Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone

Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone

by James Martin
Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone

Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone

by James Martin

Hardcover

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Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“A smart, wise, often side-splittingly funny master class in seeking God. Any spiritual seeker—from atheist to professional religious—will cherish this bravura tome from one of our great spiritual guides, in the lineage of C. S. Lewis, Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, Gandhi, and Mother Teresa. Hallelujah & amen!”—Mary Karr, author of Lit and The Liar’s Club

One of America’s most beloved spiritual leaders and the New York Times bestselling author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and Jesus: A Pilgrimage teaches anyone to converse with God in this comprehensive guide to prayer.

In The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, Father James Martin included a chapter on communicating with God. Now, he expands those thoughts in this profound and practical handbook. Learning to Pray explains what prayer is, what to expect from praying, how to do it, and how it can transform us when we make it a regular practice in our lives. 

A trusted guide walking beside us as we navigate our unique spiritual paths, Martin lays out the different styles and traditions of prayer throughout Christian history and invites us to experiment and discover which works best to feed our soul and build intimacy with our Creator. Father Martin makes clear there is not one secret formula for praying. But like any relationship, each person can discover the best style for building an intimate relationship with God, regardless of religion or denomination. Prayer, he teaches us, is open and accessible to anyone willing to open their heart.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780062643230
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 02/02/2021
Pages: 400
Sales rank: 521,848
Product dimensions: 6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Rev. James Martin, SJ, is a Jesuit priest, editor at large of America magazine, consultor to the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication, and author of numerous books, including the New York Times bestsellers Jesus: A Pilgrimage, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and My Life with the Saints, which Publishers Weekly named one of the best books of 2006. Father Martin is a frequent commentator in the national and international media, having appeared on all the major networks, and in such diverse outlets as The Colbert Report, NPR's Fresh Air, the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.  Before entering the Jesuits in 1988 he graduated from the Wharton School of Business.

Table of Contents

1 Everyone Can Pray An Introduction 1

2 Walking to School Childhood Prayer 17

3 Why Pray? Some Common Reasons 26

4 Praying Without Knowing It Nine Types of Prayer You May be Unaware of 34

5 What Is Prayer? A Few Definitions and Insights 43

6 Beginning a Friendship with God Father Barry's Insight 60

7 Everyone Needs Help Petitionary Prayer 88

8 Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Rote and Other Formal Prayers 117

9 I Am Here The Daily Examen 133

10 What Happens When You Pray? Emotions, Insights, Memories, Desires, Images, Words, Feelings, and Mystical Experiences 165

11 How Do I Know It's God? Discerning God's Voice 213

12 The Gift of Imagination Ignatian Contemplation 238

13 Praying with Sacred Texts Lectio Divina 264

14 Finding God at the Center Centering Prayer 274

15 Discovering God in Creation Nature Prayer 284

16 Talking About Prayer Spiritual Direction, Retreats, Faith Sharing, and Journaling 303

17 Topics in Prayer Distractions, Dryness. Expectations, and the Overall Ups and Downs of the Spiritual Life 333

18 Now What? Moving from Prayer to Action 355

Acknowledgments 365

For Further Exploration 367

Notes 373

Discussion Guide for Small Groups 387

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