these intimate conversations with God, some more, some less, and God knows what we can do.