A Guidebook to Prayer: 24 Ways to Walk with God

by MaryKate Morse, Joshua Choonmin Kang (Foreword)

Why is prayer so hard? Many of us have asked that question. We want to pray. We intend to pray. But, as spiritual director and professor MaryKate Morse notes, "We don't pray as consistently or as meaningfully as we might like." And yet prayer offers us such spiritual riches. Prayer Morse "Through prayer, we experience forgiveness, guidance and peace. We are healed physically and emotionally. We experience the mystery of God, see truth and receive spiritual gifts. We receive vision and courage for God's mission. Faith becomes more beautiful, more real." This guidebook is designed to move you from lamenting over prayerlessness to the joy of praying. Whether you are a beginner or a lifetime person of faith, you will find a treasure trove of riches here to guide you into a deeper experience of prayer. Each chapter explores a different angle of prayer with sections focusing on each of the persons of the Trinity―Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And each chapter offers specific ways to pray both on your own, with a partner or in a group. Sprinkled throughout are reflections from the author's former students describing on their own experience with these practices. A treasure trove of both resources and encouragement, you will find this book to be an indispensable guide to your life of prayer.

Genres: Christian, Prayer, Spirituality, Faith, Christianity

251 pages, Paperback

First published October 4, 2013

Reviews

[J. Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

That's the question that the back book jacket of this lovely book asks. And it's right on. For many of us, prayer seems like hard work. And as someone who's been writing about prayer recently, I must say that writing about it is hard, too. Which makes it so wonderful that MaryKate Morse has given us a clear, well-written and helpful book on the subject. This is no treatise to wade through -- it's rather a guidebook along the way of prayer, filled with helpful advice, exercises, and inspiration. I'm especially glad MaryKate included a chapter titled "Prayer in Play." We need a little less earnestness in prayer -- and a lot more play and joy. I highly recommend this book.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been quite some time since I've read a book on prayer but this just might be the best I've ever come across. The focus is on various ways we might intentionally encounter God. Prayer is the word used to describe those various kinds of encounter. This angle alone opens up the discussion in refreshing and what for some might be news ways of thinking about and practicing prayer. The book is well-written, with lots of examples and quotes from people who pray while never getting formulaic. Suggestions are found in each chapter on how to lead groups into prayer. There is much to be appreciated here.

[Jamie Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good practical and even unconventional yet realistic prayer suggestions for individual use and even group and corporate use. I can't wait to try some out with my congregation. I don't agree with some of the theology of all of them but it is still a good book. For any congregational prayer leaders out there or worship committee members I would recommend this book.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a mentor once who warned me of the danger of reading about prayer without praying. There is no shortage of books on prayer which describe prayer's power, methodology, theology and practice. I have found many of these books thought-provoking and a few inspiring. But some books remain opaque to me--either too deep for me to grasp with my own shallow practice of prayer or too dry to set my heart ablaze. Mary Kate Morse has written a book on prayer which is theologically rich, warmly invitational and inspirational. A Guidebook to Prayer presents twenty-four ways to deepen your relationship with God and enter into the practice of prayer.

Morse describes prayer as 'a love relationship involving the interdependent union of the Trinity' (17).  Thus she doesn't emphasize the duty of prayer but the way we attend to our relationship with Him. She says, "Rather than asking ourselves, 'am I praying each day?' we should ask ourselves, 'Am I in a love relationship with God today? Am I living like Jesus today? Do I smell the sweet breath of the Spirit today?'"(17).

This focus on how prayer cultivates our friendship with God is a welcome alternative to approaches that treat prayer instrumentally (i.e. what does prayer do?) or in a utilitarian way (i.e. what do I get out of praying?). Instead Morse invites us to see prayer as our participation in the life of the Trinity.  A Trinitarian framework for thinking about prayer is the organizational framework for her book. The Twenty four ways of 'praying' are presented under the headings: 'God the Father,' 'God the Son,' and 'God the Holy Spirit.'

In Part One, Morse  focuses on the Fatherhood of God. She begins with a  'community prayer' which evokes  both the divine community (The Oneness of God) and the ways God's people have publicly prayed as a community for millennia (the unity of the Church). She includes both Jewish prayer (i.e. Praying the Psalms, the shema ) and praying set prayers with a prayer book (i.e. The Divine Hours, Common Prayer, etc.).  Morse reflects on various attributes (His holiness, His loving-kindness,  His Worthiness) and activities of God (His creation, His resting, His activity) as invitations to different ways of prayer. She describes 'creative prayer' (making something as an act of prayer), work prayer (praying as part of your vocation, contemplative prayer, confession, blessing and worship.

Part Two reflects on Jesus' example. The incarnation invites us into a whole new way of being. Praying in Jesus name means experiencing Him in his Humanity, in His lordship, in His servant nature--as reconciler, as love embodied, as teacher, as sufferer, as savior and as the head of the body. The prayers in this section invite us into a whole new way of being drawing on Christ's example. Morse presents some classic prayer practices (i.e. the daily examen, lectio divina, the sacraments) with other prayers which invite us to put on the character of Christ. With Jesus we are invited to pray (and live) simply, as servants. At times this means we pray playfully aware that God is with us in our joys. But we enter into suffering and relinquish our need to be in control, learning that God is with us in our sorrows.

