If we're honest, most of us feel bored, distracted, or discouraged in prayer. We look for resources to give us the "right" words or teach us the "right" technique and are disappointed when they don't seem to help. What we fail to realize is that prayer isn't a place for us to be good or right, and it isn't a place for us to perform or prove our worth. It's a place for us to be honest, present, and known--a place for us to offer ourselves and receive God.
Spiritual formation experts Kyle Strobel and John Coe want to show you what you've been missing when it comes to prayer. In this down-to-earth book, they show you how to fearlessly draw near to a holy God, pray without ceasing (and without posturing), and delight in the experience of being fully known and fully loved. Each chapter ends with prayer projects or practices to help you see a difference in your prayer life, starting now.
| Acknowledgments |
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11 | (2) |
| Introduction: An Invitation to Love |
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13 | (5) |
| Practice: Knowing Our Story of Prayer |
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18 | (5) |
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Part 1 What We Need to Unlearn about Prayer |
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1 What If a Wandering Mind Is a Gift? |
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23 | (12) |
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Practice: Prayer When Our Minds Wander |
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32 | (3) |
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2 What If Prayer Can Be a Place to Avoid God? |
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35 | (14) |
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Practice: Prayer beyond Avoidance |
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46 | (3) |
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3 What If Prayer Doesn't Meet My Expectations? |
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49 | (12) |
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Practice: Praying to a New Father |
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59 | (2) |
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4 What If God Wants My Heart of Sin and Pain? |
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61 | (36) |
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Practice: Praying My Sin and Pain |
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75 | (2) |
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Interlude: An Invitation to Relearn Prayer the Lord's Way |
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77 | (15) |
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Practice: The Lord's Prayer |
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92 | (5) |
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Part 2 Pray without Ceasing |
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Introduction: A New Rhythm of Prayer |
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97 | (2) |
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5 The Prayer Book of the Soul |
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99 | (18) |
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Practice: Praying the Psalms |
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115 | (2) |
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6 Intending to Be with God |
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117 | (10) |
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Practice: Prayers of Intention |
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123 | (4) |
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7 Who Am I, Really? Collecting Our Hearts to Him |
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127 | (14) |
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Practice: Prayers of Recollection |
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137 | (4) |
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141 | (14) |
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Practice: Prayers of Examine |
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152 | (3) |
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9 Seeing Ourselves and Others in the Love of God |
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155 | (16) |
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Practice: Prayers of Petition and Intercession |
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167 | (4) |
| Conclusion: The Struggle and Joy of Petition |
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171 | (12) |
| Group Leader's Guide |
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183 | (8) |
| Appendix 1 A Guide for Personally Praying the Psalms |
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191 | (20) |
| Appendix 2 A Guide for the Prayer of Intention |
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211 | (4) |
| Appendix 3 A Guide for the Prayer of Recollection |
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215 | (2) |
| Notes |
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217 | |
Kyle Strobel is a speaker, writer, and professor of spiritual theology and formation at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. A popular speaker, Strobel is the author of Formed for the Glory of God and coauthor of Beloved Dust and The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb. He has written for Relevant, Pastors.com, Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, DeeperStory.com, and others. He and his family live in Fullerton, California, where he serves on the preaching team of Redeemer Church.
John Coe is director of the Institute for Spiritual Formation and professor of spiritual theology and philosophy at Talbot School of Theology and Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University. A leading expert on spiritual formation, he is a popular speaker on the topic at churches, retreats, and seminaries across the nation. He holds three master's degrees (in Bible, theology, and philosophy) and a PhD in philosophy from the University of California, Irvine. He lives in La Mirada, California.
