4 Helpful Prayer Habits suggested by Brother Lawrence

1 - See Jesus in everyone.  Don’t see them. See Jesus.  

2 - "Great fidelity to the practice of this presence and to the fostering of this awareness of God within" (Spiritual Maxims, chapter 6). It does not matter if at first we find the exercise of practicing God's presence in our everyday lives difficult. We can at any time turn our gaze inward to the Lord and this especially at times of difficulty or temptation. He assures us that if we are faithful to this practice during the day we will find it easier to recollect ourselves at the set time of prayer. 

3 - "Offer him your heart from time to time, during the day, while at work, at every possible moment" (Letter 2). This is an essential disposition of the human creature before God if God is to be allowed to do His work in the soul. This is also the most effective way of keeping the mind from wandering at the time of mental prayer. 

4 - "The habit of practicing the presence of God is only acquired with effort" (Spiritual Maxims, chapter 6). Br Lawrence acknowledges, with St Teresa of Avila, that the beginnings of the spiritual life are a lot of hard work, like the carrying of water laboriously in a bucket. Though there will be times of failure and falling away on account of human weakness, he advises simply returning to the practice of God's presence with the knowledge that God will forgive us for any neglect. Perseverance is required not only in the practice of God's presence but in response to that presence within whomever and whatever we encounter on the journey.