Table of Contents
Acknowledgments 11
Introduction: An Invitation to Love 13
Practice: Knowing Our Story of Prayer 18
Part 1 What We Need to Unlearn about Prayer
1 What If a Wandering Mind Is a Gift? 23
Practice: Prayer When Our Minds Wander 32
2 What If Prayer Can Be a Place to Avoid God? 35
Practice: Prayer beyond Avoidance 46
3 What If Prayer Doesn't Meet My Expectations? 49
Practice: Praying to a New Father 59
4 What If God Wants My Heart of Sin and Pain? 61
Practice: Praying My Sin and Pain 75
Interlude: An Invitation to Relearn Prayer the Lord's Way 77
Practice: The Lord's Prayer 92
Part 2 Pray without Ceasing
Introduction: A New Rhythm of Prayer 97
5 The Prayer Book of the Soul 99
Practice: Praying the Psalms 115
6 Intending to Be with God 117
Practice: Prayers of Intention 123
7 Who Am I, Really? Collecting Our Hearts to Him 127
Practice: Prayers of Recollection 137
8 Being Watchful 141
Practice: Prayers of Examine 152
9 Seeing Ourselves and Others in the Love of God 155
Practice: Prayers of Petition and Intercession 167
Conclusion: The Struggle and Joy of Petition 171
Group Leader's Guide 183
Appendix 1 A Guide for Personally Praying the Psalms 191
Appendix 2 A Guide for the Prayer of Intention 211
Appendix 3 A Guide for the Prayer of Recollection 215
Notes 217