Buy it online What inspired you to pursue putting this book together? The book originally stemmed from two complementing objectives: a desire to tie my own prayer-life to the historic faith of our larger tradition and a desire to provide students/readers with an entry into the spiritual life of those who have walked our faith journey before us. I wanted to have some accessible prayer materials that could provide both examples of historic prayers and forms (of a sort) for personal prayers. I find great comfort in the fact that none of the issues I face are new to the historic church. How might this book challenge and grow a reader? The book is intended as an encouragement to pray more, to pray more effectively, to pray more often, to pray with others. It can serve as a devotional reading. It can serve as a model for new prayers. It can serve as a public prayer book. For congregations or small-group settings where pre-printed prayers are appropriate, Zachariah Carter (my coeditor) and I hope that this work will prove to be a treasury of great value. Many of these prayers were written for precisely that purpose. Ultimately, both Dr. Carter and I hope that the book can spur God's people toward a more mature understanding of prayer as a part of the everyday Christian life. What did you learn through this book project? I was reminded of the vast array of valuable resources we have been given by our forebears. In the 21st century, we have unique access to materials from so many generations of believers that have previously been inaccessible. Second, I was taken by the number of "normal" believers who have left behind rich prayers that shed light on God's work in small sections of His church. Some of the prayers are taken from the well-known pastors and theologians of days gone by. But others are preserved from little known pastors and even everyday people who have sought to serve God faithfully in the midst of their particular circumstances. Finally, I walked away with great hope for my own prayer life, having renewed resources for the moments when words are difficult to find and renewed vigor for leaving behind a written legacy of the prayers I do pray. Spotlight on Faculty Publishing Faculty in Print Jonathan Arnold, PhD. Assoc. Prof. of Theological Studies and Zachariah Carter Cloud of Witnesses: A Treasury of Prayers and Petitions through the Ages; Crossway, 2024
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