Prayer audiobook

Because of my training in the history of Christianity, I have been privileged to be introduced to many of the mystical or devotional classics, from Julian to Tozer, from Bonaventure to Hilton, from the Jesus Prayer monk to Brother Lawrence. My knowledge is hardly encyclopedic, but I say this in order to offer a context for what will strike some as a startling judgment: The single most helpful book for me to actually pray is this one, and it's one of the very few books I have worked through more than once.Foster is a reliable guide, not least because he has the knack of saying, just when he's drawing me out of my comfort zone, "Now, you might be feeling uncomfortable about this, so...." He speaks as a contemporary North American to a contemporary North American and draws me into prayer, including modes of prayer that are neither natural nor even initially attractive to me. I can trust him to take me to places I want to go--in a way that I frankly don't trust some of the odder guides to prayer I have encountered (yes, I mean you, Catherine of Siena, bless your extravagant heart).Prayer is much more than what any single book can offer, of course, and I can appreciate why some will bounce off this book as too technique-oriented, too plain-spoken, too much the contemporary North American handbook.But if, like me from time to time, you need a good contemporary North American handbook, this one gets my top vote.

Edit: The review below gave this book 2 stars, and on this reading, I revised it to make it 4 stars. I did a church small group on each of the 3 parts of the book with some folks at my church and we found it good fodder for discussion. I read Richard Foster's Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home. I didn't much like it. Well there are parts I want to come back to, and I feel guilty criticizing a book on prayer by someone who has far-and-away-better-prayer-life than me, but it really didn't resonate with me. Here is why:It is divided into three sections which (upward, inward, outward) and Foster relates each section to one of the Trinity. Each section has seven type of prayers which help you achieve one of these dimensions of prayer. It is encyclopedic, and I honestly think I will look back on particular chapters and try the different prayer methods, or suggest particular ways of praying to others I mentor. But despite its usefulness, I found Foster's whole project wrongheaded. I am not sure if what I need is a taxonomy of prayer, as helpful as it is.I acknowledge that some of my aversion may come from my own experience in regard to prayer. Once upon a time I was at a Charismatic church because I sensed that God wanted me to be open to the Holy Spirit. That church was a great practitioner of healing prayer and taught about it a great deal. I learned some of that there, and was generally open minded. However, one of the pastor's would always suggest that if one 'type of prayer' didn't work, simply try another type of prayer. He would say that each type of prayer 'are tools in our tool box.' At first, I ate up what he was saying because God was obviously doing something through the prayers of the people there, but something about the toolbox comment made me bristle. Finally I figured out what it was.Treating each type of prayer as a different tool in your prayer tool box, suggested that if you just prayed the right way, God was obligated to answer you the way you wanted him to. Now, nobody said this, and they would nuance this by saying that sometimes God doesn't heal, or answer our prayers. But the use of the tools in the toolbox image was technological and it promoted a sort of formulaic idea of prayer. I found it difficult to jump from the idea of prayer as a tool to prayer as a conversation or communion with God. Now I know this is a lot of baggage to dump on Foster. But I remain skeptical of lists of ways to pray, in order to achieve this or that objective. I understand that some understanding of the multiple dynamics of true prayer means that you end up talking about it in different ways, but I struggle with this approach.

There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus--That is what I learned after reading this wonderful exposition on prayer. The book is basically a compilation of years of research on the subject of prayer. Richard Foster reviews every type of prayer imaginable, supports each style with historical facts, personal stories, and testimonies of every day people. Often times I hear people say, "I don't pray enough," or "I don't pray well." In most cases, this is simple not true. Richard does a great job of helping the reader have a great attitude towards prayer.

I cannot think of any other work that so succinctly and comprehensively covers the topic of prayer. Foster once again delights readers with rich theological exposition of scripture coupled with powerful anecdotes from his own life. Following works like Celebration of Discipline, this book is sure to help one transform their walk with God into one that allows for a rich and powerful life of prayer.

It took me a year to read (digest) this book. I couldn't stop, but I couldn't rush it either. Having finished it, I feel like I'm standing on higher ground.More than any other of its genre that I've seen, this book covers the topic of prayer. each chapter discusses a different "type" of prayer, all of which fall into the three categories of inward, upward, and outward - in that order (like Nouwen's writings). The book works well as a sort of progression, through which you can walk, practice, and grow. Foster takes his time to explain and discuss issues and challenges, and rounds it out with personal stories and examples which can leave you blown away and inspired. Prayer really is what we exist for, and where the work gets done.

Beautiful words. So many different ways to pray and live out a prayer filled life." The work of our hands and of our minds is acted out prayer, a love offering to the living God" " It is precisely in the "slop bucket job", the work that we abhor, where we will find God the most."" The discovery of God lies in the daily and the ordinary, not in the spectacular and the heroic.. If we cannot find God in the routines of home and shop, then we will not find him at all. Ours is to be a symphonic piety in which all the activities of work and play and family and worship and sleep are the holy habits of the eternal."

Perhaps the greatest book I've ever read It's dense with practical examples and Godly wisdom about prayer. After each chapter I thought about how much I'm looking forward to going back and reading it again. It's transformed my idea of what it means to have faith and to pray. Probably the best book a Christian can read besides the Bible.

O livro é dividido em 3 momentos: movimento para dentro (mudando-nos), movimento para cima (adorando, descansando e ouvindo a Deus) e movimento para fora (intercedendo pelos outros). “A verdadeira e completa oração não é outra coisa senão o amor (Santo Agostinho).”

Richard Foster has done it again. An incredibly wise perspective on prayer. So insightful and encouraging.

One of my favs

Super insightful. Lots of information. Learned a lot about prayer and the types of prayer.