The Return

Review: The Prayer Wheel: A Daily Guide to Renewing Your Faith with a Rediscovered Spiritual Practice Patton Dodd, Jana Riess, And David van Biema Convergent 2018 The title intrigued me, and I decided to look at this prayer wheel idea.   At first, I thought it was a gimmicky idea, but as it turns out it’s something more.   The wheel had been used long ago but forgotten until someone looked at the fly leaf of an old ceremonial type bible.   There was a copy of this wheel.   It’s related to an Augustinian guide from the 4 th or 5th century.   Think a remix of the original that a Benedictine order had designed.   Now it’s rediscovered and back in circulation.   The authors of The Prayer Wheel have written a devotional book that uses the prayer wheel.   If a person is willing to work through the devotional, a knowledge of using the prayer wheel would be one of the outcomes.   I found their brief daily offerings ...

Review: Praying with Eyes Wide Open: A Life-Changing Way to Talk with God Sherry Harney 2017 Baker Books   Praying with eyes wide open?   For some, I guess, that idea borders on scandalous.   But fear not, this book has lots more than that in it.   It might have been the day I read the first few chapters of this book, but they just did not speak to me.   Nothing.   I was ready to put it down.   But, instead I picked it up again.    Sections 2, 3, and 4 of this book sang to me like the first section didn’t.   I am glad now that I came back to it.   So, what’s the deal with the first few chapters?   I suspect since I have read so many books on prayer, that it was too familiar.   Or maybe it was the weather or something.   The rest touched on several areas from a fresh perspective and I found that very helpful, a joy to read.   Uncle Seamus skipping by the lake which she borrowed from Brennan Ma...

Review: The Daniel Prayer: Prayer That Moves Heaven and Changes Earth Anne Graham Lotz Zondervan 2016 One of the endorsements of this book said, “This work will call you out of the doldrums of lackluster faith and beckon you to renewed passion for an age-old spiritual discipline that still has wonder-working power” (Priscilla Shirer).   Absolutely, it will.   I applaud the author and the publisher for the courage to produce this work in this day and time.   Does that mean I agree with every word?   Not necessarily, but there isn’t much room to wiggle either.      This book is a call to prayer---individually and as the Church---with a view toward revival of the sort we have only read about lately.   The author sounds like one of the prophets of old as she calls to her people back to their roots.   I suspect for many that pick up this book they will find it much too challenging to finish.   Anne Graham Lotz (AGL) does no...