First off, Brother Lawrence was a catholic, a catholic monk. Case closed. That alone tells us he was given over to idols and un-regenerate, trying in vain to earn his own way to God. That’s why he used the words “practicing” as if by his own hard work of repetition in prayer, mantras, and meditations, he, a mere sinner, was meriting the blessings of God. CHRIST is no where to be found in the practice of asceticism! Asceticism is actually the denial of Christ and His perfect sacrifice. More on that in a moment.

“What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? 20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?” 1 Corinthians 10:19-22 

If Brother Lawrence worshiped the idols of the roman catholic church, that means he was not even a Christian and so how could any true disciple of Jesus think this man has anything biblical to teach concerning prayer or anything else? He wasn’t even saved.

Let’s wake up! No man merits or earns the righteousness, the justification of the Almighty. Such is either freely given to a man by God or that man doesn’t have it. One must comply with the simple instructions of the LORD to receive His bless-ed justification.

“For by grace (unmerited, unearned favor from God) are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

God grants His mercy in salvation UPon the merit of Jesus Christ alone!

ALL men are sinners and hopelessly separated from God until saved by HIS grace, His unmerited favor and mercy.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:5-7

Fallen mankind, fallen men are hopelessly separated in their sins from God who is holy.

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. … For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 3:10-12, 23

Not one of us is good. There is “no good thing” in us without Christ being in us upon being born again.

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. … O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Romans 7:18, 24

No man merits anything from God except judgment for sin! We are all dead, separated from God in tresspasses and sins and unable to come to Him unless He beckons and draws us to Himself (John 6:44; 12:32). We are all “dead in trespasses and sins … by nature the children of wrath … ” (Romans 3; Ephesians 2:1-3, etc.) Listen to what Isaiah prophet wrote concerning un-regenerate man’s depravity, his hopeless separation from God:

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.” Isaiah 64:6-7

This is why the apostle Paul declared that he wanted to be found in Christ’s rigtheousness and not his own fake righteousness which is detestable, like “filthy rags” (discarded menstrual cloth). Listen closely:

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” Philippians 3:9-10

You and I merit only divine judgment for our sin! We are not wonderful, JESUS IS! We are wicked without HIM! (Romans 3:1-23; 7:18, 24)

What is Asceticism? This is Very Important Saints!

Asceticism is defined as severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons. Asceticism is when a person, a sinner seeks by their own religious suffering, abstinence, or penance or works to merit divine mercy, justification. But God’s Word tells us that no man can find God or merit the righteousness that comes from God. These things are the very “gift of God” given only those who come humbly to Him by faith in Christ, faith in the one-time full payment for their sins by Jesus Christ on the cross (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 19:30, etc.). | It is Finished – Jesus Paid it ALL!

Asceticism is there heretical belief that your own works, repititions or sufferings are meriting God’s grace, love, mercy, salvation, or answers to prayers. In the catholic church they use the phrase “offer it up” when speaking of sufferings. That statement holds this heresy of ascetism in it. Totally false view of suffering. Our sufferings earn us nothing! They are simply part and parcel with the Gospel (Philippians 1:29; 1 Peter 4:12-14, etc.).

To say that Christians “PRACTICE” the presence of God carries with it the works-based, antichrist catholic heresy that man earns his own sinful way to God, his own way, without Christ.

Anything God chooses to give us it out of His sheer mercy and not due to any goodness of our own! Any person who doesn’t understand this simple, biblical, cardinal doctrinal truth of the Christian faith, is still clueless.

THIS EVIL FALSE PROPHET, “BROTHER LAWRENCE”

BROTHER LAWRENCE: (1605-1691) Carmelite (catholic) layman, author of Practicing the Presence of God.

Regrettably, agents of Satan today still disperse and promote the heretical works of Brother Lawrence.

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” Matthew 6:6-8 

Notice below the repetitious prayer emphasis of Brother Lawrence, something Jesus taught against (Matthew 6).

“Brother Lawrence says that secret conversations with God must be “repeat[ed] often in the day,” and “for the right practice of it, the heart must be empty of all other things.” He speaks of the trouble of wandering thoughts and says that the habit of practicing the presence of God is the “one remedy” and the “best and easiest method” he knows to dissolve distractions. (from A Time of Departing, 2nd ed., p. 146-147)”