The Everything Prayer Book

by Hennies, Ronald; Weiss, Sonia

• ISBN13: 9781580629577
• ISBN10: 1580629571
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-11-01
• Publisher: Adams Media Corp

Summary

Prayer is not limited to one faith, one country, or one ethnicity; it spans the world and is universal in its power to heal and instill hope. From discovering the how-to aspects of opening the heart and soul to specific prayers for a variety of concerns, this book offers an uplifting, accessible guide to communicating with God.

Author Biography

Ronald Hennies, an Episcopal priest, began his ministry in 1959. He is an honorary canon of Calvary Cathedral in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and former chairperson of the cathedral's Commission of Liturgy and Art. Father Hennies has a doctorate in ministries from the Graduate Theological Foundation at Notre Dame. He lives in Rapid City, SD Sonia Weiss is a freelance writer who has studied and practiced the art of meditation and prayer for several years. She lives in Rapid City, SD

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Prayer	p. x
Introduction	p. xi
The World of Prayer	p. 1
Prayer All Around	p. 2
Why We Pray	p. 3
The Changing Face of Prayer	p. 6
Types of Prayer	p. 9
Communicating with God	p. 10
Getting the Conversation Going	p. 13
The Power of Prayer	p. 15
Changing Things Through Prayer	p. 16
Personal Transformations	p. 17
When Prayer Fails	p. 19
The Flip Side of Failed Prayers	p. 20
Healing by Faith	p. 22
The Negative Power of Prayer	p. 24
How the Faiths Pray	p. 29
The History of Prayer	p. 30
The Search for Meaning	p. 31
From Many Gods, One	p. 34
God Made Man	p. 37
In the Beginning ... Allah	p. 39
The Path to Enlightenment	p. 41
From the Good Book	p. 43
Getting to Know God's Word	p. 44
Bible Background	p. 44
The Books of the Old Testament	p. 47
The Books of the Apocrypha	p. 51
The Books of the New Testament	p. 53
One Bible, Many Translation	p. 55
Choosing Among the Translations	p. 56
Studying the Bible	p. 57
Books of Prayer from Around the Globe	p. 61
Tapping into Wisdom from Other Faiths	p. 62
The Book of Common Prayer	p. 63
The Siddur	p. 66
The Quran	p. 67
The Imitation of Christ	p. 69
The Bhagavad Gita	p. 70
The Tao-te Ching	p. 71
The Upanishads	p. 71
First Steps Toward Prayer	p. 73
Learning How to Pray	p. 74
Making a Commitment to Prayer	p. 75
Scheduling Your Prayer Time	p. 77
Prayer Duration	p. 79
Determining a Place for Prayer	p. 80
Finding Your Prayer Style	p. 83
Lots of Ways to Pray	p. 84
Private Prayer	p. 84
Corporate Prayer	p. 86
Patterning Your Prayer	p. 89
Acting Up	p. 90
Following the Hours	p. 92
Finding Your Prayer Posture	p. 92
Prayer Tools	p. 95
Visual Prayer Tools	p. 96
The Sweet Smell of Incense	p. 102
Prayer Counters	p. 104
Music to the Ears	p. 110
Praying Simply	p. 111
Starting with Fits and Starts	p. 112
Being a Good Beginner	p. 114
Learning to Be Humble Before God	p. 116
The Power of Praying Just as You Are	p. 117
The Benefits of Simple Prayer	p. 121
How to Do Simple Prayer	p. 122
Praying in Times of Trouble	p. 125
Dealing with Difficulties	p. 126
Why Bad Things Happen	p. 127
Trouble's "Good" Side	p. 128
The Fear Factor	p. 129
Suffering in Silence	p. 130
Stopping the Spin Cycle	p. 131
How to Pray in Times of Trouble	p. 131
When the Prayers Won't Come	p. 132
The Story of Job	p. 133
Praying in Times of Joy	p. 137
Giving Thanks and Praise	p. 138
Why Praying with Joy Is Difficult	p. 139
Developing an Attitude of Gratitude	p. 143
Journaling Joy	p. 145
Reviewing the Details of the Day	p. 146
How to Pray Joyous Prayers	p. 146
Praying for Special Needs	p. 149
Going to God for Help	p. 150
Prayers of Petition	p. 154
Intercessory Prayers	p. 156
Developing Your Intercessory Prayer Muscle	p. 158
When Intercession Goes Awry	p. 158
Asking for Specific Outcomes	p. 160
Praying for Guidance and Wisdom	p. 163
Seeking God's Wisdom	p. 164
Asking for Guidance and Wisdom	p. 166
Hearing God's Voice	p. 169
A Bang or a Whisper?	p. 169
How to Recognize an Answer from God	p. 170
Getting to "Yes"	p. 172
Praying for Healing	p. 175
The Ancient Tradition of Healing Prayer	p. 176
The Nature of Healing Prayer	p. 178
How to Pray for Healing	p. 179
Where Healing Prayer Takes Place	p. 182
Renewing Your Prayer Life	p. 187
Recognizing the Need for Renewal	p. 188
Body Talk	p. 188
Mind Games	p. 189
Changing Old for New	p. 191
Asking God for Help	p. 193
Getting A New 'Tude	p. 194
Stepping Back to Go Forward	p. 194
Modern-Day Retreats	p. 196
Going Deeper into Prayer	p. 201
Understanding Your Feelings	p. 202
Listening Up	p. 204
Going to the Desert	p. 205
What Is Contemplative Prayer?	p. 206
Who Does Contemplative Prayer?	p. 207
How to Do Contemplative Prayer	p. 208
Divine Reading: Lectio Divina	p. 213
What Is Lectio Divina?	p. 214
Reading Reverently	p. 217
Getting Started with Lectio Divina	p. 218
What Comes Next	p. 223
Centering Prayer	p. 225
What Is Centering Prayer?	p. 226
The Basis for Centering Prayer	p. 226
Learning Centering Prayer	p. 229
Practicing Centering Prayer	p. 230
Choosing the Sacred Word	p. 231
Introducing the Sacred Word	p. 233
Returning Gently to the Sacred Word	p. 235
Sitting in Silence with Your Eyes Closed	p. 237
Challenges of Centering Prayer	p. 237
Prayer in Motion	p. 239
Exercising Body and Spirit	p. 240
Prayer Walking	p. 241
The Mechanics of Prayer Walking	p. 243
Gearing Up to Walk	p. 245
Walking Slow, Walking Fast	p. 245
Walking in Circles	p. 247
Living a Prayerful Life	p. 253
Praying with Your Family	p. 254
Keeping a Prayer Journal	p. 257
Fasting	p. 259
Benefits of Fasting	p. 262
How to Fast	p. 262
Guiding the Spirit	p. 265
A Final Word	p. 268
Glossary of Terms	p. 271
Prayer Resources	p. 277
Index	p. 284
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