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Prayer Selections: Finding the Heart’s True Home Audiobook
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(4.01) - 1,457 listener ratings
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Best-selling author Richard J. Foster offers a warm, compelling, and sensitive primer on prayer, helping us to understand, experience, and practice it in its many forms-from the simple prayer of beginning again to unceasing prayer. He clarifies the prayer process, answers common misconceptions, and shows the way into prayers of contemplation, healing, blessing, forgiveness, and rest.
Coming to prayer is like coming home, Foster says. ""Nothing feels more right, more like what we are created to be and to do. Yet at the same time we are confronted with great mysteries. Who hasn't struggled with the puzzle of unanswered prayer? Who hasn't wondered how a finite person can commune with the infinite Creator of the universe? Who hasn't questioned whether prayer isn't merely psychological manipulation after all? We do our best, of course, to answer these knotty questions but when all is said and done, there is a sense in which these mysteries remain unanswered and unanswerable . . . At such times we must learn to become comfortable with the mystery.""
Foster shows how prayer can move us inward into personal transformation, upward toward intimacy with God, and outward to minister to others. He leads us beyond questions to a deeper understanding and practice of prayer, bringing us closer to God, to ourselves, and to our community.
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"This book is an excellent introduction to, and survey of, the practice and experience of prayer for Christians. Richard Foster draws from many different traditions and experiences and distills them into this very fine and accessible work. It's very practical, unpretentious and inspiring. Foster helps us examine the many facets of prayer grouped according to three intentions on personal transformation, intimacy with God and ministry to others. Among its 21 chapters you may find aspects of prayer that are very familiar to you (maybe you had never thought of them as prayer before) along with encouragement to focus and deepen your efforts in those areas. Other types of prayer may be completely foreign to you but offer an invitation to explore. For those who want to take prayer more seriously this book is a very good place to begin. It is not an introduction in the sense of being superficial or shallow. It treats each aspect of prayer in enough depth to get the willing reader well on his or her way to a more effective and vital life of prayer. But it also shows us prayer as a vast, life long and life changing endeavor and points to the work of others who have explored the various disciplines of prayer more deeply. This books is essential reading."
— Paul (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Once again, in penetrating deep, Richard Foster has shown the way for others to enter and experience prayer at a profound heart-level--not just a place of emotion and sentiment, but a focus point where the human spirit is transformed and enjoys a new oneness with God. This is life-changing reading!”
— Eugene H. Peterson, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Canada, and author of Answering God -
“This book is a rare gift…both a guide to prayer and an answer to one.”
— John Ortberg, author of If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat -
“This book has helped me immensely in my struggles for spiritual vitality and depth.”
— Tony Campolo, Professor of Sociology, Eastern University -
“As one fairly fluent with words, I am hard-pressed to express the impact of this timeless classic on my life. Richard Foster’s book is invaluable now, but not quite as invaluable as it will be a hundred years from now.”
— Brennan Manning, author of The Wisdom of Tenderness -
“Magnificent!…carried us into communion with Christians of every century and denomination.”
— Rev. John Loren Sandford and Rev. Paula A. Sandford, cofounders of Elijah House, Inc.
Prayer Selections Listener Reviews
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" Amazing. There is a part of me that shudders to think that I respect a compendium like an encyclopedia or a dictionary. While this has a narrative (somewhat) it really is a listing of all the different kinds of prayer that Christians have used throughout the ages and that Foster has participated in. This makes this book a vital resource for anyone in ministry, or who goes to church, or who lives. To know how to pray opens one up to a myriad of interactions with the holy. Prayer never made much sense nor much difference to me until I took a course on prayer. This book was the star of the show. Foster is accessible yet does not utilize elementary language/subject matter. Foster shares from the Scripture, the fathers and mothers of the faith, and from personal experience. This book's great for a beginner or an old expert. And, spoiler alert, you learn how to do exorcism. So, stop reading this and start getting demons out of your siblings. "
— Will, 2/14/2014 -
" I honestly haven't finished the book. But like books with case vignettes, this book is chock full of small snippets of deep insights and musings into prayer. Richard Foster is very approachable and speaks directly to some of the challenges and misconceptions I have about prayer. He is challenging, yet really encourages you as the reader to start to see that no matter what life season or issue is going on, God is ALWAYS ready to help you grow to see Him in it through prayer. "
— Natalie, 2/13/2014 -
