Openings: A Daybook of Saints, Psalms, and Prayer

by Larry J. Peacock

Openings is a prayer book for every day of the year for people who don't normally think about using a prayer book. Move closer to God one day at a time by reading the Psalms and practicing prayer in ways you may not have imagined before. Peacock includes a wide variety of Christian prayer practices, including aspects of play, music and physical movement, as well as prayers for peace, of compassion, and for the seasons. Each day's reading has four * Remember a notable person of faith or a significant event * Read a psalm or another scripture passage * Ponder on the scripture or person of faith * Prayer/Practice guides you through many different prayer practices Daily practices offer a variety of ways to be open to God. You'll find a strong Christian witness in this book, whether encouraged to stop your day to simply give thanks or to serve in a soup kitchen. You'll learn to pray and persevere in the freshness of God's spirit. Openings is receiving advance praise from professors and authors around the country. Actor and activist Martin Sheen says of Peacock's work, ""I am convinced that as we discover the depths of prayer, we will 'discover fire for the second time.'"" Openings will lead you into God's presence, helping you learn how to talk to God and how to recognize God's whispers to you.

Genres: Prayer, Devotional, Christianity

441 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

Reviews

[AngelaGay Kinkead · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part of my daily devotions.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very good daily 'devotional' that is a bit different from the standard one.

Peacock introduces the reader to a spiritual model (perhaps a saint, a prominent theologian/philosopher, or a key historical date) using a Psalm to reflect on the significance of both the Word and the 'model'. Each day's devotional ends with a new practice to try and/or a specific prayer prompt.

In addition, many days feature an appendix of further reading relating to either the spiritual model, or the practice.

I enjoyed 'meeting' the various spiritual models from a variety of religions/faiths and the suggested practices, some of which I experimented with. But the greatest benefit was the reflections on the Psalms.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of good information. Worth using again one year as a devotional.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been the best book of daily devotionals I have ever picked up! Each daily reading begins with a brief account of the life of a saint, important person, or an event. Next there is a suggested reading. Most of the readings are from the Psalms, as the book is focused on reading through the entire book of Psalms, but there are readings from other parts of the Bible at times. Each daily reading is followed by more information connecting the Psalm to history, the referenced person/event, and reasons for its importance now. Finally, each month focuses on a different mode of prayer, so each day has a new discipline to try that culminates to a new habitual discipline of prayer for the month. That seems like an overwhelming amount of information to squeeze into a quick morning devotional, but each day is just one page. I hope to come across a similar book of devotionals soon. I can't recommend this book enough.