The Work of Prayer

I casually picked this book up off the shelf several weeks ago when I was looking for an introductory book on prayer to recommend to family and friends. There are so many to choose from. I am a big fan of this publisher, Sophia Institute Press, and their commitment to orthodoxy, so I figured it would probably be good.

It was a captivating read and I finished the book in just one evening - it is short, just about 100 pages. A few days later I was thinking about how much I enjoyed this book, how simple and yet stimulating it is, and so I read it through once again. The author, writing two generations ago, has done a superb job of outlining the basics of Christian prayer, using Sacred Scripture and the wisdom of the Saints. At the beginning of the book he covers "what prayer is" and "Who God is" so an excellent beginning to be sure. He talks about how we should offer prayer, the proper disposition and state of one's soul required for efficacy and instructs the reader in the requisite do's and don'ts. His style is very accessible and engaging. Although it may seem cliche to say this, it is as if the author is speaking gently and directly to you as you read the book. It's been a long time since I enjoyed a book so much that I almost immediately read it again. Fr. Huntington wraps up by encouraging us to learn from the Church and to structure our prayer around certain times  during the day and in our lives. At the end of the book are a few recommended prayers from the great Tradition of the Church that we all should learn, if we haven't already.

This book has my unqualified recommendation for anyone who wants to read a great introductory book on prayer. Sacred Scripture and the Saints tell us that the most important task we have as faithful Christians is to pray, that our work as Christians is primarily to pray, out of prayer comes all the good that we can do by the grace and mercy of God. How can we afford not to spend more time to find out about the practice/work of prayer and make sure we are living a true "life in the Spirit of God"? The Holy Spirit calls us to prayer. We should be listening! This book is a great help on our Christian journey.

How much did I like this book? I have purchased several extra copies to give away. It's that good.