Part three describes the experiential dimension to our prayer life in the Spirit. The prayers that Morse collects in this section explore the Spirit's ministry of intercession, discernment and guidance. The Spirit is what enables to experience God's presence, His protection and deep joy. Thus the prayers in this section invite us to receive from God.

I find the Trinitarian framework helpful and inspiriting. I read this book with an eye towards practice and have attempted some of the prayer exercises that Morse suggests for individuals. However, each chapter includes suggestions for practice in groups, or with partners. This makes this an ideal resource for small groups,  prayer-partners, or really anyone seeking to deepen their relationship with God. Morse really has a gift for presenting these practices in a way that includes seasoned pray-ers and spiritual neophytes. This is the sort of resource that is accessible to anyone wishing to enter the life of prayer. But this a book meant to practiced and not just read.

Morse has G. K. Chesterton quote at the beginning of her introduction which says, "The difference between talking about prayer and praying is the same as the difference between blowing a kiss and kissing." More so for those of us who are perennial 'readers of prayer books.' We are even further removed from the conversation. I am a better reader than I am a pray-er. However Morse's book has inspired me and I have made plans to do each of the partner exercises with my wife over the coming weeks. This book holds out a means to deepen our prayer-life and our participation in the life of the Triune God. I give this 5 stars: ★★★★★

Thank you to InterVarsity Press for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Darren E · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book on prayer is the Bible. That being said, from time to time the Spirit of God inspires individuals to create extra biblical resources on prayer. The purpose of these resources is to assist us in apprehending the practical revelation on prayer that is often elusive. Even though we read the Bible about prayer and the Bible presents the subject matter clearly and thoroughly, still sometimes the actual act of prayer in a daily relevant, meaningful expression is challenging. Add to that the frustration of the feeling that at times our prayers appear to be cumbersome, fruitless and pointless.

God understands these challenges and others that I have not mentioned. Hence in His mercy, He makes ways for us to connect the vital necessity of prayer from the Bible to our lives by providing us additional support tools to be used along side the Bible. "A Guidebook To Prayer" by MaryKate Morse is one of those support tools. This is one of the best extra biblical books on prayer that I have ever read. Ms. Morse does a masterful job of remaining true to the Bible while simultaneously offering relevant, practical and powerful insights on making prayer the fulfilling, effective and enjoyable reality that God intended it to be in our lives.

I was so blessed by this book, that I procured it for our church and I am currently using it as my main extra biblical resource along with the Bible to teach on prayer at our church in our Mid-Week Bible Study. Those in our church who are faithful to journey with us through this study are reporting how it is immensely blessing them in developing their personal prayer lives.

I absolutely, unequivocally recommend this book!!!

[Clint Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are several books around about prayer and spiritual formation. There are very few books that have been put out on prayer from a broader, spiritual-formation model that are both as well-written and grounded, as well as easy to use in a group or mentoring study as A Guidebook to Prayer.

MaryKate Morse has thoughtfully grounded her discussion of practices of prayer in the Trinity. Balancing discussion of prayer in community and prayer that is more commonly practiced individually, the breadth of this rather simple guide and/or curriculum is wonderful. It will have a great impact on teaching people to pray, and to think about prayer so they can pray more intentionally. And much like my reading of books by Richard Foster on prayer and spiritual formation, it will teach its readers many of the ways that they may be praying already without knowing that they are doing it.

Each chapter has a short article describing the prayer practice that will be implemented. Then there is a rather lengthy section on how to practice this kind of prayer within a community gathering. Then, there are guidelines for partners or individuals to practice this form of prayer as well.

Nearly every page of the book has quotes integrated as side notes within the book. These notes are comments of real people who have made the effort to practice the kind of prayer that Morse describes. Their comments and insights make the material more down to earth and attainable. Further testimonies end each chapter, as well as suggestions for further reading.

[Dawn Dishman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too many of us get stuck in our prayer life-or at least I do. This is a well thought out book filled with new and creative ways to practice praying. One must keep in mind that prayer is conversing and listening to God so should be treated reverently and not as a 1-2-3 methodology. I think Morse does this well. She gives direction in different ways to pray, but recognizes that prayer is developing and nurturing a relationship. As in any relationship, it is great to keep learning how to communicate with each other. Not every way to pray being described will feel natural or easy, but, I think anyone wanting to grow deeper in their life of prayer would find this book refreshing and helpful in getting unstuck-or at least that’s my desire!

[Piper Hilgaertner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a useful tool this semester to explore different ways of prayer. I really enjoyed how practical the book was and how it easily explained the forms of prayer and gave you specific instructions and directions making it easy to dive into the practice.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book and the challenge it made to my prayer life, though I found its organization a bit disjointed. That is in part inherent to the form and, I think, even more central when using it as an e-book. Each chapter offers a bit of theology, introducing an approach to prayer, offers bullets to define it, gives ways to do it in groups, with partners, and alone, then ends with testimonials. Good insights, especially in the writing on the prayers, but not good organization for my poor e-book manuevering skills, especially when I want to skip around in a book that is kind of made to skip around in. Still I need to return and use the ideas and forms, especially with other people, and not be the guy who only reads about prayer.