Besides conversations recorded by others, Brother Lawrence also connected with friends via letter. Some of these have been included in the book, The Practice of the Presence of God. Below is the essence of his sixth letter, and responses that come to my mind.
SIXTH LETTER
Concepts:
* Topic: encouragement to persevere
* “It is better late than never” to pursue our connection with God. We cannot live satisfied lives “without the practice of the presence of God.”
* We must keep our souls centered on God, never turning away
* The process of concentrating our souls on God will require self-sacrifice and the laying aside of certain pleasures that, while good in themselves, interfere with our devotion to God.
* As often as our minds wander from God, we should recall ourselves to His presence
* Sometimes it is advisable to withdraw from some of our “means” of spiritual exercise in order to concentrate on the “end,” which is God Himself
* Persevere in practicing the presence of God by any means you can invent (praise, adoration, desire, resignation, thanksgiving)
* As difficult as the process may be, persevere “to death,” no matter the difficulties
Our Responses:
* Heretofore, Brother Lawrence’s pleas for us to center ourselves on God have been gentle. This sixth letter employs strong encouragement to make the sacrifices necessary to practice the presence of God
* Today is the day to take up our sincere pursuit of God’s presence, no matter our situation or our age
* How often is my devotional time a race to read a certain number of chapters and pray for the people on my list so I can go on to other things? How often do I miss any true devotion to God during my quiet time?
* If we are to persevere “to death,” there is nothing that is more important than practicing the presence of God
* I find it amazing that God wants so much to be in relationship with us. To walk and talk with us. To bless and guide us. Why do we—more specifically, why do I—so often put Him off?
Favorite Quotes from the Sixth Letter:
“We must serve God in a holy freedom…recalling our mind to God mildly and with tranquility, as often as we find it wandering from Him.”
“…we may continue with Him our commerce of love, persevering in His holy presence…”
Janice L. Dick 
I know I wrote a sort of concern about Brother Lawrence back in July, but here I am again . . .
Jan, thanks for the reminder to keep my mind stayed on the Lord (Isa. 26:3). Sometimes I can get so busy! It’s really easy to let the mind slip away from the One who holds the universe (and my little soul) in His hand! However, I know that it is not “my persevering” but rather “God’s preserving” that keeps me where I belong–a different emphasis than Brother Lawrence exerted.
I get it that the Lord expects me to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17) and to do everything (in word or deed) to the glory of God in the name of Christ and with thankfulness (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17). But that isn’t quite what Brother Lawrence is saying here, is it?
I’ve been reading each of your posts on the teaching of Brother Lawrence (who, in case your other readers have forgotten, was a 17th-century German religious mystic [a hundred years after Martin Luther rolled out the Reformation] who believed he had found the secret to higher spiritual life). Many contemplative (in my view, errant) teachers today are promoting the writings of Brother Lawrence–in contrast to a more “reformed” approach to growth in Christ.
Your own concentration on bringing glory to God is evident in your life and writings, Jan. However, allow me to play Devil’s Advocate again and encourage you and the others to read this short critique about Brother Lawrence’s take on spirituality, which can act as a hedge around contemplative thought to keep us in line with the full counsel of Scripture: http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue97b.htm
We are to contend earnestly for “the faith” (doctrine) once delivered (Jude 1: 3). Maybe this critique will stimulate some conversation on the subject here in your reply section? I’ll be watching . . .
I appreciate your reply, Deb. I read the linked article at: and I see what you mean about what’s missing in Brother Lawrence’s approach to practicing God’s presence. As I’ve said before, I’m not a theologian or a doctrinal expert, and certainly not as well read as you are (I say this sincerely, because you are a dear friend and I respect your opinion), so I did not realize the narrowness of Br. Lawrence’s practices. As Christ-followers, we must be willing to listen, consider and change our course if it proves to be off-track, and I am more than willing to do so.
I must say that I found much encouragement from these writings throughout this year, BUT I viewed these ideas through the filter of my personal relationship withJesus Christ as revealed in Scripture. Not everyone who reads this will have that filter. Therefore, I will do an about-face and consider the implications in future posts.
As Deb said, I look forward to feedback on this issue. Fire away!
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