Prayer Our Deepest Longing

"Prayer: Our Deepest Longing" looks at the issues facing people of faith in todays culture, and offers a way of more effectively dealing with them by seeking out opportunities for prayer. With simple, down-to-earth language, Rolheiser illustrates the importance of prayer and offers techniques on how to pray, using examples from daily life, Scripture, and contemporary writers. He delves into the places that we fear to go with our issues about prayer, encouraging us with gentle kindness and words of hope and inspiration. The book is divided into five sections. 1. "Why Pray?" Illustrates the purposes and benefits of prayer for ourselves, as well as for the broader Catholic community and even the world.2. "Why Is It so Hard?" Notes how our contemporary culture conspires against taking time out for solitude and prayer, and how our own ego--with its fears, restlessness, and narcissism--can work against developing a deeper relationship with God through prayer.3. "What Is Prayer?" Outlines the two basic types of prayer, that is, affective (personal) and priestly (for the world). This section also notes the many ways or methods for each type of prayer, such as meditation, contemplation, the divine office, the Mass, and Scripture.4. "Sticking with It When It Gets Hard." This section covers the development of mature prayer, discussing ways to pray in times of boredom, disillusionment, crisis, helplessness, or after a loved ones death.5. "Mysticism." Here we learn about this increasingly popular form of intimate relationship with God.There will be a leaders guide for this book, making it an ideal resource for use with prayer groups, small faith communities, and retreats. Paperback, 69 pages.