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Heart Speaks to Heart: Three Prayers to Jesus
Book by Nouwen, Henri J. M.
64 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1989
10 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Henri J.M. Nouwen
452 books2,136 followersHenri Jozef Machiel Nouwen was a Dutch Catholic priest, theologian, psychologist, professor, and spiritual writer whose work profoundly shaped contemporary Christian spirituality. Born in Nijkerk, the Netherlands, in 1932, Nouwen pursued religious studies and was ordained a priest in 1957. His intellectual curiosity led him to study psychology at the Catholic University of Nijmegen and later at the Menninger Clinic in Kansas, where he explored the connection between faith and mental health. Throughout his life, Nouwen remained committed to integrating pastoral care, psychology, and spiritual theology in a way that addressed the emotional and existential needs of believers.
Nouwen held teaching positions at prestigious institutions including the University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School, and Harvard Divinity School. He authored over three dozen books and hundreds of articles, with notable works such as The Wounded Healer, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Life of the Beloved, and The Inner Voice of Love. His writing, often rooted in personal vulnerability and spiritual struggle, resonated with readers across denominations. Nouwen openly explored themes of loneliness, identity, intimacy, and the human desire for love and belonging, making his voice especially relatable and influential.
Though he was a gifted academic and popular speaker, Nouwen found his deepest calling later in life through his involvement with L’Arche, a network of communities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After a transformative stay at the original L’Arche community in France, Nouwen accepted an invitation to become the pastor of L’Arche Daybreak in Richmond Hill, Ontario. There he developed a close bond with Adam Arnett, a core member with severe disabilities, which inspired the book Adam: God’s Beloved. At Daybreak, Nouwen discovered a deep spiritual home and a community that helped him embrace his humanity in profound ways.
Throughout his life, Nouwen wrestled with issues of identity, including his sexuality and his longing for connection, though he remained faithful to his vows. His openness about depression and inner conflict gave depth to his pastoral message, and his ability to turn personal struggle into shared spiritual insight made him one of the most beloved spiritual writers of the 20th century.
Henri Nouwen died in 1996 of a sudden heart attack, but his legacy endures through his writings, the Henri Nouwen Society, and the continued global reach of his message of belovedness, vulnerability, and compassionate community. His books remain bestsellers, widely read in seminaries, churches, and among individuals seeking a more intimate walk with God.
Nouwen held teaching positions at prestigious institutions including the University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School, and Harvard Divinity School. He authored over three dozen books and hundreds of articles, with notable works such as The Wounded Healer, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Life of the Beloved, and The Inner Voice of Love. His writing, often rooted in personal vulnerability and spiritual struggle, resonated with readers across denominations. Nouwen openly explored themes of loneliness, identity, intimacy, and the human desire for love and belonging, making his voice especially relatable and influential.
Though he was a gifted academic and popular speaker, Nouwen found his deepest calling later in life through his involvement with L’Arche, a network of communities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After a transformative stay at the original L’Arche community in France, Nouwen accepted an invitation to become the pastor of L’Arche Daybreak in Richmond Hill, Ontario. There he developed a close bond with Adam Arnett, a core member with severe disabilities, which inspired the book Adam: God’s Beloved. At Daybreak, Nouwen discovered a deep spiritual home and a community that helped him embrace his humanity in profound ways.
Throughout his life, Nouwen wrestled with issues of identity, including his sexuality and his longing for connection, though he remained faithful to his vows. His openness about depression and inner conflict gave depth to his pastoral message, and his ability to turn personal struggle into shared spiritual insight made him one of the most beloved spiritual writers of the 20th century.
Henri Nouwen died in 1996 of a sudden heart attack, but his legacy endures through his writings, the Henri Nouwen Society, and the continued global reach of his message of belovedness, vulnerability, and compassionate community. His books remain bestsellers, widely read in seminaries, churches, and among individuals seeking a more intimate walk with God.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 4, 2024
A beautiful little book of prayers to the heart of Jesus.
In classic Nouwen fashion this book calls be closer to the loving, living heart of Jesus, and challenges me to move toward others with that love.
This book is a cozy hug and cup of tea!
In classic Nouwen fashion this book calls be closer to the loving, living heart of Jesus, and challenges me to move toward others with that love.
This book is a cozy hug and cup of tea!
April 10, 2023
This might become an annual reading during the Holy Week for me. It was short, but, like most of Nouwen’s stuff, it was full of good thought provoking material.
