it's out... the book about prayer

I told you I’d let you know when we could get it out. I didn’t want to promise a date. I’m learning not to do that.

But I can say it now.

It’s out.

The book is called The Art of Praying God, and it’s published with Hearts Notes... the same people who published the other one.

If you read the last post, you already know how long I held this one. A long year in drafts, maybe a little more. I would open the folder, read a little, and close it again.

I started writing it because of something I kept hearing, for years. In our women’s study group, and in other rooms too. And even in Australia, at that conference back in 2014. The same soft voice. I don’t know how to pray. Or, I do pray, but I never feel like I’m doing it right.

I put it away because I didn’t feel ready to put my name on a book about prayer. Some mornings I still stand at the kitchen sink and only have one sentence. Lord, I’m here. I missed You. I thought that meant I shouldn’t be the one to write it.

I’m learning, slowly, that I was wrong about that.

Prayer still doesn’t need polished words. It never did. If you’ve been waiting for a tidier morning, or a better sentence, before you begin... you don’t have to. You can start with what you have, right where you are. “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalm 145:18). Near. Not after you’ve found the right words. Near when you call.

The book walks through how to find your own words, how to write a prayer, how to pray out loud when you feel a little foolish, how to pray with Scripture, and what to do when prayers seem to go unanswered. There are ten chapters, and a few short practices you can try in just a few minutes. I still think of it as a companion, not a set of rules. Something you could keep on the kitchen counter, or by the bed.

If you’d like a copy, you can buy it now on the Hearts Notes shop:

https://heartsnotes.com/products/the-art-of-praying-god

There’s an ebook, and the ePub version can go straight onto a Kindle. And for those of you who love to hold a real book, the kind you underline and leave on the nightstand, there’s a printed US Trade edition too. It’s a beautiful softcover, and it ships from the USA. I’ll be honest, that’s the one I reach for. You can get your copy here.

Now... I should say this again, just in case.

When I lost my old blog, I lost the way some of you used to find me. I’m not on social media. I never quite took to it. My grandkids have been helping me with the computer parts. So if you’ve found your way back here, I hope you’ll stay. Bookmark this page, maybe, so it doesn’t slip away again. And if you feel like leaving a comment, I’d love that. I really would.

A Prayer:
Lord, thank You that this little book is out now, after sitting in a folder for so long. For anyone who doesn’t know how to begin... meet her right where she is. Give us simple words, and the courage to use them. And thank You that You are already near.

Thank you for reading... and for waiting with me.