How to Pray: A Practical Handbook

by John Pritchard

Many of us are aware of our spiritual nature, and we have a real desire and need to talk to God. Prayer, however, seems a difficult thing to do. While talking to our friends comes easily, we often think that talking to God does not. In How to Pray, John Pritchard takes us on a journey into prayer. He begins by showing us how to see the divine in everyday life and how to slow down enough to hear God. He makes a wealth of useful suggestions about: - How to pray, When to pray, How to pray with the Bible, How to pray with the imagination, How to pray with others, How to pray when the going gets tough. Whether you are just starting out in your prayer life or want to deepen and refresh it, this practical handbook will be a constant source of ideas and inspiration.

Genres: Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction

126 pages, Paperback

First published January 24, 2003

About the author

Bishop of Oxford. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pri...

Reviews

[Nimue Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's skip over the question of what a Druid is doing with a Christian book on prayer, because it's a long story.

A number of things impressed me while reading this book. It is charming, clear, concise, written with warmth, humour and a realisit view of people. There are lots of good things to explore. There's actually surprisingly little direct Christian reference, it was very easy to read despite me not being a Christian, and I could see what could usefully be applied in my own life. And even so, I think Christinaity is undoubtedly at the heart of this book, its just not that authoritarian or dogmatic. It's a book that breathes.

It made me realise just how much commonality there can be between what we do, regardless of what beleif underpins it. That's a good thing to hang onto.

I'm sure more liberal Christians will find this book a joy. I also think, with its eye to God in nature, tht this is a book Druid Christians might like.

I enjoyed it. I learned from it. (I am not conerting, I'm researching)

[Charis]

I first read this a couple of years ago when I realised that I still didn't really have a clue about prayer. I found it to be an incredibly useful and practical guide. I like the fact that it gives you so many different approaches to consider, and loads of useful ideas and anecdotes.
I started reading it again this Lent period when I realised that yet again, my prayer life was basically non-existent, and needed a boost. I've enjoyed revisiting some of the ideas, and am really glad I still had the book on my shelves!

[Liesbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable. Easy to dip in and out of when needed. Also offers a fair bit of practical advice. Recommended for anyone for whom praying doesn't become natural, which I would imagine is most of us.