February 1, 2014
Though I do not personally agree with the theology of the “Sacred Heart”, I still found the prayers in this book to be very helpful by encouraging me to pray more deeply to Jesus. Nouwen writes three different prayers to the heart of the Savior that I was able to pray along with, as well as add my own words to the prayers. The first prayer draws from Matthew 11:28-30, when Jesus says, “Come to me… and I will give you rest.” As usual, Nouwen’s vulnerability about insecurities and the need for human affection permeate these prayers and I could easily resonate with his words and make them my own. The second prayer draws from John 19:31-37, when Jesus’ side was pierced and the blood and water flowed. Nouwen spends much of this prayer fixing the eyes of his heart on the pierced Redeemer as He hung on the cross. He sees the mixture of beauty and ugliness, peace and anguish, joy and tears, and love and agony as Jesus hung on the cross and allows those images to become prayers for the lives that we live today… lives where joy and sorrow live so closely alongside one another. The final prayer is from John 20:19-20, 24-29, when Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection. Nouwen focuses on the fact that the wounds of Jesus are still present on His resurrected body. He addresses Thomas’ desire to touch the wounds of Jesus. Nouwen relates with Thomas’ desire (and our desire) to be able to touch and have more tangible proof of the resurrected Lord. I found these prayers encouraging and I always enjoy the warm and tender voice of Nouwen as I read him… he has a way of drawing me in and encouraging me to worship the Father more deeply.
March 28, 2018
Nouwen is my devotional Master. I highly recommend reading this short book of prayers as part of your Easter celebration.
October 30, 2024
"While I say with my words that I believe in your full and unconditional love, I continue to look for affection, support, acceptance and praise among my fellow human beings, always expecting from them what only you can give." (20)
“You did everything to show us your love and your Father's love. You became a small, dependent child to show us yourself in your weakness, you became a refugee in Egypt to show us your solidarity with all who are driven from their homes, you grew up in obedience to your parents to show us how close you are as we search for a true identity, you worked for many years as a simple carpenter to show us how you wanted to be with us in our daily work, you were tempted in the desert to show us how to resist the forces of evil around us, you surrounded yourself with disciples to show us how to share our vision with others and to work together in ministry, you preached the word of God to show us your truth and how to become, ourselves, witnesses to truth, you healed the sick and raised the dead to show us that your presence gave life to the whole person, body and soul, you were transfigured to show us your divine splendour, you went the long road of suffering and death to show us that you did not want to remain an outsider even in the most painful of all human experiences. You, the eternal word of the father, kept making choices that brought you closer and closer to us, to reveal to us the boundless love of your heart.” (23-24)
“I trust in you, Lord, but keep helping me in many moments of distrust and doubt. They are there and they will be there every time I turn my eyes, ears or hands away from you. Please, Lord, keep calling me back to you, by day and by night, in joy and in sadness, during moments of success and moments of failure. Never let me leave you. I know you walk with me. Help me walk with you today, tomorrow and always.” (29)
“Lord Jesus, as I look at the wound in the side of your glorified body and tried to enter into the mystery of your resurrection, I am painfully aware of the timidity, the fear and the doubt that fill my own heart. Even though everything is accomplished in you, even though you carry all of humanity within your heart, even though you love me without limit and keep me safe in that love, I live as though there was something important to me to be found outside of you. I know where my home is. I know where I can safely dwell. I know where can listen to the voice of love. But still I am restless, searching for what only you can give.” (51)
“Oh dear Jesus, your broken heart is so visible and so touchable if I but take the risk of trusting you completely. You are so close to me if I am but willing to open the eyes you have given me. You say to me “what you have done to the least of mine you have done to me” The hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the prisoners, the refugees, the lonely, the anguished, the dying, they're all around me and show me your broken heart. I see you every time I walk down the streets, every time I watch television or listen to the radio, every time I open a newspaper, every time I pay attention to a woman, a man or a child who comes to me. I see you every time I let my eyes see the pain of all those with whom I live day after day. You are so close, closer than I ever knew before I looked at your pierced side. You are in my house, on my street, in my town. in my country. You are where I walk, where I sit, where I sleep, where I eat, where I work and where I play. You are never far from me.” (53-54)
“You did everything to show us your love and your Father's love. You became a small, dependent child to show us yourself in your weakness, you became a refugee in Egypt to show us your solidarity with all who are driven from their homes, you grew up in obedience to your parents to show us how close you are as we search for a true identity, you worked for many years as a simple carpenter to show us how you wanted to be with us in our daily work, you were tempted in the desert to show us how to resist the forces of evil around us, you surrounded yourself with disciples to show us how to share our vision with others and to work together in ministry, you preached the word of God to show us your truth and how to become, ourselves, witnesses to truth, you healed the sick and raised the dead to show us that your presence gave life to the whole person, body and soul, you were transfigured to show us your divine splendour, you went the long road of suffering and death to show us that you did not want to remain an outsider even in the most painful of all human experiences. You, the eternal word of the father, kept making choices that brought you closer and closer to us, to reveal to us the boundless love of your heart.” (23-24)
