Growing up as a Pentecostal it was assumed you just prayed. There were times we might be taught prayer, as in a “life” of prayer, but when it came to actual praying a good Pentecostal just closed their eyes and let ‘er rip.

To pray someone else’s words was simply, well, backslidden. You were supposed to know God. 

Over the years I learned it was “legal” to use the Psalms. This really helped my prayer life. I could hear the cry of the heart in Psalms and then turn to my own words after a time of reading Psalms.

What was never encouraged was using a “Book of Prayer.” That was for backslidden liberals who had no idea how to pray, so they faked it.

Why can’t you talk to God “on your own?”

As I began my journey in spiritual formation I learned that for centuries saints had been doing what I had been doing in prayer: writing them down. I had come to a point devotionally where I would write out my prayers to God.

Those who had gone before had done so as well. Then, I discovered those prayers were actually published into books and used.

While I know my own private prayers would be of inspiration to absolutely no one else, I discovered the words of Benedict or Anthony or Evagrius could lead me into significant prayer times.

I still pray “on my own” when I am in public, most of the time. When I pray for people in hospitals, I do pray with people using my own words.

But when I pray in my own prayer time, I have found books of prayer to be helpful to get things going. I can hear a phrase that makes my heart cry out, “Yes! That was what I was thinking!”

IVP sent me a book for review called simply A Book of Prayers by Arthur A.R. Nelson. I am not under obligation to give a good review.

I don’t even know anything about Arthur Nelson.

But as I have leafed through this book I have read the prayers of a man of prayer. Many of these prayers are poetic and he says they are his words. There is also a major section of Scripture prayers that are organized by subject.

It is a nice little volume to have with me in my office so I can take small moments for reflection.

There is one prayer titled “I Need to Breathe Deeply.” The title alone is enough to cause me to slow down and breathe that very sentence back to God. I need that that space. My life is full. Help, me Lord, to slow it down!

Then, there is the poem/prayer itself, and it is beautiful.

“…make me attentive still
to good news,
to small occasions,
and the grace of what is possible
for me to be…”

What delightful thoughts.

You may not need these little helps in prayer. But if you find a need from time to time to have some assistance to get started in a time of prayer, this little volume is a breath of fresh air.