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