Forms of daily prayer have been used throughout Christian history, and every Christian tradition encourages its adherents to practise regular personal prayer, calling it variously the Daily Office, the Divine Hours, Forms of Prayer, the Quiet Time or, more simply 'daily devotions'. This book draws on that rich tradition, offering daily structured prayer based on the prayers of key figures and traditions in Christian history. Over 28 days, the reader is invited to engage with and pray with the words of Augustine of Hippo, Julian of Norwich, Martin Luther, John Wesley, Soren Kierkegaard, and the Franciscan and Benedictine offices, amongst many others. The language of the prayers has been updated to make them accessible to the modern reader, but the mood, sense and underlying theology of the originals have been retained. Including newly translated Psalms and suggested daily Bible readings, this book offers a significant resource for personal prayer. However, more than this, it also offers a sense of worshipping in the wisdom and insight of the great traditions, providing an opportunity to engage personally with the whole spectrum of Christian experience.

TRADITIONS is a treasure chest of ancient, traditional, and modern Jewish blessings positioned between two strong currents of reader interest--an enthusiasm for recovering the lost wealth of Judaism and the universal quest for invigorating our daily lives with simple spirituality. Illustrated with stunning modern and archival photography of historical artifacts, religious symbols, and practical elements.

This beginner's guide to prayer will guide Catholics who need help learning to pray.

This anthology offers new insight into an ancient form of Christianity still little understood in the West. An introduction to the rich diversity of the Eastern Orthodox Churches--Egyptian Copts, Armenians, Syrians, Indian Malankara, Ethiopian and Eritrean--through their distinctive tradition of prayer and worship. It provides both a survey of the history and theology of the Eastern Orthodox traditions as well as an anthology of prayers. The collection highlights the distinctiveness of Eastern Christian spirituality along with its connections to Western theology and worship.

The perfect gift for seekers, the curious, and the spiritually hungry, The Little Book of Prayers now has a stunning new cover and a more prayer book–like format. Gathered from holy books and prayer books, from songs and spirituals, spoken traditions and poets, it is an unexpectedly approachable collection of common and uncommon prayers from around the world. The entries, one per page or spread, are chosen for their depth of feeling, beauty of expression, spiritual intensity, and sense of the universal. The book is organized into broad categories of praise, entreaty, contemplation, mourning, and grace; and two indexes—one by authorship, and the other by topic—make it immediately accessible. There are familiar prayers, like the Lord’s Prayer and 23rd Psalm, which, placed in new context, shine with a renewed beauty and wisdom. You’ll find prayers unfamiliar to many in the West, such as the “Opener” from the Koran or the four vows of the Boddhisattva, chanted every evening in Zen monasteries around the world. And the surprising—from the “Prayer of the Unknown Confederate Soldier” to the blues of Lightnin’ Hopkins to the poetry of Rumi. God help us to live slowly: To move simply: To look softly: To allow emptiness: To let the heart create for us. Amen. —Michael Leunig You, whose day it is, make it beautiful. Get out your rainbow colors, so it will be beautiful. —Nootka Song

"While many of us are familiar with such famous words as, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here." or "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," we may not know that they originated with The Book of Common Prayer, which first appeared in 1549. Like the words of the King James Bible and Shakespeare, the language of this prayer book has saturated English culture and letters. Here Alan Jacobs tells its story. Jacobs shows how The Book of Common Prayer--from its beginnings as a means of social and political control in the England of Henry VIII to its worldwide presence today--became a venerable work whose cadences express the heart of religious life for many.The book's chief maker, Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, created it as the authoritative manual of Christian worship throughout England. But as Jacobs recounts, the book has had a variable and dramatic career in the complicated history of English church politics, and has been the focus of celebrations, protests, and even jail terms. As time passed, new forms of the book were made to suit the many English-speaking nations: first in Scotland, then in the new United States, and eventually wherever the British Empire extended its arm. Over time, Cranmer's book was adapted for different preferences and purposes. Jacobs vividly demonstrates how one book became many--and how it has shaped the devotional lives of men and women across the globe"--.

Rice and Williamson have done a remarkable job of sifting through five centuries of the recorded prayers by Reformed Christians to produce this collection. --The Presbyterian Outlook.

As David deSilva has experienced the ancient wisdom of the Book of Common Prayer, he's been formed spiritually in deep and lasting ways. In these pages, he offers you a brand new way to use the Book of Common Prayer, exploring how Christians can be spiritually formed by the sacraments of baptism, Eucharist, marriage and last rites.

This easy-to-carry and very practical devotional resource will help all individuals, congregations, families, and small groups looking for assistance in prayer and in leading groups in prayer. It includes all the material from the Daily Prayer section of the full-sized edition of theBook of Common Worship. It features rubrics and blue and maroon ribbons. The cover is also a brilliant maroon. Orders for morning and evening prayer are provided, as well as the psalms and the daily lectionary. Prayers are also included for family and personal life, the church, national life, world issues, and environmental concerns.