" Teaches 21 different types of prayer! Was truly a great read and helpful with my prayer life! "
— Heidi, 2/3/2014 -
" Helpful...I've been struggling with prayer, what it is, what it's for, how it works with that whole free will thing, and how to do it. This book helps with how to do it. Good for getting myself in the right frame of mind. My favorite may be the fiddler on the roof prayer "
— Kathleen, 2/2/2014 -
" It was excellent, and written with humility. "
— Frank, 1/14/2014 -
" Excellent for use as a devotional guide. I love how Foster unpretentiously and simply teaches on various types of prayer. Super helpful and inspiring. "
— Michelle, 1/6/2014 -
" A great book on prayer! Explores different traditions on prayer and makes it accessible and exciting. Relit my desire to spend more time in prayer and learn more about it. "
— Rebekah, 1/1/2014 -
" I read this with my bible study group last year and it gave us some new perspective on prayer - it better with 21 chapters each on a different type of prayer! "
— Sarah, 11/30/2013 -
" One of my favorite resources on prayer so far. Joyful but honest...broad and deep, but eminently readable. With clear explanations and thoughtful, inspiring insights on structured types of prayer, it helped me explore new avenues of conversation with God. "
— Kelly, 11/28/2013 -
" an excellent review of prayer. a good primer for spring-boarding to the church fathers "
— Colyn, 11/3/2013 -
" My favorite book on prayer. I love Foster's writing! "
— Lori, 8/16/2013 -
" A great book on prayer! I loved the extensive examples of prayer. "
— Evan, 11/2/2012 -
" This book changed my prayer life! "
— Mary, 10/20/2012 -
" This was inspiring. I used it as a devotional every night before I went to bed. I liked it very much. "
— Jan, 10/7/2012 -
" Foster is always excellent. I will read this book over and over. A great use of historical and contemporary theologians and ideas. "
— Erin, 8/12/2012 -
" Explores all the types of prayer- very enlightening. Love this author; he writes with a good mix of biblical examples and practical examples of different types. Also wrote Celebration of Discipline- haven't read that, though. "
— Noelle, 7/3/2012 -
" One of the best, if not the best, book I've read on prayer. "
— Maggie, 3/4/2012 -
" I am reading this classic again for around the tenth or so time and it never fails to inspire and motivate me to pray and to be aware of the power of doing so....a truly great book. "
— Dale, 1/23/2012 -
" Lots of good material here. The author is a Quaker and I could sense a slightly different theology/perspective in some sections, but it was worth reading and I'll probably come back to it sometime. "
— Rachel, 1/12/2012 -
" This book is incredibly easy to read (especially compared to Dallas Willard) and gives the Christian reader an insightful knowledge of the different kinds of prayer and when they are appropriate, including a sample 'readers' prayer at the end of each chapter. "
— Fred, 9/5/2011 -
" I purchased this book to donate to the public library in my father's name. I learned many things from this book. "
— Dyan, 5/14/2011 -
" This was a difficult book for me. I like Foster's other books. "Celebration of Disciplines" was a life changing. "Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home" just felt very academic to me. Perhaps I will let it sit for a while and read it again... Just to see if my insight changes. "
— Eric, 5/11/2011 -
" This book is my favorite spiritual book of all time. "
— Joshua, 4/25/2011 -
" Loving every chapter, especially the chapter about the prayer of sacrament. "
— Shane, 3/22/2011 -
" This work is a great introduction to prayer for either the new comer or old soul. Some of these methods may not even seem like prayer at first. There is much here to ponder. "
— Douglas, 1/27/2011 -
" This book is my favorite spiritual book of all time. "
— Joshua, 12/20/2010 -
" Best book I've ever read on prayer. Written with a humility and openness that's inviting. Challenging yet accessible, Foster's book has the ability to warm even the most calloused heart again to the act of prayer or to spur the devotee to further pursuit. "
— Joel, 8/20/2010 -
" Excellent for use as a devotional guide. I love how Foster unpretentiously and simply teaches on various types of prayer. Super helpful and inspiring. "
— Michelle, 1/9/2010 -
" Love love love this simple yet deep understanding of the practice of prayer "
— Tami, 10/31/2009 -
" I've read this before but recently picked it up again. Wonderful exploration of all the ways we can relate to God in prayer. "
— Linda, 7/7/2009 -
" I loved this book. <br/> <br/>I found it helpful, engaging, and informative. Foster's writing was simple and easy to read, which helped to draw me more quickly into what he was writing about prayer. "
— Adam, 6/17/2009 -
" I loved this book! Prayer is at the core of my spiritual life. Richard Foster's insight to the kinds and dimensions of this discipline is beautiful and illuminating. Highly recommend it. "
— Ariel, 5/29/2009 -
" Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home by Richard J. Foster (1992) "
— Laura, 5/29/2009 -
" Foster is always excellent. I will read this book over and over. A great use of historical and contemporary theologians and ideas. "
— Erin, 4/16/2009
About Richard J. Foster
Richard J. Foster, a Quaker, is the executive director of the Milton Center and professor of theology and writer in residence at Friends University. He is the author of Freedom of Simplicity and The Challenge of the Disciplined Life, as well as study guides to both books. He lives in Wichita, Kansas with his wife, Carolynn, and two children, Joel and Nathan.