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The Meeting Place: Quiet Spiritual Practices for Dwelling with God in Prayer
Within each of us is a longing to tangibly experience the presence of God. We want to "Come and see what the Lord has done" and "Be still and know" our God. Far too often, though, that longing is swallowed up in the dings of technology, the demands of our schedules, and the duties of our faith. As a people, we are exhausted. Despite all our sermons and service and self-awareness, we can't seem to work our way to rest with God.
This book explores how the ancient practices of spiritual direction and contemplative prayer help us draw near to God in a loud, distracting world. Each chapter tells a story of what spiritual director and poet Laura Kauffman has discovered in her own practice and includes a practical exercise you can try privately or with your community.
If you long to be aware of the nearness of God, to rest in his presence, and to be equipped to listen to him, this book is your guide toward an ever-deepening intimacy with God.
This book explores how the ancient practices of spiritual direction and contemplative prayer help us draw near to God in a loud, distracting world. Each chapter tells a story of what spiritual director and poet Laura Kauffman has discovered in her own practice and includes a practical exercise you can try privately or with your community.
If you long to be aware of the nearness of God, to rest in his presence, and to be equipped to listen to him, this book is your guide toward an ever-deepening intimacy with God.
- GenresChristianity
174 pages, Paperback
Published August 11, 2026
About the author
Laura Kauffman
4 books23 followersLaura Kauffman, MA, is a writer, poet, and spiritual director. She is the author of three poetry collections ("Ordinary Things," "What Remains," and "Carolina Clay: A Collection of Poems on Love and Loss" (Dustlings Press)) and one book on contemplative prayer (Baker Books, coming fall 2026). Her work has appeared in Fathom Mag, The Clayjar Review, Collected Online Arts Magazine, The Mudroom, and more. Laura lives in the loess hills of Iowa with her favorite humans — three boys and their dad. Find out more about Laura on Instagram, Substack, and her website.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 25, 2026
The Meeting Place is a guide to two ancient, proven practices for drawing near to God in a loud and distracting world: spiritual direction--the art of attending to God's movements in your life with the help of a trained companion--and contemplative prayer--the practice of quieting the mind and opening the heart to receive rather than speak. I started this as a daily devotional, taking it one chapter at a time and working through the practice sections one day at a time. Then I somehow got sucked in and brought it to the beach with me and finished the entire thing. Each chapter draws from Laura Kauffman's own journey as a practicing spiritual director and poet and finishes up with a practical exercise to grow nearer to God through prayer. I found the entire thing to be very meditative and soothing and although I didn’t personally work through all the practice sessions since I was at the beach flying through the book it rooted me in prayer and I was able to finally release some of the grief of losing my dad. I would recommend this book for personal devotional time, church small groups, or even those on contemplative retreats and book clubs.
August 13, 2026
Just two days ago, I found myself arriving to my downtown Indianapolis office early and leaving nearly four hours later than my usual departure. The hours in-between were filled with meetings, obligations, difficult conversations, and massive over-peopling for someone who is a people loving introvert.
Sometimes, I just want to rest. I want to rest in life. I want to rest in my faith. i want to rest in the presence of God.
By the end of Laura Kauffman's "The Meeting Place: Quiet Spiritual Practices for Dwelling with God in Prayer," I was convinced that Kauffman would get this challenge and be an ideal guide for helping to address it.
"The Meeting Place" weaves a tapestry of two ancient practices - spiritual direction and contemplative prayer - to create a meeting place of sorts, for slowing down and gently having that desperately needed encounter between one's soul and God.
In some ways, "The Meeting Place" is a simple book. At less than 200 pages, "The Meeting Place" will most benefit people like me - those who have long been curious about spiritual direction and those who've struggled to slow down long enough to consider it. Each chapter combines one of Kauffman's personal stories alongside a more practical exercise designed to make these practices more accessible and more achievable.
Kauffman, unsurprisingly, is a spiritual director herself. It's also not surprising that she's published three books of poetry, because "The Meeting Place" finds its success in maintaining gentle rhythms and Kauffman's lyrical and soothing voice.
I can easily see "The Meeting Place" being used as a devotion, amongst prayer groups, on retreats, or in spiritual direction (though, admittedly, I'm relatively a newbie in the latter).
From a beautiful cover to visual dialogue that immerses you in what feels natural and safe, "The Meeting Place" is an ideal place to start for those craving a deeper relationship with God and a safe place to explore what that means.
Sometimes, I just want to rest. I want to rest in life. I want to rest in my faith. i want to rest in the presence of God.
By the end of Laura Kauffman's "The Meeting Place: Quiet Spiritual Practices for Dwelling with God in Prayer," I was convinced that Kauffman would get this challenge and be an ideal guide for helping to address it.
"The Meeting Place" weaves a tapestry of two ancient practices - spiritual direction and contemplative prayer - to create a meeting place of sorts, for slowing down and gently having that desperately needed encounter between one's soul and God.
In some ways, "The Meeting Place" is a simple book. At less than 200 pages, "The Meeting Place" will most benefit people like me - those who have long been curious about spiritual direction and those who've struggled to slow down long enough to consider it. Each chapter combines one of Kauffman's personal stories alongside a more practical exercise designed to make these practices more accessible and more achievable.
