After Amen: 50 Days of Poetry and Prayer

by Tyler Staton

Pastor and beloved author Tyler Staton shares a personal and profound creative devotional to draw us deeper into God’s truth and beauty.

Are you ready to explore the remarkable reality of God’s beauty? After his shocking Stage 4 cancer diagnosis, pastor and author Tyler Staton found himself cast into a wilderness of emotion. Amid the struggle, he found strength in the familiar solaces of prayer, contemplation, and Scripture, but also through an unexpected source—writing carefully crafted poetry. Even after going into remission, this practice awakened a new appreciation in Tyler for how God uses beauty to draw us powerfully to himself.

After Amen contains inspiring chapters on the role of creativity and beauty in the  Christian life, as well as a core of 50 entries which feature biblical reflection, heartfelt prayer, and a short original poem from Tyler. Focusing on Jesus’s Seven Signs in Gospel of John, readers will encounter their own lives with new appreciation and inspired insight, as Tyler shows how all of life, joy and suffering, is an opportunity to be formed more completely in the image of Jesus. This exceptional book is an inspiring, provocative, and beautiful exploration of how much of our spiritual life truly happens not only with what we say during prayer, but what we live After Amen.

Genres: Poetry, Devotional, Christian, Faith, Prayer, Spirituality, Christian Living

272 pages, Hardcover

Published April 21, 2026

About the author

Tyler Staton is the Lead Pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife Kirsten, and their sons Hank, Simon, and Amos. He is passionate about living prayerfully and relationally. Tyler is the author of three books: The Familiar Stranger, Praying Like Monks, Living like Fools, and Searching for Enough.

Find me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/tylercstaton.

Reviews

[Abby Erschen]

ate this up. was good for my heart and creativity and prayer life.

[Julia LaRue]

the combination of poetry, reflection, and prayers beautifully provide guidance to explore scripture & modern life in a new light. the core of the book explores the question, “how does my life bear the fruit of prayer after I say amen?” and it does so creatively & reverently.

[Samuel G. Parkison]

5 stars for the pros, 3 stars for the poems, so 4 stars split the difference.

[Shannon]

“What if the conditions of your ordinary life as it is today-monotonous, incomplete, unsatisfying, and only occasionally thrilling-are the perfect conditions through which God can bring heaven to earth in you and through you, if you choose them?”

After Amen provides grounded, honest, faithful opportunities to gaze upon Christ - both throughout Scripture and through personal reflection. Structured as a 50 day devotional, each day includes a poem, reflection, and prayer. Tyler Staton’s poems are birthed from his reflection on Scripture - organized by the seven miracles included in the Gospel of John, with a Sabbath day with Psalms in between each miracle.

Throughout the book, Staton is so unflinchingly honest about the human condition - as well as the utter hope found only in Christ. He looks his own “mundane” and the “ordinary” moments and relationships we often neglect to reveal the divine appointments God has placed, and invites us to do the same. Yes we have our prayer times, but how do we live AFTER we say amen? I particularly enjoyed the final section that took a deeper look into how we participate with beauty and creativity.

**Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.**

[Jenna]

“The life remembered beyond the one who inhabited it is lived by one who dares to live creatively - who spends themselves in the routine hours of their ordinary days in the self-forgetful, self-giving way of an artist at a canvas.”

I already know I’ll be returning to this book again and again. Pick it up for the Sabbath poems if for nothing else!

[Joshua]

This inspired me to start writing out my prayers more, and even to try some of them in prose. Really enjoyed this.

[Johnny Sprinkle]

Art, when pointed toward the creator, is worship.
I’ve never been much of a poetry guy, by Tyler definitely has me wanting to try more.

[Meagan Mankin]

Absolutely loved this one.

[Campbell Lakatos]

Per usual, Staton has a knack for writing in a way that sparks in me a desire to live differently, more beautifully.

[Patricia N.]

After Amen
50 Days of Poetry and Prayer
by Tyler Staton
Narrated by Tyler Staton, Yinka Dawson

Rating: 5 star rating

I really liked After Amen: 50 Days of Poetry and Prayer. Tyler Staton shares personal prayers, poems, and thoughts about faith, suffering, hope, and learning to trust God during difficult times, including his battle with cancer.

I listened to the audiobook. Yinka Dawson starts each day with a Scripture reading, then Tyler Staton reads a poem he wrote, followed by his reflections and prayers. The soft background music playing throughout is very soothing, and combined with the readings, it makes for a really beautiful and calming audio experience.

I don't usually read much poetry, but this book was easy to get through because the daily sections are short and relatable.

By the end, Tyler has come through his cancer journey with a deeper faith, and the overall message is hope and learning to trust God in every season of life.

I finished feeling encouraged and more intentional about prayer. I think the audio version is the best because you can listen and meditate while listening. I recommend this audio version devotional.

Thank you, NetGalley, HCCP, and HCF Audio, the author, Tyler Staton, and narrators Yinka Dawson and Tyler Staton for the book review consideration All opinions are my own.

#NetGalley
#HCCPandHCFAudio
#TylerStaton
#Yinka Dawson
#AfterAmen

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This is a review of the audiobook.

[Ian]

I loved the concept of this devotional. 50 days spent in the Gospel passages where Jesus performs a miracle. A poem, a reflection and then a prayer. Sounds wonderful.

I found these devotionals a little underwhelming. The poems might or might not have been written specifically with the particular bible passage in mind, the reflections were good but perhaps a little short to be truly meaningful and the prayers were generally very good.

I'm sure fans of Staton's will love it but for me it was just too little and the poems were okay but what one would expect from the general masses.

I was fortunate to receive an early ebook copy from Thomas Nelson via Net Galley and this has had no bearing on my review.

[Jeff]

Pastor, speaker, and author, Tyler Staton, is back with prayers, scriptures, and poetry created to drive the reader/listener deeper in their relationship with Christ.

I listened to the audiobook version. After an explanation and challenge by Tyler, Yinka Dawson leads us in a scripture reading, followed by Tyler’s poem, read by the author. They continue this pattern to provide an experience that will last daily over the next 50 days. Each daily experience is not long but invites the reader/listener to spend time contemplating what they have heard or read.

I don’t know if “enjoyed” is the appropriate word to use, but was soothing and thought-provoking.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Tarissa]

A poem, with a thought and prayer, for each day. I related well with many of the poems. And some were intended to be more personal to the writer's life and raw experiences.

One of my favorite poems in this collection is intitled "Shabbot Shalom" and it serves as a reminder to rest on your Sabbath, let your soul be refreshed, and be present with those around you.

I also enjoyed "The Ocean"... Love, God's love, is overpowering like the ocean. It will encompass you, and you cannot get away from it.

However, this book's reputation went downhill for me when I found a cuss word in one of the poems. I couldn't believe it existed in this book, and contemplated setting the book aside permanently. After a while, I did come back to skim through to the end of the book.

[Jon Coupal]

This. Was. Great. One of the best devotional-style books I've read, maybe ever.

It looks at the seven signs of the gospel of John for one week each, plus Sabbath days, makes a 50-day devotional. Each day gives you a short set of verses, sometimes only half a verse to read, a poem that is in some way related to the content of the day, a reflection on the verses, and a prayer. While there wasn't a single bad day of reading, there were a few stand outs, and more than one brought up some emotional responses in me. The writing came out of a really honest place of a man who faced death in the form of a cancer diagnosis, and what it means to live well with the Lord in this life. Man, this was just so good.

[Patrick Hiltz]

"After Amen: 50 Days of Poetry and Prayer" by Tyler Staton is a deep and meditative 50 day Christian devotional. I really appreciated the care and the craft behind this work. I think it was really well done and is worth reading slowly and reflectively. It is meant to be read a bit at a time, a chapter a day for 50 days. I had to go through it more quickly to do this review but I really liked it and look forward to working through it again in the future more slowly as the content really demands.

I'm grateful to Thomas Nelson for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Laura Burns]

I loved this book. The introduction alone gave me so much to think about—how do we live after Amen?

The set up was Scripture, a poem, a reflection and a prayer. I made me want to start journaling again. It’s so rich I read only a few entries at a time.

I want to read it again and go through it even slower, engaging with my own journal. I highly recommend!

(The poems are in a very small font—I assume to keep their formatting, if you struggle with font size I would recommend the digital version so you can set it to a readable size for you!)

[Anna Andre]

A digestible, beautiful book that looks at the book of John, points to a creative God who made us and invites us to create, and leads the reader to deepen their own prayer and creative practices.

I really enjoyed the structure/layout of this book for 50 days and the closing reflections on self-forgetting and self-giving creativity.

I find it challenging and a little reductive to give a star rating to a book like this (spiritual and personal), but I highly recommend it and I want people to know about it :) five stars

[Ashley Handing]

This book is very grounding, meant to be read thoughtfully and slowly over time. I did not read it that way however. The poems, scripture and stories throughout were too compelling to consistently stop after. I listened to this via audiobook which was read by Tyler Staton and had the original musical background as well. Overall, after listening to this collection I now feel ready to purchase the hard copy and pace myself day by day.

[Julia Shelburne]

This book combines poetry, reflections, and prayers to discuss the Seven Signs of Jesus in the Gospel of John. The pace of After Amen lends itself to be read meditatively, so I especially recommend this to folks who prefer a more liturgical approach to devotionals. As always, Staton shares wisdom that I will reflect on for awhile.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

[Connie Greenlee]

This is a fantastic book/devotional. Staton draws you in from the very beginning, compelling you to read, yet read slowly, savoring the words, reflecting on how you can be more a part of God’s work.

The introduction alone took me several days to read because of how deep and rich the words and thoughts are. I wanted and needed reflection time before moving on to the next paragraph or page.

I will start it again tomorrow.

[Caroline Phillips]

I loved this book! It was the perfect summer devotional, for the time when my small group wasn't meeting. Something a little different, with Scripture, poetry, a reflection, and a prayer for each day. My favorite parts were the poetry and the prayers!

My only complaint is that sometimes it wasn't always clear how the poem related to the Scripture/reflection, but it did usually become clearer by the end.
Definitely recommend!

[Rose]

The long rambling sentences and barely cohesive theme makes it evident that this is not Staton's best book.
However, I'm still glad I read it. He has lots of good thoughts on what Kingdom based living looks like realistically. I was often inspired in my early morning reading and I frequently needed to grab my pen to underline things.

[Gigi]

What a gift to the world is this book and also the author - Tyler Staton. With rare vulnerability, he leads us to take our relationship with Jesus and with prayer not just one step further but miles down the road. He is a man touched deeply by life, tragedy, cancer, and he shares it all with us. I highly recommend After Amen for a deepening of the Spirit's work in your life.

[Marie Bagdanov]

Tyler Staton is a profound voice for our generation in the church right now. I am moved by his poetry — accessible, humanity-centered but enough texture to dive into slowly. Grateful for his vulnerability and honesty as he pursues a life well lived after Jesus. Excited to read the whole thing!

[Alex]

Honest and deep, gently guiding and richly filling the soul. This is a perfect book for Christians, and also those who have no idea but their questions may or may not be leading them to the ways of Jesus.

[Brayden Brown]

This book invited me into a habit of poetry being a starting point for my day. An invitation to engage with God through language imagery and as Chesterton says of poetry, a “floating on the infinite sea”. This will be a habit for me for years to come.

[Tobin Karlberg]

Tyler Staton has a been gifted by God to write, teach, preach and encourage people to see Gods beauty in ordinary life. After Amen was one of those books I read slowly, and honestly didn’t want to finish. 50 days of poetry and prayer took me about 3 months to read but who’s counting!

[Carol Wilson]

I read the ebook on my Libby app. I'm purchasing a copy, though; it's brimming with eloquence and truth. I want more time to saturate my heart with the richness of these poems and devotional passages.

[Margaret Love]

Not what I expected

Truely enjoyed every way. Different but good. It caused me to pause and think, differently to that of other books because I wasn’t expecting a daily reading book. I enjoyed it and will be re reading it again

[Meg]

Really fantastic book. Very grounding and had many days where I felt God was really speaking to me through Tylers words.