Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone
Written by James Martin
Narrated by James Martin
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“A smart, wise, often side-splittingly funny master class in seeking God. Any spiritual seeker—from atheist to professional religious—will cherish this bravura tome from one of our great spiritual guides, in the lineage of C. S. Lewis, Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, Gandhi, and Mother Teresa. Hallelujah & amen!”—Mary Karr, author of Lit and The Liar’s Club
One of America’s most beloved spiritual leaders and the New York Times bestselling author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and Jesus: A Pilgrimage teaches anyone to converse with God in this comprehensive guide to prayer.
In The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, Father James Martin included a chapter on communicating with God. Now, he expands those thoughts in this profound and practical handbook. Learning to Pray explains what prayer is, what to expect from praying, how to do it, and how it can transform us when we make it a regular practice in our lives.
A trusted guide walking beside us as we navigate our unique spiritual paths, Martin lays out the different styles and traditions of prayer throughout Christian history and invites us to experiment and discover which works best to feed our soul and build intimacy with our Creator. Father Martin makes clear there is not one secret formula for praying. But like any relationship, each person can discover the best style for building an intimate relationship with God, regardless of religion or denomination. Prayer, he teaches us, is open and accessible to anyone willing to open their heart.
James Martin
Rev. James Martin, SJ, is a Jesuit priest, editor at large of America magazine, consultor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, and author of the New York Times bestsellers Learning to Pray, Jesus: A Pilgrimage, and The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything. Father Martin is a frequent commentator in the national and international media, having appeared on all the major networks and outlets, like The Colbert Report, NPR’s Fresh Air, The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.
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Reviews for Learning to Pray
33 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The book has a non-technical style approach to prayer, full of personal experiences and practical suggestions for the reader. He feels regular people are unsure how to pray and giving practical advice would help them, so he enumerates ways to approach God (prayer with Nature, imaginative prayer, rosary, etc.), to help people recognize their own style and preferences.
I listened to the audiobook, read by the author, and it is a pleasure to listen: just like his writing style, it feels like a conversation. As I have it on my phone, I go back to it now and then, an excellent choice for long walks :)