Kauffman, unsurprisingly, is a spiritual director herself. It's also not surprising that she's published three books of poetry, because "The Meeting Place" finds its success in maintaining gentle rhythms and Kauffman's lyrical and soothing voice.
I can easily see "The Meeting Place" being used as a devotion, amongst prayer groups, on retreats, or in spiritual direction (though, admittedly, I'm relatively a newbie in the latter).
From a beautiful cover to visual dialogue that immerses you in what feels natural and safe, "The Meeting Place" is an ideal place to start for those craving a deeper relationship with God and a safe place to explore what that means.
August 12, 2026
I spent some quiet time with Laura Kauffman’s The Meeting Place: Quiet Spiritual Practices for Dwelling with God in Prayer, and honestly, it felt fitting to read this one when the house was still and I could actually sit with what she was saying. Thank you to Baker Books for the gifted copy. When life gets loud—and goodness knows it does—how good are we really at simply being still with God?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Meeting Place is less about adding another thing to our spiritual to-do list and more about learning how to stop, listen, and recognize that God is already near. That message really spoke to me.
Laura writes about contemplative prayer and spiritual direction in such a gentle, approachable way. There’s no feeling that you need to have prayer figured out or follow some complicated formula. Instead, she encourages creating quiet space, slowing down, listening, and simply dwelling with God rather than always coming to Him with a list of things to say or do.
Each chapter includes personal reflections along with a practice you can try on your own or with others. I especially liked how doable these felt. In a world of phones dinging, schedules overflowing, and our minds running approximately 47 tabs at once, the reminder that prayer can also mean silence and simply being present with God was something I needed.
My one struggle was the editing. I noticed several grammar issues and awkward sentences that occasionally pulled me away from what I was reading. With a book centered around stillness and reflection, those little interruptions stood out more than they normally might. I found myself wishing for one more careful editing pass because there is so much heart in these pages.
But the message stayed with me: time with God doesn’t always require more words. Sometimes we need fewer distractions, a little more stillness, and the willingness to listen.
What helps you quiet all the noise and make space for time with God?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Meeting Place is less about adding another thing to our spiritual to-do list and more about learning how to stop, listen, and recognize that God is already near. That message really spoke to me.
Laura writes about contemplative prayer and spiritual direction in such a gentle, approachable way. There’s no feeling that you need to have prayer figured out or follow some complicated formula. Instead, she encourages creating quiet space, slowing down, listening, and simply dwelling with God rather than always coming to Him with a list of things to say or do.
Each chapter includes personal reflections along with a practice you can try on your own or with others. I especially liked how doable these felt. In a world of phones dinging, schedules overflowing, and our minds running approximately 47 tabs at once, the reminder that prayer can also mean silence and simply being present with God was something I needed.
My one struggle was the editing. I noticed several grammar issues and awkward sentences that occasionally pulled me away from what I was reading. With a book centered around stillness and reflection, those little interruptions stood out more than they normally might. I found myself wishing for one more careful editing pass because there is so much heart in these pages.
But the message stayed with me: time with God doesn’t always require more words. Sometimes we need fewer distractions, a little more stillness, and the willingness to listen.
What helps you quiet all the noise and make space for time with God?
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book offers a gentle and inviting approach to developing a deeper prayer life through stillness and intentional spiritual practices. Laura Kauffman emphasizes slowing down, creating quiet space, and learning to dwell with God rather than rushing through structured prayers. The tone is calming and reflective, making it well suited for readers who are feeling overwhelmed or spiritually dry and are seeking a softer, more contemplative connection.
The strengths of this book lie in its simplicity and sincerity. Kauffman clearly has a heart for helping readers cultivate intimacy with God, and her suggestions for quiet practices feel accessible rather than intimidating. Many of the reflections encourage mindfulness, listening, and being present, which can be very meaningful for those wanting to move beyond routine devotionals into something more personal and experiential.
However, the reading experience is significantly impacted by frequent grammar errors and awkward phrasing. These mistakes appear in unusual places and disrupt the flow, making it difficult at times to stay fully engaged with the content. The lack of strong editing is noticeable enough to feel distracting, which ultimately takes away from the otherwise thoughtful message. With better proofreading and refinement, this book could have had a much stronger impact.
Overall, this is a heartfelt and spiritually encouraging guide that is unfortunately weighed down by poor editing. Readers willing to overlook those issues may still find value in its message, but others may struggle with the presentation. (I hope they are able to make corrections before publication.)
The strengths of this book lie in its simplicity and sincerity. Kauffman clearly has a heart for helping readers cultivate intimacy with God, and her suggestions for quiet practices feel accessible rather than intimidating. Many of the reflections encourage mindfulness, listening, and being present, which can be very meaningful for those wanting to move beyond routine devotionals into something more personal and experiential.
However, the reading experience is significantly impacted by frequent grammar errors and awkward phrasing. These mistakes appear in unusual places and disrupt the flow, making it difficult at times to stay fully engaged with the content. The lack of strong editing is noticeable enough to feel distracting, which ultimately takes away from the otherwise thoughtful message. With better proofreading and refinement, this book could have had a much stronger impact.
Overall, this is a heartfelt and spiritually encouraging guide that is unfortunately weighed down by poor editing. Readers willing to overlook those issues may still find value in its message, but others may struggle with the presentation. (I hope they are able to make corrections before publication.)
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews