The Practice of the Presence of Jesus: Daily Meditations on the Nearness of Our Savior

Discover the joy of intentionally dwelling in the presence of God as the beloved author of Joni weaves contemporary insights with the timeless wisdom of The Practice of the Presence of God by seventeenth-century monk Brother Lawrence.

“Suffering has a way of heaving you beyond the shallows of life where your faith feels ankle-deep. It casts you out into the fathomless depths of God.”—Joni, from the Introduction

Brother Lawrence lived through the drudgeries of monastery kitchen duty during the turbulence of 1600s France. Joni Eareckson Tada suffered a terrible accident that broke her neck and left her paralyzed. This tragedy led her from a life of distant faith to a life as a devout Christian, and she later became a worldwide disability advocate and influencer, sharing her experiences of suffering with grace. Joni and Brother Lawrence each found the secret to peace, joy, and a way of being in constant conversation with the Father . . . every day and every hour . . . practicing the presence of God.

The Practice of the Presence of Jesus ushers in wisdom from these two everyday saints, more than 400 years apart, to teach and inspire you to experience the nearness of God in your life. Through rich devotional content from Brother Lawrence in The Practice of the Presence of God, accompanied by original art and never-before-published insights from Joni, you’ll experience a unique blend of past and present wisdom on such themes as humility, thankfulness, fear, worship, obedience, and more. Each devotion ushers you into the peace of the Good Shepherd.

A diving accident in 1967 left Joni Eareckson Tada a quadriplegic in a wheelchair at age seventeen. After two years of rehabilitation, she emerged with new skills and fresh determination to help others in similar situations. In 1979, she founded Joni and Friends, an organization committed to bringing the Gospel and practical resources to people struggling with disability around the globe. An author of more than 45 books, radio host, and fine art painter, Joni lives in California with her husband, Ken.