“I trust in you, Lord, but keep helping me in many moments of distrust and doubt. They are there and they will be there every time I turn my eyes, ears or hands away from you. Please, Lord, keep calling me back to you, by day and by night, in joy and in sadness, during moments of success and moments of failure. Never let me leave you. I know you walk with me. Help me walk with you today, tomorrow and always.” (29)
“Lord Jesus, as I look at the wound in the side of your glorified body and tried to enter into the mystery of your resurrection, I am painfully aware of the timidity, the fear and the doubt that fill my own heart. Even though everything is accomplished in you, even though you carry all of humanity within your heart, even though you love me without limit and keep me safe in that love, I live as though there was something important to me to be found outside of you. I know where my home is. I know where I can safely dwell. I know where can listen to the voice of love. But still I am restless, searching for what only you can give.” (51)
“Oh dear Jesus, your broken heart is so visible and so touchable if I but take the risk of trusting you completely. You are so close to me if I am but willing to open the eyes you have given me. You say to me “what you have done to the least of mine you have done to me” The hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the prisoners, the refugees, the lonely, the anguished, the dying, they're all around me and show me your broken heart. I see you every time I walk down the streets, every time I watch television or listen to the radio, every time I open a newspaper, every time I pay attention to a woman, a man or a child who comes to me. I see you every time I let my eyes see the pain of all those with whom I live day after day. You are so close, closer than I ever knew before I looked at your pierced side. You are in my house, on my street, in my town. in my country. You are where I walk, where I sit, where I sleep, where I eat, where I work and where I play. You are never far from me.” (53-54)
April 30, 2021
I am not one for traditional piety, and so while I have very much enjoyed other Nouwen books, this one connected. The story of Nouwen's relationship to Madama Pauline Vanier is a highlight, but the best part for me was actually from the intro by Christopher de Vinck (possibly not from this edition):
"At the end of Archibald MacLeish's play JB, the play about the courage of Job to maintain his faith, MacLeish suggests that if we blow on the coal of the heart we will maintain our faith and hope for the future. Henri always maintained that such are the habits of faithful people. He would say heart needs to speak to heart. All of his books can be seen as asking us: How do we maintain the fire within us? How do we tend to the hope of self in the face of our lost selves?"
"At the end of Archibald MacLeish's play JB, the play about the courage of Job to maintain his faith, MacLeish suggests that if we blow on the coal of the heart we will maintain our faith and hope for the future. Henri always maintained that such are the habits of faithful people. He would say heart needs to speak to heart. All of his books can be seen as asking us: How do we maintain the fire within us? How do we tend to the hope of self in the face of our lost selves?"
July 8, 2017
High quality prayers for a deepening faith.
October 24, 2017
Beautiful, simple and so real. For those looking to deepen a relationship with the heart of Christ.
March 5, 2018
Lovely, brief book of three prayers offered by Henri. The phrases were so thoughtful and kept me focused.
July 14, 2019
Prachtig en ontroerend boekje met eerlijke gebeden.
April 11, 2020
Three beautiful conversational prayers for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.
March 19, 2025
An enlightened way to engage with the heart of Jesus through prayer. I’ll be coming back to this often.
April 14, 2014
This is written in the form of three prayers to Jesus as Nouwen seeks to explore the heart of Jesus.
What I found particularly special about the prayers is I saw myself in each of them. That's the wonder of Nouwen's writing: he is able to capture the essence of the "everyman" in his words. Accordingly, I felt like they were my prayers and hence they led me into my own prayer time.
The first prayer was particularly enlightening as Nouwen reflects on Jesus washing the feet of His disciples by imagining himself in the position of one of the disciples. I did likewise and quickly responded just as Peter did, but after some more prayer soon was able to tearfully allow myself to be washed. The wonder of that moment has stayed with me ever since reading it.
The prayers are written simply with Nouwen's customary gentleness and humility.
I've used this short book as part of my Lenten journey. Highly recommended for any time of the year.
What I found particularly special about the prayers is I saw myself in each of them. That's the wonder of Nouwen's writing: he is able to capture the essence of the "everyman" in his words. Accordingly, I felt like they were my prayers and hence they led me into my own prayer time.
The first prayer was particularly enlightening as Nouwen reflects on Jesus washing the feet of His disciples by imagining himself in the position of one of the disciples. I did likewise and quickly responded just as Peter did, but after some more prayer soon was able to tearfully allow myself to be washed. The wonder of that moment has stayed with me ever since reading it.
The prayers are written simply with Nouwen's customary gentleness and humility.
I've used this short book as part of my Lenten journey. Highly recommended for any time of the year.
July 22, 2010
Not Nouwen's best. Maybe a good read if you're a devout Catholic and not a Baptist pastor. Half the book is an explanation (not very exciting) of why he wrote the book. I found it pretty boring. Read The Return of the Prodigal Son instead.
September 30, 2012
Another easy short read loaded with powerful meditations!
January 5, 2014
A short book of written prayers - now one of my favorites from Nouwen
April 20, 2014
Again we did this book for lent this year and absolutely loved it. Again it just flows so beautifully.
February 9, 2016
I'll revisit this one in a few months....
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews